Gmunden

Geography

Gmunden covers an area of 63.49 square kilometres (24.51 sq mi) and has a median elevation of 425 metres (1,394 ft). It is situated next to the lake Traunsee on the Traun River and is surrounded by high mountains, including the Traunstein (5,446 feet; 1,660 m), the Erlakogel (5,150 feet; 1,570 m), the Wilder Kogel (6,860 feet; 2,090 m) and the Höllengebirge.

The municipality of Gmunden is divided into five boroughs: Gmunden, Gmunden-Ort, Schlagen, Traundorf and Unterm Stein.

Population

As of 2001, Gmunden had a population of 13,336; Approximately 88.4% were Austrian by nationality, 1.5% are from other European Union states, and 10.2% are other foreigners. Largest non-EU minorities were from Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.6%) and the former FR Yugoslavia (i.e. present-day Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo; 2.7%), followed by Turks (1.2%) and Germans (1.1%).

The majority (69.3%) are Roman Catholic by faith. Lutherans make up the largest minority at 7.3%, followed by 5.9% Muslims and 3.3% Eastern Orthodox. Approximately 10.3% are irreligious.

History

In 1000 BCE the Illyrians were mining salt here. A settlement was already in existence in the fifth century CE. By 1186 Gmunden was a fortified place surrounded by walls, although it did not receive a church until about 1300. In 1278 Gmunden became a town. On November 14, 1626, an army of rebellious peasants was completely defeated at Gmunden by General Pappenheim, who had been ordered by Maximilian I to suppress the peasant rebellion in Upper Austria.

The dead peasant insurgents were buried in nearby Pinsdorf, where an obelisk styled memorial known as the Bauernhügel in their honour can still be seen.

Gmunden supplied naval ships to Austria during the 17th century and helped wounded soldiers in hospitals in World War I. During World War II, an SS maternity home was located here, "to insure racial purity" in accordance with Nazi racial theories.

In later years, it was much frequented as a health and summer resort, and had a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc. It was also an important centre of the salt industry in Salzkammergut.

Politics

The local council consists of 37 members. In the last municipal election in 2021, the following are seats won by the political parties:

16 ÖVP, 7 GRÜNE, 5 SPÖ, 5 FPÖ und 4 NEOS.

ÖVP: 16 seats

FPÖ: 5 seats

SPÖ: 5 seats

NEOS: 4 seats

Die Grünen: 7 seats

Mayors:

1946–1955: Fritz Eiblhuber

1955–1956: Alfred Klimesch

1956–1973: Karl Piringer

1973–1979: Karl Sandmeier (1917-2000)

1979–1997: Erwin Herrmann

1997–2014: Heinz Köppl

2014– ... Stefan Krapf (ÖVP)

Main sights

There are a great number of excursions and points of interest round Gmunden, notably the Traun Fall, 10 miles (16 km) north of Gmunden, a castle called Schloss Ort, and a ceramic factory producing Gmundner Keramik branded pottery. The town hall is also a popular tourist destination.

Education

In Gmunden there are four kindergartens, four elementary schools and three Hauptschulen. The three high schools are BG/BRG Gmunden, BRG Schloss Traunsee, and Gymnasium Ort.

Notable people

Johannes von Gmunden (ca.1380/84 – 1442), an astronomer, mathematician and humanist.

Karl Scherffer (1716–1783), an Austrian Jesuit mathematician and natural scientist.

Caspar Erasmus Duftschmid (1767-1821), an Austrian naturalist and physician

Matthias von Schönerer (1807–1881), an engineer and railway pioneer, worked locally

Friedrich Theodor Vischer (1807–1887), novelist, poet and playwright, died locally.

Carl Rahl (1812–1865), an Austrian painter, lived locally

John Haswell (1812–1897), a Scottish engineer and locomotive designer, worked here

Count Richard Belcredi (1823–1902), statesman, Minister-President, 1865 to 1867, died here

Christian Griepenkerl (1839–1916), a German painter and professor, lived here

Horaz Krasnopolski, (DE Wiki) (1842-1908), lawyer, died here

William Heaton-Armstrong (1853–1917), a British Liberal Party politician and banker.

Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962), an Austrian-American writer, grew up locally

Walter Reder (1915–1991), an SS commander and war criminal, buried in Gmunden

Alfred Hilbe (1928–2011), Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, 1970 to 1974.

Aristocracy

Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies (1814–1898), the Grand Duchess of Tuscany from 1833 to 1859, died locally

Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1818–1907), Queen of Hanover, 1851 to 1866, died in exile locally

George V of Hanover (1819–1878), in 1868 he bought a local summer villa for his exile.

Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923), exiled and died locally

Princess Frederica of Hanover (1848–1926), member of the House of Hanover, lived locally

Princess Marie of Hanover (1849–1904), daughter of King George V of Hanover lived and died locally

Princess Thyra of Denmark (1853–1933), daughter of Christian IX of Denmark, lived and died locally

Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria (1870–1902), member of the House of Habsburg, died locally

Princess Marie Louise of Hanover (1879–1948), child of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover

Frederick Francis IV (1882–1945), the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, married locally

Princess Alexandra of Hanover (1882-1963), the last consort of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born and married locally

Ludwig Rudolph von Hannover, (1955–1988), a member of the House of Hanover, died locally