Eisenstrasse cultural park

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The region in the Lower Austrian Eisenwurzen area in the southern part of the Mostviertel was designated as the Eisenstrasse cultural park between 1996 and 2014. Today the cultural region presents itself under the association name Eisenstraße Niederösterreich - association for the promotion of regional development, tourism and the cultural property Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen . In 1990, the association was founded under the name of Lower Austria Eisenstraße in Ybbsitz to preserve and further develop the mining heritage, to promote regional tourism and to advise on funding issues in the LEADER area .

geography

Ötscher with Purgstall on the Erlauf

The landscape of the Eisenstraße Lower Austria is characterized by the rivers Ybbs (the small and large Ybbs) and Erlauf (the small and large Erlauf), the Alpine foothills with the striking mountain massifs Ötscher , Dürrenstein , Hochkar and Voralpe . The region stretches over 1,443 km 2 south of the Danube from Wieselburg to the Styrian border to Göstling an der Ybbs and from Sonntagberg in the west to St. Anton an der Jeßnitz in the east.

The Eisenstraße cultural park has three types of landscape: the rather flat northern edge of the Alps around Wieselburg, the flysch zone with its ridges and peaks between Waidhofen / Ybbs and Scheibbs and the northern limestone Alps in the south of the region.

population

Two essential features or trends are paramount in the area of ​​population development: On the one hand, there is a north-south gradient in settlement density, which extends across the entire region. Furthermore, a strong decline in population development is particularly noticeable in the sparsely populated south. The north of the region shows a continuous population growth of 0 to 40%, while the south shows a decline of 0 to 40% of the population. The regional population growth averages 0.39%.

history

The historical part is divided into the history of the region and the history of the Eisenstraße Niederösterreich association.

History of the region

Blacksmith from Ybbsitz (early 20th century)

Due to the continuous use of mining in the early Middle Ages - the first phase of expansion took place in the 12th century - the Eisenstrasse was the most important iron-producing landscape in Europe around 1550. At the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries, iron production had assumed European proportions and had become one of the most profitable sources of income for the sovereigns. In 1625 the main trade union in Innerberg was finally founded , which, as an early capitalist mining company, controlled 30 to 40 percent of Austrian iron production.

In all of Eisenwurzen, iron processing, but also the provision of provisions, were included and standardized in a state dedication system. In today's Eisenstrasse cultural park, the river valleys of Ybbs and Erlauf were primarily affected. The main focus of activity in iron processing in the Ybbstal was the tearing of inferior pig iron (called Graglach, Hert or Waschwerk) in the larger, so-called tearing hammers, as well as iron production in the many smaller hammer mills, while Dreimärktestrasse in the Erlauftal (Gresten - Scheibbs - Purgstall) itself specialized in the trade in food from the northern Mostviertel (around Wieselburg and Neumarkt an der Ybbs).

Due to the extensive trade, especially along the Danube to southern Germany, Hungary, in the Balkans but also to Asia, prosperity, luxury and splendor came to Eisenstrasse. Even today, richly decorated town houses, imposing hammer manor houses of the so-called Black Counts, still existing blacksmiths , sawmills , grinding and grain mills , former provisions stores and historic individual blacksmiths such as E.g .: gate grille.

  • The Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 19th century caused the region to be sealed off through their continental barrier, which was no longer achieved by technical innovations and contacts to possible markets in the New World. The technical development has largely passed the Eisenwurzen without leaving any traces. The small-scale forging production facilities could no longer compete with modern, high-tech industrial production. Then there was the lack of infrastructure in the region. Production sites along the main transport links (Danube) were preferred more and more and the artisanal businesses in Eisenwurzen came to a standstill over time.

With the connection to the Kaiserin Elisabeth-Bahn by means of the Erlauftalbahn, opened in 1877, and after the complete construction of the Ybbstalbahn in 1898 from Waidhofen / Ybbs to Lunz am See, the region was made accessible to a new branch of industry at the end of the 19th century: tourism. (Note: the Ybbstalbahn was discontinued in 2010 and run on sections as a museum railway such as the Ötscherland-Express) The popular summer resort flourished until the First World War and was able to largely compensate for the loss of income from the decline of the small iron industry . In the interwar period , the Eisenwurzen was also characterized by the sufficiently high unemployment and enormous inflation. During the Second World War , the region experienced a short-term boom with the production of everyday objects in the smaller, iron-processing plants. In the long term, however, the economic upswing in the post-war period brought stability and an upswing to the Kulturpark Eisenstrasse region.

History of the club

The triad sculpture represents the merger of the Austrian Eisenstrasse.

In 1990 a group of idealists and historically interested personalities founded the association “Lower Austria Eisenstraße - Interest Group for the Promotion of Mining and Historical Cultural Assets” with the idea of ​​preserving and developing the diverse cultural assets in Eisenwurzen. Meetings of teachers, blacksmiths, museums and landlords took place regularly in member communities with the motivation to preserve, revitalize, network and pass on knowledge.

In 1996 the region was awarded the title of Kulturpark by the Province of Lower Austria as one of three in all of Lower Austria . In the same year, recognition as a LEADER II region, and thus access to EU funding , enabled extensive financing of the many planned revitalization projects and the establishment of themed trails in the region. Through the merger of the Niederösterreichische Eisenstrasse association with the Ötscherland tourism association in 2000, the association not only became the largest shareholder in Mostviertel Tourismus GmbH, which takes care of the tourist marketing of the entire Mostviertel, but also changed the association's name to Kulturpark Eisenstrasse-Ötscherland - Association for the promotion of tourism and the Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen cultural property .

In the presence of all three provincial governors, the ARGE Österreichische Eisenstrasse was finally founded in 2001 together with the partners Upper Austrian Eisenstrasse and Styrian Eisenstrasse , with the aim of ensuring the preservation of the historical mining heritage in the future. Year after year, Österreichische Eisenstraße sets up initiatives such as mutual cultural exchange at meetings and celebrations, the joint hike to the foothills of the Alps to the triad sculpture in the triangle of Lower Austria , Upper Austria and Styria and a monthly newsletter with a focus on projects, celebrations, personalities and book tips in the entire Eisenwurzen region.

After a successful LEADER II period, the association also implemented further regional development projects in the fields of agriculture and trade, regional knowledge, metal design, leisure management and nature parks from 2000 to 2006 at LEADER +. The Kulturpark Eisenstrasse-Ötscherland was also able to apply successfully as a LEADER management position in the region for the current LEADER 07–13 funding period. The preparation of a comprehensive “rural development strategy” laid the groundwork for long-term, targeted regional development. The association supports those interested in the implementation of regional development projects, especially in the five main themes of culinary enjoyment regions, noticeable tourism regions, energy self-sufficient regions, teaching and learning regions and regions with a history and a future.

In order to make tourism marketing more efficient, operative marketing was handed over to Mostviertel Tourismus GmbH in 2005. Since then , it has been promoting Eisenstrasse Lower Austria in addition to the other sub-regions Moststrasse , Pielachtal and Traisental on a regional, but above all on a national and international level.

At the general assembly of the association in 2014, another name change was decided. Since then, the full name of the association has been "Eisenstraße Niederösterreich - Association for the Promotion of Regional Development, Tourism and the Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen Cultural Property" ( ZVR number 492441086).

The Eisenstraße Niederösterreich association has supervised many projects since it was founded. The Oral History Project Documentation Eisenstrasse (known as the Eisenstrasse treasure hunt ) can be named as THE flagship project in the region . In 2004 the association received special recognition for this, the milestone - Dr. Erwin Pröll Future Prize , awarded. A year later, the state of Lower Austria received the Science Recognition Prize for special achievements in the field of contemporary history. In 2008 the Kulturpark Eisenstraße finally achieved the excellent second place in the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) - a tourism award of the European Union - on the subject of tourism and intangible cultural heritage .

Today, Eisenstraße Niederösterreich is developing a large number of regionally authentic projects based on the mining historical, cultural heritage, the rich knowledge of the people living here and the charming natural landscape. For visitors, but above all for the Eisenstraßlers themselves, the vital landscape and the sociable way of life derived from it should be preserved in the long term and new potentials in regional development should be jointly explored and sustainably used. Following this idea of ​​sustainability, the Eisenwurzen as a whole, consisting of Lower Austrians, Upper Austrians and the Styrian Eisenstrasse, endeavors to be recognized as a UNESCO natural and world cultural heritage .

Member municipalities

Currently, 24 communities from the districts of Amstetten, Scheibbs and Melk as well as the statutory town Waidhofen an der Ybbs are members of the Eisenstraße Niederösterreich association (until 2014: Kulturpark Eisenstraße-Ötscherland). Together they carry the idea of ​​Eisenstrasse Lower Austria in everyday life and create projects for the further development of the region together.

Member communities of the Eisenstrasse Association of Lower Austria

economy

The three most important branches of industry in the Eisenstrasse cultural park relate to production and trade, agriculture and forestry, and tourism.

Production and commerce

In addition to the tourism industry, the region is home to important industrial employers - above all the construction, wood and metal industries. Many small hammer mills have developed into world-renowned companies through innovative strength and the will to modernize. Important employers in the region include Bene (wood), Böhler-Uddeholm (steel), Busatis (steel), Forster (traffic engineering, traffic signs), IFE (entry systems), Miller Messer (steel), Mosser (wood), Riess (steel ), Welser (steel), Wittur (elevator components), Worthington (gas bottles) and ZKW (ZIZALA lighting systems). The industrial sites are mainly to be found in Gresten , Kienberg- Gaming , Purgstall an der Erlauf , Scheibbs , Sonntagberg , Waidhofen / Ybbs , Wieselburg and Ybbsitz . With a connection to the A1 motorway , as a training, trade fair and brewing town, Wieselburg also has an important position in the regional economy. But not only the large industrial companies, but above all the regional craft, small and medium-sized enterprises represent the central backbone of the economy in the Eisenstraße cultural park.

Agriculture and Forestry

In general, it can be seen that the agricultural quota increases towards the south (mountain locations with green and forest management), but by taking advantage of the location advantages in the flat areas (vegetable growing, arable land) there are also individual communities in the north with a high agricultural quota. In line with the general trend, however, the number of farms in the Eisenstrasse cultural park is also falling in favor of larger cultivated areas. This is countered by the exceptionally high density of organic farms of 20 to 40% of all agricultural holdings, which can be found especially in the south of the region. The biological economy is a good opportunity to compensate for the climatic and topographical disadvantages in the alpine locations. The agricultural innovation potential for developing alternative sources of income in direct marketing is correspondingly high.

tourism

Summer freshness in the post-war years.

Well-known personalities such as Guido Ritter von Alth , Franz and Rudolf Alt , Anton Bruckner , Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach , Ludwig Halauska , Oskar Kokoschka , Rosa Papier , Eduard Pult , Ferdinand von Saar , Arthur Schnitzler , Arnold Schönberg , Leo discovered already at the Belle Époque Slezak , Karl Streitman , Jakob Wassermann , Josef Weinheber or Hugo Wolf created the region for themselves and were artistically inspired by it, thus triggering the first waves of summer freshness. This experienced a new upswing in the post-war years, when many Viennese and national politicians such as Leopold Figl , Hertha Firnberg , Peter Jankowitsch , Theodor Körner and Police President Josef Holaubek spent their holidays in the region. After the 1970s, tourism increasingly focused on the communities with winter ski areas and hiking opportunities.

Today, the Eisenstrasse cultural park with its winter sports centers Lackenhof am Ötscher and Hochkar - certainly reinforced by the successes of Göstling's winter sports enthusiasts Andreas Buder , Johannes Dürr , Thomas Sykora and Kathrin Zettel - is one of the most visited regions in Lower Austria. But gentle, sustainable tourism is also being promoted more and more year-round.

In terms of tourism, the Eisenstrasse cultural park is positioned as the region of the 5 elements . Wood , fire , metal , earth and water shaped the history and now shape the character of the region. The elements combine the mild north with the wild and romantic southern part in an ideal way and let the region become a whole.

The 5 elements are therefore the focus of many excursion destinations, museums and events in the Eisenstraße cultural park. Wood that was dug out of the narrow valleys by woodworkers using water to be available as building and material as well as heating material in the form of coal. The fire in the food heated the metal that the blacksmiths fashioned into ornate everyday objects and necessary tools. Thanks to the fertile soil in the gently rolling, mild part of the Eisenstrasse cultural park, there was plenty of food and provisions to supply the metalworking areas in the Alpine south.

The Eisenstrasse cultural park is now a leisure area with numerous excursion destinations. A total of 19 themed hiking trails that clearly convey regional knowledge are available to visitors from the Scheibbs city adventure trail to the Ybbsitzer Schmiedeeile. In 18 regional museums and collections (from the Reinsberg castle arena to the Hammerherrenmuseum in the Amonhaus) or in the hammers accessible to visitors, regional history can be experienced and the magic of forging can be felt.

Bathing in the historic, newly renovated Lido Hollenstein.

For families with children, bathing experiences are guaranteed in the Allhartsberg natural pool, in the Hollenstein / Ybbs lido, on Lake Lunzer, in the Scheibbser adventure pool, in the Waidhofner city pool and from 2010 in the Göstling / Ybbs brine pool. Those with sporty ambitions can ride along the Ötscherlandradweg, Ybbstalradweg, Meridianradweg or enjoy the countless mountain bike routes in the region.

Lunz am See has been part of the “Mountaineering Villages” designed by the Austrian Alpine Association since 2009 . The focus is on reaching challenging tour destinations on your own and the conscious, holistic experience of nature. The magnificent natural and cultural landscape can also be admired on guided tours in the Dürrenstein wilderness area , on hiking trails in the Leckermoos high moor in Göstling / Ybbs and on various paths in the three nature parks. Austria's wild and romantic Grand Canyon in the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park (access via Gaming, Lackenhof am Ötscher or St. Anton an der Jeßnitz), the largest Lower Austrian Eisenwurzen Nature Park in Hollenstein / Ybbs and the Buchenberg Nature Park close to the city in Waidhofen / Ybbs ensure relaxation and adventure and leisure fun in the Eisenstrasse cultural park.

Train lovers, on the other hand, get on the Ötscherland-Express and enjoy the ride over the unique Trestlework bridges . The Mariazellerbahn is the longest railway in the region , and the most comfortable is the Ybbstalbahn (closed in 2010 and now running under the name "Ötscherland-Express"), which is also affectionately known as the Schofkasexpress , or the Erlauftalbahn .

There are a large number of churches and sacred buildings to visit for guests. In addition to Maria Seesal , the baroque Sonntagberg basilica, which is visible from afar, is a place of pilgrimage and pilgrimage . A visit to the Kartause Gaming with its own beer brewery is also a must. The Ottonian Octagon in Wieselburg , the parish church in Purgstall an der Erlauf , the town parish churches in Scheibbs and Waidhofen an der Ybbs and the parish church in Steinakirchen am Forst are also architecturally interesting excursion destinations.

The Eisenstrasse inns, cider taverns and taverns in the region ensure the culinary variety. Finally, the visitor experiences pleasure at the highest level on the Panoramahöhenweg, a circular route around 20 km in length and 26 member companies that pamper guests with regional delicacies.

Culture

The central theme in the Eisenstraße cultural park is the history of mining. Old hammer mansions , authentic smithies and artistic metal objects in public spaces draw a real metal trail through the region. The Eisenstraße-Hörsessel function as distinctive stations along this iron path. As innovative seating, placed in public places or in scenic beauty, they make contemporary witness reports of the region audible for those who take a seat in them. The cultural treasures also include the old farms and many museums in the region. 18 cultural gems take you back in time and reflect the region's important cultural treasures.

A basket weaver at work, here with an ash wood.

Crafts and customs are still strongly anchored in the Kulturpark Eisenstrasse region . In addition to the blacksmiths typical and characteristic of the region, other crafts such as cooper , turner , basket weaver and wood carver can still be found frequently.

The annual rhythm of the Eisenstraßler in the Ybbs and Erlauftal is still strongly influenced by regional customs: starting with carol singing in January, to the Josefifest on Panoramahöhenweg in March, the setting and subsequent stealing of the maypole and the church May devotions in May, the blessing on Ash Wednesday , the palm processions with the colorful palm bushes typical of the region on Palm Sunday , the consecration of the consecrated meat at Easter, the Corpus Christi processions with the monstrances and house altars to the bright midsummer celebrations in June, the Thanksgiving festival with the decorated harvest crown in autumn and the Krampus celebrations at the end of the year . The traditional costume , especially the dirndl and the gold bonnet , is worn even more frequently at religious festivities .

The variety of landscapes can be found on the local tables and in the inns of the region. The “Mostviertler Schofkas” (mixed sheep cheese) and the “Ybbstal Forelle” have recently even been the carriers of two regions of pleasure in the region. Typical of the region in addition to the donuts are also the Resch tangy Möste and clear spirits of plum, cherry, apple or pear.

Important cultural events are the jazz week in Scheibbs and the sound of waves on the Lunzer Seebühne every year in July, the International Chopin Festival in the Kartause Gaming and the summer opera in the Reinsberg castle arena in August and the biennial Ferraculum in the Ybbsitz forge center.

literature

  • R. Fahrengruber: Along the Eisenstrasse: culture, nature and industry. With the Kalkalpen National Park, Klara Cave and Gesäuse National Park . Ennsthaler, Steyr 2007, ISBN 978-3-85068-671-6
  • R. Fahrengruber: Eisenstrasse experience . Styria Verlag, Graz 2001, ISBN 3-222-12845-6
  • MS Falser: The Austrian Iron Road as a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage? Results of a feasibility study . Ed .: Nationalpark Oö Kalkalpen Ges.mbH, Friedrich VDV, Linz 2008, ISBN 978-3-9501577-5-8
  • W. Heitzmann: The Eisenstrasse. Landscape and history, everyday life and leisure . Ed .: Eisenwurzen Verein, Landesverlag AG, Linz 1987, ISBN 3-85214-476-0
  • W. Huber, H. Thonhofer and E. Zankl: Born out of fire. Forged objects in the Eisenstrasse cultural park . Eisenstrasse-Ötscherland Culture Park Association, Ybbsitz 2007, ISBN 978-3-200-00913-4
  • E. Kemetmüller: It was on Eisenstrasse. Cheerful and serious stories from Eisenwurzen . Stein Prison, Krems 2002.
  • R. Sandgruber: Eisenwurzen. Landscape, culture, industry . Ed .: G. Trumler, Pichler Verlag, Vienna 1997
  • FS Sklenitzka: The Black Count . Lower Austria press house, St. Pölten 1995, ISBN 3-85326-038-1 .
  • B. Sonnleitner: The magic of old ways. Between the Danube, Pyhrn and Hochschwab . Stocker, Graz 2004, ISBN 978-3-7020-1058-4
  • B. Sonnleitner: mansions in the Eisenwurzen . NP-Buchverlag, St. Pölten 2002, ISBN 3-85214-760-3 .
  • B. Sonnleitner: The loops on the forge mile in Ybbsitz . Ed .: Marktgemeinde Ybbsitz. Stummer, Waidhofen 2000
  • B. Sonnleitner: The other Mostviertel. Land between Sonntagberg and Ötscher . NP-Buchverlag, St. Pölten 1999, ISBN 3-85326-121-3 .
  • B. Sonnleitner: Eisenstrasse trilogy. Accompanying documentation for the new edition of the three art historical novels by Elisabeth Kraus-Kassegg, on the occasion of her 100th birthday on March 21, 1998 . Ed .: Dorferneuerungsverein, Österreichischer Agrarverlag, Klosterneuburg 1998, ISBN 3-7040-1447-8
  • B. Sonnleitner: Walcherberg. Pictures of life in the country . Lower Austria Press House, St. Pölten 1994, ISBN 3-85326-011-X
  • B. Sonnleitner: On the trail of iron. Images from Eisenstrasse . Ed .: Association for the promotion of local history research in the district of Amstetten, Queiser, Amstetten 1992
  • B. Sonnleitner: Hammers and grinding on the brook . Edited. Brochure: ARGE Ybbsitz shape, self-published, Ybbsitz 1988
  • G. Sperl, H. Stögmüller and W. Tippelt: Cultural Guide Austrian Eisenstrasse. A cultural guide in color . Ennsthaler, Steyr 1992, ISBN 3-85068-351-6
  • W. Tippelt: Ybbstal & Ötscherland hiking guide . Ennsthaler, Steyr 1995, ISBN 3-85068-473-3
  • P. Aichinger-Rosenberger, L. Lugmayr [et al.]: Andreas Töpper. The Black Count and its buildings. Provincial Library, Weitra 2015, ISBN 978-3-99028-547-3

Web links

Commons : Kulturpark Eisenstraße  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Statistics Austria. Population change. Download from July 6, 2009.
  2. MS Falser: The Austrian Iron Road as a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage? Results of a feasibility study . Published by National Park Upper Austria Kalkalpen Ges.mbH, Friedrich VDV, Linz 2008.
  3. Note: Innerberg = iron ore
  4. E. Zankl: The Eisenwurzen. Historical economic area and future-oriented cultural region . In: W. Huber, H. Thonhofer and E. Zankl: Born out of fire. Forged objects in the Eisenstrasse cultural park . Eisenstrasse-Ötscherland Culture Park Association, Ybbsitz 2007
  5. ^ H. Thonhofer: The street of the fire trade. Example Eisenwurzen. Lower Austria state exhibition 2007. Waidhofen / Ybbs and St. Peter / Au. Schallaburg Kulturbetriebs Ges.mbH, Schallaburg 2007
  6. E. Zankl: The Eisenwurzen. Historical economic area and future-oriented cultural region . In: W. Huber, H. Thonhofer and E. Zankl: Born out of fire. Forged objects in the Eisenstrasse cultural park. Eisenstrasse-Ötscherland Culture Park Association, Ybbsitz 2007
  7. ^ R. Sigl: 100 years Erlauftalbahn Pöchlarn - Kienberg / Gaming October 22, 1877. Commemorative publication on the occasion of the anniversary on September 10, 1977. Lahnsteiner, Ybbs 1977
  8. ^ Ybbstalbahn.at , Ybbstalbahn. Download from July 6, 2009.
  9. Ötscherland-Express - excursion and sights. Retrieved June 4, 2019 .
  10. ^ Zankl, 2007
  11. From Eisenwurzen to Eisenstrasse ( Memento of the original from August 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Friends of the Mariazellerbahn. Download from July 6, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mariazellerbahn.at
  12. Leader projects in the Mostviertel accessed on June 4, 2019.
  13. ^ H. Tanzer: Weekend '& Sunshine. Summer retreat in Ybbsitz . Self-published, Ybbsitz 2007.
  14. ^ H. Krückel: Lunz am See and tourism. Some aspects of the historical development up to the end of the 20th century . Unpublished typescript 2008, private collection Herbert Krückel, Lunz am See.
  15. R. Faux: Time change. Neumarkt an der Ybbs as reflected in history . 1st edition. Ed .: Marktgemeinde Neumarkt an der Ybbs, Queiser, Amstetten 1998
  16. Lunz am See about the mountaineering village. Retrieved June 4, 2019 .
  17. Ötschergräben - Excursion & Sights. Retrieved June 4, 2019 .
  18. Local railways: Ybbstalbahn / Ötscherland-Express route information. Retrieved June 4, 2019 .