Weitensfeld im Gurktal
Weitensfeld in Gurktal is an Austrian market town with 2135 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013 ) in the district of Sankt Veit an der Glan in Carinthia.
Geography
The place is located in Weitensfeld Gurktal that around 96 km ² large municipality covers an altitude of 700-1700 m to the south Wimitzer mountains and the northern Gurktaler Alps.
The municipality is divided into seven Katastralgemeinden ( Altenmarkt, Brown Mountain, Linder, Thurnhof, Weitensfeld, Wullroß, Zweinitz ) in which there are the following 41 villages The municipality includes the following 50 places (in brackets population as at 31 October 2011):
- Ading (14 )
- Aich (60 )
- Altenmarkt (32 )
- Bach ( 1)
- Brown Mountain (51 )
- Brunn (31 )
- Dalling ( 7)
- Dielach (3)
- Dolz (33 )
- Edling (62 )
- Angel Village (31 )
- Grabenig (58)
- Grua (15 )
- Harbour Village (83 )
- Hardernitzen (63)
- Dog village (13 )
- Kaindorf (166 )
- Kleinglödnitz ( 2)
- Kötschendorf (75)
- Krassnitz (13 )
- Lind (23)
- Massanig ( 0)
- Mödring (17 )
- Mödritsch (2)
- Nassing (10 )
- Lower Wurz ( 0)
- Oberort (37 )
- Planitz (50 )
- Psein (31 )
- Reinberg (17 )
- Sadin (27 )
- Sankt Andra (78 )
- Stone Village (12 )
- Traming (20)
- Sealed reed ( 11)
- Weitensfeld ( 576 )
- Wullroß (2)
- Wurz ( 5)
- Zammelsberg (82 )
- Zauchwinkel (13)
- Zweinitz (355)
Neighboring communities of Weitensfeld are:
History
The Gurktal was covered a long time by dense forests and uninhabited. Only when the country was occupied by the Romans and this docked a link road through the Gurktal to Salzburg, emerged first settlements, how originated in Altenmarkt the coaching Beliandrum. At least in the 9th century and the peripheral areas of the Wimitzer mountains and Mödringbergs were settled.
Between 1050 and 1065 was due to immigration from Bavaria a settlement on Zammelsberg ( Zumoltiperg ). The village Weitensfeld was first documented in 1131. 1192 was the hitherto Styrian ownership of the Babenberg, this gave him in 1202 the cathedral chapter Gurk. 1203 was the place market rights.
1476 and 1478, there was destruction in Turkish invasions.
After the formation of the local church in 1850 were Weitensfeld 1871, the cadastral Thurnhof and Zweinitz (previously belonging to Gurk ) connected. From 1973 to Weitensfeld was in the course of the Carinthian government reform part of the greater community Weitensfeld - Flattnitz. After a referendum, the German towns handles, Glödnitz and Weitensfeld 1991 independent again, part of Flattnitz remained first in Weitensfeld, but was removed with effect from 1 January 1994 and joined the community Glödnitz. Since that time, the municipality is in its current boundaries, since 1 January 1995 the municipality bears the name Weitensfeld in Gurktal.
Population
According to 2001 census Weitensfeld has 2,474 inhabitants, of which 97.8 % have Austrian citizenship. 91.0 % of the population are Roman Catholic and 3.6 % for the Protestant Church, 2.7% of the inhabitants are without religious confession.
Culture and sights
- Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist. Weitensfeld in 1285 first mentioned, former water fortified church with a round tower from the early 16th century
- Branch Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Weitensfeld: From this church the oldest surviving stained glass of Austria, the Romanesque Magdalene disc, created in 1170 comes from ( in the church is a replica of the original in the Diocesan Museum Klagenfurt)
- Fortified church Altenmarkt
- Fortified church Zweinitz
- Fortified church Zammelsberg
- Castle Thurnhof in Zweinitz
Regular events
- Kranzelreiten: Taking place at Whitsun Kranzelreiten is one of the oldest traditional festivals in Carinthia. According to legend, this custom is based on a condition at the time of the plague, as almost the entire population was killed, and the remaining three sons of citizens should have quarreled about a noblewoman to the three young men eventually went to the bet. In the festival the winner allowed to kiss the stone maiden, every 25 years ( last in 1997 ) a living.
- Karl May Festival: held every year in late June to early September
- Speckkirchtag: place early May
- Ball hitting in Zweinitz and Nassing: held annually on Easter Sunday
Economy and infrastructure
The economy is dominated by agriculture and forestry as well as small businesses. Among them are a pharmaceutical producer and a larch resin refinery.
In the community there is a secondary school, four elementary schools, a kindergarten, a post office and three volunteer fire departments.
Policy
City Council and Mayor
The local council of Weitensfeld has 19 members and, since the municipal elections of 2009 mandates the following parties together:
- 9 ÖVP
- 8 FPK
- Two SPÖ
- Directly elected mayor is Franz Sabitzer (ÖVP ).
Coat of arms
The market Weitensfeld was awarded its own coat of arms by Emperor Ferdinand II on October 4, 1629: " a red shield, in it a deer in green field between four Weidenbaimb against the right side geschicket to spring. " The Red-White- Green flag with incorporated crest is detected since the 18th century. A renewal of the coat of arms and flag award certificate on February 1, 1974, the following blazon: " In red on a green ground between four willow trees to the right jumping deer. "
The choice of subject of the leaping deer is probably " talking " on two popular etymological variants of the origin of the place name back: On the one hand, a " Weidenfeld ," on the other one saying " deer, jumping far into the field " to the origin for today's local and community names explained. After Kranzmayer ( place names book 1959), however, is Weitensfeld but after the persons name developed to interpret " witin ".