Try to find the Uhrturm at the Grazer
Schloßberg and take a picture of you and the tower for your log!!
Graz [graːts] (Slovenian:
Gradec IPA: /gra.deds/), with a population of 300,000 (in 2005) is the
second-largest city in
Austria and
the capital of the federal state of
Styria (Steiermark in
German). It has a long tradition as a student city, with six
Universities with over 55,000 students. Graz's "Old Town" is one of the
best-preserved city centers in Central Europe, and was recently included in the
UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. In 2003 Graz was named
Cultural Capital of Europe.
The city is situated on the
Mur river, in the
southeast of Austria. It is approximately 2.5 hours south of Vienna by train or
2 hours by car. Graz is the capital and largest city in
Styria, a beautiful and heavily forested area. The city itself is surrounded
by low hills on 3 sides, thus making it predisposed to haze in the warmer months.
History
Graz was originally the site of a
Roman
fort. Later a small castle was built here by the
Slovenians,
which in time became a heavily defended fortification. 'Gradec' literally means
"small castle" in Slovenian. The German name 'Graz' was first used in 1128, and
during this time dukes under
Babenberg
rule made the town into an important commercial center. Later Graz came under
the rule of the
Habsburgs, and in 1281 gained special privileges from
King Ruldoph I.
In the 14th century Graz became the city of
residence of the
Inner
Austrian line of the Habsburgs. The royalty lived in the
Schlossberg castle and from there ruled
Styria,
Carinthia, and parts of today's
Italy and
Slovenia (Carniola,
Gorizia and
Gradisca).
In the 16th century, the city's design and
planning was primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists.
One of the most famous buildings built in this style is the Landhaus. It was
designed by
Domenico dell'Allio, and was used by the local rulers as a governmental
headquarters.
Karl-Franzens Universität, also referred to as
the
University of Graz, is the city's oldest university, founded in 1585 by
Archduke
Charles II. For most of its existence it was controlled by the
Catholic church, and was closed in 1782 by
Joseph II in an attempt to gain state control over educational institutions.
Joseph II transformed it into a lyceum where civil servants and medical
personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-instituted as a university by Emperor
Franz I, thus gaining the name 'Karl-Franzens Universität,' meaning
'Charles-Francis University.' Over 30,000 students currently study at this
university.
Nikola
Tesla studied electrical engineering at the
Polytechnic in Graz in 1875. Nobel Laureate
Otto Loewi
taught at the
University of Graz from 1909 until 1938.
Johannes Kepler was a professor of mathematics at the University of Graz.
Erwin Schrödinger was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936.
Hitler was given a warm welcome when he visited in 1938, the year Austria was
anexed by Nazi Germany. He promised the people of Graz 1000 years of prosperity
and an end to mass unemployment. About 7 years later the Graz resistance
surrendered the city to Soviet troops sparing Graz any further destruction. By
then about 16% of buildings had been destroyed by Allied bombing - luckily the
Old Town was not seriously hit.
Graz lies in Styria, or Steiermark in
German. Mark is an old German word indicating a large area of land used
as a defensive border, in which the pesantry are taught how to organize and
fight in the case of an invasion. With a strategic location at the head of the
open and fertile Mur
valley, Graz was often assaulted (unsuccessfully), e.g. by the Hungarians under
Matthias Corvinus in 1481, and by the
Ottoman Turks in 1529 and 1532. Graz is home to the region's provincial
armory, which is the world's largest historical collection of weaponry. It has
been preserved since 1551, and displays over 30,000 items.
From the earlier part of the 15th century Graz
was the residence of the younger branch of the
Habsburgs,
which succeeded to the imperial throne in 1619 in the person of
Emperor Ferdinand II, who moved the capital to Vienna. New fortifications
were constructed on the Schlossberg at the end of the 16th century. Napoleon's
army occupied Graz in 1797. In 1809 the city had to withstand another assault by
the French army. During the course of this attack, the commanding officer in the
fortress was ordered to defend it with his men against Napoleon's army, which
numbered about 900 and 3,000 respectively. He successfully defended the
Schlossberg against 8 attacks, but they were forced to give up since the
Grande Armee conquered Vienna and the Emperor ordered to surrender. The fortress
of Graz is seen as the strongest fortress ever built. Following the defeat of
Austria by
Napoleonic forces at the
Battle of Wagram in 1809, the fortifications were demolished using
explosives, as stipulated in the Peace of
Schönbrunn of the same year. The belltower and the civic clock tower, often
used as the symbol of Graz, were allowed to survive this fate after the people
of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation.
Archduke
Charles II of Inner Austria had 20,000
Protestant
books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in
returning Styria to the authority of
Rome.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, in what is now the Stadtmuseum (city
museum).
Notable citizens
More (incl. Tourist-) information you can get
here.
Happy waymarking
Ras Tafari