Villach

Villach
Coat of arms
Villach Location within Austria
Location of Villach within Carinthia
Coordinates: 46°36′53″N 13°50′46″E / 46.61472°N 13.84611°E / 46.61472; 13.84611Coordinates: 46°36′53″N 13°50′46″E / 46.61472°N 13.84611°E / 46.61472; 13.84611
Country	Austria
State	Carinthia
District	Statutory city
Government
• Mayor	Helmut Manzenreiter (SPÖ)
Area
• Total	134.89 km2 (52.08 sq mi)
Elevation	501 m (1,644 ft)
Population (1 January 2011)[1]
• Total	59,285
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	9500
Area code	04242
Vehicle registration	VI
Website	villach.at

 Villach (help·info) (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlax]; Slovene: Beljak, Italian: Villaco, Friulian: Vilac) is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. As of December 2006^[update], the population is 58,480.^[2]

History

Near the center of Villach

The oldest human traces found in Villach date back to 3500 BC. Many Roman artifacts have been discovered in the city, as it was near an important Roman road called the Römerweg. A document mentions a bridge in what is today Villach in 878^{[citation needed]}, and the settlement across the bridge was given market town status in 1060, though Villach is first mentioned in records in 1240. Villach's first mayor took office in the 16th century.

On January 25, 1348, an earthquake destroyed a large part of Villach, followed by another earthquake in 1690. There were also several fires in Villach, which destroyed many buildings.

In 1759 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria formally purchased Villach, as well as much of Carinthia. During the Napoleonic Wars, Villach was part of the Illyrian provinces of the French Empire from 1809 until 1813.

The Südbahn railway finally reached Villach in 1864, providing growth and expansion.

During the period of the German Anschluss (1938–45) when Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany, the mayor of Villach was Oskar Kraus, an enthusiastic Nazi.^[3] A memorial for the 1919 border conflict caused controversy when it was inaugurated in 2002, as Kraus, who had not been especially prominent in the conflict, was the only person named.^[4]

During World War II, allied forces bombed Villach 37 times. About 42,500 bombs killed 300 people and damaged 85% of the buildings. Nevertheless the city quickly recovered.^[5]

Today, Villach is a bustling city with commerce and recreation, yet it retains its historic background.

Geography

Villach railway station.

Villach is divided into the following sections: Bogenfeld, Dobrova, Drautschen, Drobollach am Faaker See, Duel, Egg am Faaker See, Goritschach, Graschitz, Gratschach, Greuth, Gritschach, Großsattel, Großvassach, Heiligen Gestade, Heiligengeist, Kleinsattel, Kleinvassach, Kratschach, Kumitz, Landskron, Maria Gail, Mittewald ober dem Faaker See, Mittewald ob Villach, Neufellach, Neulandskron, Obere Fellach, Oberfederaun, Oberschütt, Oberwollanig, Pogöriach, Prossowitsch, Rennstein, Serai, St. Andrä, St. Georgen, St. Leonhard, St. Magdalen, St. Michael, St. Niklas an der Drau, St. Ruprecht, St. Ulrich, Tschinowitsch, Turdanitsch, Untere Fellach, Unterfederaun, Unterschütt, Unterwollanig, Urlaken, Villach-Auen, Villach-Innere Stadt, Villach-Lind, Villach-Seebach-Wasenboden, Villach-St. Agathen und Perau, Villach-St. Martin, Villach-Völkendorf, Villach-Warmbad-Judendorf, Weißenbach, Zauchen

In 1905 a part of the municipal area St. Martin was incorporated. In 1973 the city area was further enlarged through the incorporation of Landskron, Maria Gail and Fellach.

Politics

Municipal council

The municipal council (Gemeinderat) consists of 45 members, with the mayor as president, and following the 2009 elections is composed of:^[6]

• Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ): 21 seats
• Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ): 12 seats
• Austria People's Party (ÖVP): 9 seats
• Austrian Green Party: 2 seats
• Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ): 1 seat

City government

The city government of Villach (Stadtsenat) consists of seven members. It is chaired by the mayor, who is directly elected by the people. The other members—two vice-mayors and four town councillors—are appointed by the municipal council, with party affiliations according to the election results.

• Mayor Helmut Manzenreiter, SPÖ
• First vice-mayor Richard Pfeiler, SPÖ
• Second vice-mayor Wally Rettl, FPK
• Councillor Mag. Gerda Sandriesser, SPÖ
• Councillor Mag. Peter F. Weidinger, ÖVP
• Councillor Mag. Hilde Schaumberger, SPÖ
• Councillor Mag. Dr. Josef Zauchner, FPK

In the March 2009 elections, Helmut Manzenreiter, mayor since 1987,^[7] was reelected with 56.89 per cent of the votes cast.^[6]

Twin towns — Sister cities

Villach is twinned with:

• Bamberg, Germany
• Udine, Italy
• Suresnes, France
• Springfield, USA

Festivals

There are several festivals throughout the year:

• The carnival in Villach (which starts on November 11 and ends on March 4)
• The arts and crafts festival (with self made goods)
• The New Orleans festival
• The streets-art festival (displays performances of artists and singers)
• The "Villacher Kirchtag" (a kermis spanning a whole week in summer and ends on August's first Saturday with a notorious fireworks show)
• Performances on a stage beside the Drau

Notable citizens

• Alex Antonitsch, tennis player
• Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, former CEO of the Nestlé Group
• Kurt Diemberger, mountaineer and author
• Anton Ghon, pathologist
• Bruno Gironcoli, modern artist
• Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek, Green politician
• Michael Grabner, ice hockey player
• Heidemarie Hatheyer, actress
• Herbert Hohenberger, ice hockey player
• Florian Hufsky, new media artist and political activist
• Martin Koch, ski jumper
• Roland Kollmann, footballer
• Joahim Košutnik, mathematician
• Peter Löscher, current^[update] President and CEO of Siemens AG
• Ernst Melchior, footballer
• Valentin Oman, artist
• Hubert Petschnigg, architect
• Paul Watzlawick, psychologist and philosopher

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Villach

• Municipal data for Villach. In: Statistik Austria.
• Villach - official web site (English version)
• Kowatsch - Villach Bus System official site
• - official web site of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences - FH Kärnten

v t e Cities and districts (Bezirke) of Carinthia Cities Klagenfurt Villach Districts Feldkirchen Hermagor Klagenfurt-Land Spittal an der Drau St. Veit an der Glan Villach-Land Völkermarkt Wolfsberg