Reichenfels

Rich rock is a market town with 1870 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013 ) in the district of Wolfsberg in Carinthia.

• 6.1 municipal
• 6.2 Coat of Arms
• 6.3 community partnership

Geography

Geographical location

Rich rock is in the upper Lavant Valley between the Packalpe and Seetaler Alps. North of 87.21 km ² large municipality area, the border runs to Styria. Carinthian neighboring communities of rich rock are Bad St. Leonhard and cottage mountain.

Community structure

The municipality includes four villages, who are also Katastralgemeinden:

• Rich rock, 1111 inhabitants (as of 31 October 2011)
• St. Peter in the Lavant Valley, 309
• Sommerau, 201
• Weitenbach, 277

History

The name rich rock (originally Castrum Richenvelse ) is derived from the gold and silver deposits that were mined in today's municipal area in Roman times. These minerals were also responsible for the medieval flowering of the place.

Since the 11th century, the area belonged to the bishopric of Bamberg Franconia. The rich rock castle was first mentioned in 1227. The place was in 1457 raised to market. Until the 18th century, the area remained bambergisch, only under Maria Theresia rich rock in 1759 was Austrian.

The community rich rock was constituted in the year 1850. 1958, she was appointed by then independent local church St. Peter connected.

Population

According to 2001 census rich rock has 2,083 inhabitants, of which 97.4 % are Austrian citizens. 95.5 % of the population are Roman Catholic and 1.5% for the Protestant Church. 1.0% is no religious persuasion.

Culture and sights

• The Parish Church of St.. James, which rises in the center of the old market, was built in the 13th century in the Romanesque style, but rebuilt several times over the years and renewed. Worth seeing are the mighty east tower with its baroque onion dome, a Gothic font, the baroque high altar and the Romanesque round charnel house in the old cemetery.

• Outside the town stands the parish church of St. Peter and Paul, which is one of the oldest churches in the Upper Lavant Valley. The church is already mentioned in 931. In 1480, the Romanesque church was destroyed by the Turks and then rebuilt in the Gothic style. Worth seeing are alongside the mighty west tower above all an octagonal late Gothic baptismal font and the altar from the 17th century.

• In the old mining area in the Sommerau squires built in the Middle Ages a small church, the Holy. Oswald was ordained. It is the oldest Oswaldikirche Carinthia.

• From the castle rich rock today only a few remnants are present.

Economy and infrastructure

Economically dominant in the rural community is the timber industry. There are also summer tourism.

Policy

Parish council

The local council of rich rock consists of 19 members and is as follows since the municipal elections in 2009 together:

• 7 SPÖ
• 6 ÖVP
• 6 FPK

Directly elected mayor is Manfred leader (ÖVP ).

Coat of arms

Although since the mid-15th century market, rich rock has been granted the right to use a seal by Bishop George of Bamberg until March 24, 1557; these are not a formal award certificate, but only to the granting of the right of judges, council and community, civic purchase contracts realities and birth certificates to be signed with this seal. The seal showed the parish patron saint, the apostle James the Great as a full-length with a pilgrim's staff and cloak, who was holding a coat of arms with a fissured rock and two scallops in his left.

The St. James also acted in younger representations as supporter or ( in a seal from 1595 ) even as the main character of the rich Felser coat of arms. On the occasion of the formal certificate or award of coats of arms and flag in 1971, but on the recommendation of the Provincial Archives, only the " -talking " single sign with the altkristallinen rocks (the " rich rock " ) and the two silver scallops that point to the patron, remained.

The official blazon of the arms is: " In the blue shield a naturally colored altkristalliner rock, whose summit is beseitet each a silver scallop right and left. "

The flag is blue and white with integrated crest.

Community partnership

A community partnership was founded in 1975 with Aurachtal in Middle Franconia ( Germany ).