Völkermarkt

Völkermarkt

Main square

Coat of arms
Völkermarkt

Location within Austria

Coordinates: 46°40′N 14°38′E / 46.667°N 14.633°E / 46.667; 14.633Coordinates: 46°40′N 14°38′E / 46.667°N 14.633°E / 46.667; 14.633
Country Austria
State Carinthia
District Völkermarkt
Government
  Mayor Valentin Blaschitz (SPÖ)
Area
  Total 137.33 km2 (53.02 sq mi)
Elevation 462 m (1,516 ft)
Population (1 January 2016)[1]
  Total 10,949
  Density 80/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 9100
Area code 04232
Vehicle registration VK
Website www.stadtgemeinde-voelkermarkt.at

Völkermarkt (Southern Bavarian: Vekamoarkt, Slovene: Velikovec) is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants in the Austrian state of Carinthia, the administrative capital of Völkermarkt District. It is located within the Drava valley east of the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt, north of the Karavanke mountain range.

Subdivisions

The municipality of Völkermarkt comprises 26 Katastralgemeinden (Slovene names in brackets):

  • Admont-Lassein (Volmat-Lesine)
  • Bei der Drau (Pri Dravi)
  • Greuth (Rute)
  • Gurtschitschach (Gurčiče)
  • Haimburg (Vovbre)
  • Höhenbergen (Homberk)
  • Kaltenbrunn (Mrzla Voda)
  • Klein St. Veit (Mali Šentvid)
  • Korb (Korpiče)
  • Mittertrixen (Srednje Trušnje)
  • Mühlgraben (Mlinski Graben)
  • Neudenstein (Črni Grad)
  • Niedertrixen (Spodnje Trušnje)

  • Ob der Drau (Na Dravo)
  • Rakollach (Rakole)
  • Ritzing (Ricinje)
  • Ruhstatt (Ruštat)
  • St. Jakob (Šentjakob)
  • St. Peter am Wallersberg (Šentpeter na Vašinjah)
  • St. Ruprecht (Šentrupert)
  • Tainach (Tinje)
  • Töllerberg (Telenberk)
  • Völkermarkt (Velikovec)
  • Waisenberg (Važenberk)
  • Wandelitzen (Vodovnica)
  • Weinberg (Vinograd)

History

The area, once part of the ancient Noricum province, in the 7th century was resettled by Slavic tribes, who lived within the Principality of Carantania. The migration concentrated around the former Roman settlement of Juenna (near present-day Globasnitz in an area later called Podjuna in Slovene or Jauntal in German. Up to today, significant parts of the population refer to themselves as Carinthian Slovenes.

Völkermarkt, painting by Markus Pernhart (1824–1871)

The descendants of Count Siegfried I of Sponheim, who about 1035 had come to the Duchy of Carinthia as a follower of Emperor Conrad II, had a trading post erected at the site about 1090, where a church was built soon afterwards at the behest of the archbishop of Salzburg. In 1217 Duke Bernhard von Spanheim gave orders to build a bridge across the Drava River and had the settlement rebuilt in 1231. Völkermarkt was granted town privileges in the 13th century already and developed quickly as an important centre for trade in iron from the surrounding ore mines.

In the Carinthian Plebiscite of 1920, a majority of the population voted for adhesion to the Republic of Austria. On 18 September 1979, the Yugoslav Department of State Security firebombed the Völkermarkt town hall, severely injuring three men, including two of the agents, and causing heavy damages.

Population

According to the 2001 census 2.6% of the population are Carinthian Slovenes.

Mary Magdalene parish church
Town hall
Village Number of people 1991 Percent of Slovenes 1991 Percent of Slovenes 1951
Arlsdorf/Orlača vas 53 7.5% /
Bach/Potok 62 12.9% 75.4%
Gattersdorf/Štriholče 202 12.4% 31.6%
Krenobitsch/Hrenovče 74 9.5% 31.6%
Penk/Klopče 31 19.4% 57.7%
Rammersdorf/Ramovča vas 60 10.0% 49.3%
St.Peter a.W./Šentpeter n.V 297 10.1% 49.4%
Wandelitzen/Vodenica 54 7.4% 22.4%
Attendorf/Vata vas 34 2.9% 16.4%
Berg ob Attendorf/Rute n.V. 48 0% 27.5%
Ladratschen/Tračje 26 7.7% 2.2%
Obersielach/Gornje Sele 136 1.5% 11.1%
RatschitschachRačiče 90 4.4% 77.4%
Reifnitz/Ribnica 93 3.2% 71.2%
Unterlinden/Podlipa 32 9.4% 10.9%
Wernzach/Brnce 34 0% 97.6%
Gurtschitschach/Gurčiče 47 0% 91.6%
Bösenort/Hudi Kraj 17 0% 38.5%
Rakollach/Rakole 18 0% 29.5%

Transportation

The town has access to the Austrian Süd Autobahn (A2) with two junctions. The projected Koralm Railway is expected to improve the area's transport facilities.

Notable people

Prominent natives and residents of the town included the Jesuit historian Markus Hansiz, the German military commander Julius Ringel, and the physician and botanist Johann Joseph Peyritsch.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Völkermarkt is twinned with:

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Völkermarkt.
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