Litschau

Litschau is a municipality with 2176 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020) in the Gmünd district in Lower Austria . It is the northernmost city in Austria. The old castle tower - also known as the hunger tower - is the city's landmark . Litschau has been a climatic health resort since 2007.

geography

Litschau is located in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel in the valley of the Reißbach at 531 m above sea level. A. , about 5–10 km from the Czech border. Not least because of the waters of the Herrensee and Schönauer Teich , Litschau is a tourist place, especially in summer , which attracts families as holiday guests.

The area of the municipality covers 81.08 square kilometers. 64.78% of the area is forested.

Community structure

The municipality includes the following 11 localities (population in brackets as of January 1, 2020):

Gopprechts (161) including Gopprecht houses
Hörmanns near Litschau (89) including Kainraths and Waldhäuser
Josefsthal (0)
Litschau (1359) including Kainraths, Langauhäuser, Schandacherhäuser, Schlägerhäuser and Seilerndorf
Loimanns (133) including Kibitzhäuser
Reichenbach (35)
Reitzenschlag (133)
Saaß (48) including Upper Saaß and Lower Saaß
Schandachen (79) including Breitel, Burgstall, Sagmühle and Weitewies
Schlag (62) including Kashof
Schönau near Litschau (77) including Galthof, Schönauhäuser and Windmannhäuser

The community consists of the cadastral communities Gopprechts, Hörmanns, Litschau, Loimanns, Reichenbach, Reitzenschlag, Saaß, Schandachen, Schlag and Schönau.

Neighboring communities

	Haugschlag	Reingers
Staňkov u Třeboně ( CZ )		Ice yarn
Rapšach (CZ)	Brand-Nagelberg	Heidenreichstein

climate

Average monthly temperatures and precipitation for Litschau

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C )	0.6	2.4	6.9	12.8	18.2	20.9	23.3	23.0	17.8	12.1	5.2	1.2	O	12.1
Min. Temperature (° C)	-5.3	-4.8	-1.3	2.2	7.0	9.8	11.6	11.4	7.9	4.1	-0.2	-4.0	O	3.2
Temperature (° C)	-2.9	-2.0	2.0	6.9	12.4	15.2	17.2	16.6	12.0	7.2	2.0	-1.8	O	7.1

Precipitation ( mm )	42	40	59	56	89	105	124	105	79	48	50	47	Σ	844

Humidity ( % )	78.8	69.9	63.7	55.7	55.3	57.0	55.4	54.3	61.8	68.5	80.2	82.9	O	65.3

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r

0.6

-5.3

2.4

-4.8

6.9

-1.3

12.8

2.2

18.2

7.0

20.9

9.8

23.3

11.6

23.0

11.4

17.8

7.9

12.1

4.1

5.2

-0.2

1.2

-4.0

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Source: ZAMG average climate values 1981 - 2010

history

The name Litschau is of Slavic origin and can be traced back to Ličov - formed from the personal name Lič- . The original small town or arable town was also the central place of the rule of the same name for many centuries.

Litschau was first mentioned in a document in 1286. In the 13th century a market was set up, which came into the possession of the Habsburgs in 1297 ; these pledged the settlement on until the Puchheimers (1346-1470) were elevated to the city. At the end of the 16th century, the landlord Ludwig Wenzel Moratschky von Noskau suppressed a peasant revolt. During the period of the Thirty Years' War the city became impoverished, since the important trade routes no longer led through Litschau, sheep and fish breeding as well as the timber industry developed. In 1763 the Counts of Seilern -Aspang gained power. The present castle dates from this time.

In the 16th century, the landlords of the town and lordship of Litschau, above all the Kraiger von Kraigk zu Landstein and Neubistritz (1541–1572), began to access the trades that had been under bourgeois dominance until then. The starting point for this process was the establishment of a real commercial production center at the foot of the Litschauer Burgberg. Here a pond (the mill pond, later called Herrenteich and today Herrensee ) was created by Bohemian pond graves in order to ensure the operation of a new and large stately mill. The mill, in turn, was followed by a newly built brewery, whereby the Kraiger withdrew the right to brew and sell beer from the bourgeois brewers in Litschau. In addition to the brewing and serving rights, the citizens also lost the right to trade in beer and wood. Nevertheless, in the 16th century the city was able to get an additional Kolomani fair (October 13th). Also in the 16th century, Protestantism spread to the parish, town and rule, whereby this process was promoted by the respective owners of the rule. In the course of this, a new evangelical churchyard was opened in Litschau some distance from the city (on a hill in the direction of Loimanns , today's Friedhofsberg).

In the 17th century, the town and rulership of Litschau - subjects and authorities alike - suffered major economic losses, especially during the Thirty Years War , the aftermath of which also dominated the second half of the 17th century. The town and castle were besieged, captured and plundered several times between 1618 and 1648; Imperial and foreign troops had to be accommodated and supplied for long periods of time. Litschau was also a meeting point for the imperial army. After 1648 (and until 1683) regiments were quartered in the city again and again; there were also several marches by regiments. A particularly negative economic consequence of the military events, the sometimes years of closure of the old trade routes that led through Litschau and represented the connection to the South Bohemian region, led to the construction of new routes for traffic and transport that bypassed the Litschau region. The revenue from the city toll fell massively; its branches, which were spread over six villages, had to be closed. Military provisioning and billeting, the obligation to provide support services and the special taxes to be paid (so-called attacks) resulted in impoverishment, the desolation of houses and the city's indebtedness; on top of that came the damage after a hurricane (1663) and a fire (1667). In addition, the counter-reformation measures in the 17th century caused an exodus of around 200 to 300 Lutheran residents who emigrated to the Protestant territories of Franconia and Swabia . Around the mid-1680s, only 93 subservient houses are said to have belonged to the rule.

In the 18th century, Litschau presented itself as the commercial center of the rulers of the same name, as the greatest concentration of different craftsmen, tradespeople and service providers could be found here, although it should not be forgotten that as arable citizens they also ran agriculture. The death registers for the period examined include bathers, blacksmiths, master brewers, stocking makers, cloth makers, tailors, dyers, shoemakers, butchers, weavers, bricklayers, locksmiths, joiners, binders, gunsmiths, tire manufacturers, wagons, tanners, stoners, millers and bakers. In addition, there were unspecified workers, dog catchers and representatives of “ dishonest ” professions, such as flayers . In Litschau there were also - in addition to the city councils - the heads of the bourgeois-urban administration, namely mayors, city judges and city clerks . In addition, one of the (a total of four) manorial restaurants was located in the city. The manor house in Litschau was connected to a meat bank and leased to the Blach family of butchers in the 1730s, which is well documented both in the estate treatises and in the registers. In addition, the city offered a special platform for the sale of agricultural and commercial goods, namely its weekly, annual and livestock markets, which were held in the town square.

In 1900 the line of the Waldviertel narrow-gauge railways from Gmünd to Litschau was put into operation by the Lower Austrian State Railways. However, passenger traffic was discontinued in 1986. Since the cessation of goods traffic at the beginning of 2001, a regular tourist nostalgia operation has been carried out to Litschau.

coat of arms

Population development

The population has decreased in recent decades, as both the birth balance and the migration balance were negative.

politics

Image wanted

The municipal council has 21 members.

With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria in 1990, the municipal council had the following distribution: 13 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 3 FPÖ.
With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria in 1995, the municipal council had the following distribution: 14 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 2 FPÖ.
With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria in 2000, the municipal council had the following distribution: 13 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 3 FPÖ.
With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria in 2005 , the municipal council had the following distribution: 13 ÖVP, 6 SPÖ and 2 FPÖ.
With the municipal elections in Lower Austria in 2010 , the municipal council had the following distribution: 14 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 2 FPÖ.
With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria in 2015 , the municipal council had the following distribution: 14 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 2 BBL citizens' movement Litschau.
With the municipal council elections in Lower Austria 2020 , the municipal council has the following distribution: 15 ÖVP, 5 SPÖ and 1 BBL - Citizens Movement Litschau.

mayor

1994–2014 Otto Huslich (ÖVP)
since 2014 Rainer Hirschmann (ÖVP)

Culture and sights

Litschau parish church

Litschau Castle with the Hunger Tower

Litschau station: steam locomotive

Litschau Castle : The castle was built around the year 1260. It is owned by the Seilern and Aspang family and is not open to the public.
Catholic parish church Litschau hl. Michael: The parish church is on the town square, the oldest parts of which date back to the 14th century.
Railway station: At the Waldviertel narrow-gauge railway station, which opened in 1900, Austria's northernmost grapevine grows and is also so old. The railway operates as a museum railway in the summer months .
Litschau cultural station: the station building is used today for cultural events
Local museum
Knitting museum
Nature reserve: The approximately eleven hectare nature reserve Rottalmoos is located in the municipality.

Regular events

Schrammel.Klang.Festival: Schrammel Festival takes place annually at the beginning of July on stages around the Herrensee; since 2007
Theater festival HIN & WEG : founded in 2018 by director Zeno Stanek in Litschau am Herrensee. The festival in August offers plays in the northernmost Waldviertel in weird locations, readings of favorite theatrical plays in private kitchens ... (2019: 9-18 August)
Waldviertler Eisenmann (WEM): the triathlon event has been held annually since 2006 (except 2010)
IronDog: Man-dog triathlon event that has been held annually in September since 2010

economy

There are 135 agricultural and forestry businesses in the municipality, 48 of which are full-time businesses (as of 2010). There are 30 workplaces in the secondary economic sector , mainly in the areas of manufacturing and construction. This manufacturing sector employs 315 people. The service sector employs 371 people in 97 companies (as of 2011). Most employees are in the social and public services (165), in trade (85) and in the catering trade (60).

The municipality of Litschau operates a biomass district heating plant.

Doctors: General practitioners and a dentist ordain in Litschau.
Pharmacy: There is a pharmacy in the city.

The state of Lower Austria has been operating a care and support center in Litschau with 84 care places since 2012.

traffic

Bicycles: At the nextbike bike rental station, you can rent a bike for around one euro per hour after registering once by phone or internet. The return is possible either at the original rental station or at a corresponding facility in the neighboring communities.

Train: A narrow-gauge railway runs from Gmünd to Litschau.

education

The municipality of Litschau offers a kindergarten, an elementary school and a new middle school.

Sports

Golf course
Indoor swimming pool
Herrensee
Schönau pond
Hiking trails in the nature reserve : In the municipality, the around eleven is hectare large nature reserve Rottal moss . There are numerous cycling and hiking trails around Litschau. Two of the 16 marked hiking trails with a total length of 180 km are the tour around the Herrensee (4.5 km) and the forest nature trail near the castle. The two longest circular routes for very sporty and persevering hikers are the 7-Dörfer-Rundweg (31 km) and the Litschauer Marathonweg (42.2 km). The Eisenwurzen long-distance hiking trail also runs through the village . Litschau and five other communities belong to the 'Waldviertel NORD adventure region'.

In 1960 there was a one-time motorboat race on the Litschauer waters, it was part of the European championship series in the outboard class up to 175 cm³.

and display information about the image

Panoramic picture of the Herrensee in Litschau

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the church

Kaspar Schrammel (1811–1895), musician and composer

People related to the community

Oliver Rathkolb (* 1955), Austrian modern historian, grew up in Litschau
Hellmut Handl (1920–2012), Austrian physician, surgeon and artist

literature

Stefan René Buzanich: The lifeworld of the village subjects of the Kuefstein rule Litschau as reflected in the legacy treatises of the 1st half of the 18th century (dissertation at the University of Vienna, 2020, 4 volumes).

Stefan René Buzanich: Reformation and Counter-Reformation and the importance of the brotherhood of the poor and souls in the rule Litschau . In: The Waldviertel. No. 4, 2017, pp. 432–439.

Stefan René Buzanich: from matur [!] And birth effortlessly - people with physical and mental disabilities in the villages of the Litschau rule in the first half of the 18th century. A contribution to the "Disability History". In: The Waldviertel. No. 4, 2018, pp. 521-527.

B. v. A .: The Moratschky as owners of the Litschau estate. In: The Waldviertel. No. 4, 1931, pp. 8-11.

B. v. A., Litschau during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). In: The Waldviertel. No. 6, 1933, pp. 35-37.

Karl Bertel and Heinrich Rauscher: Interest and service book of the county of Litschau from 1369. In: The Waldviertel. No. 11, 1938, pp. 17-20, 31-35.

Stephan Biedermann: 300 years of the glass industry on the grounds of the lordship of Litschau. In: Our home. No. 18, 1947, pp. 17-19.

Joseph Chmel: Interest and service book of the county Litschau. Anno 1369. In: Historical Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ed.): Notes sheet. Supplement to the archive for Austrian history. Volume 3, Vienna 1853, pp. 255-266.

Alois Eggerth: From the city's history. In: Stadtgemeinde Litschau (ed.): 600 years of the city of Litschau 1386 –1986. Litschau 1986, pp. 26-41.

Karel Hruza: Between Budweis, Freistadt, Litschau and Vienna. Five disregarded document concepts from King Wenceslas (IV.) For the Dukes of Austria from 1396. In: Eva Doležalova, Robert Novotny and Pavel Soukup (eds.): Evropa a Čechy na konci středověku. Sborník příspěvků věnovaných Františku Šmahelovi. Prague 2004, pp. 59-83.

Helma Reiss: The field names in the Litschau judicial district (typewritten dissertation at the University of Vienna, 1959).

Emmerich Siegris: Litschau: Uncovering a previously unknown city gate in the city wall. In: Our home. No. 5, 1932, p. 185.

Bohumír Smutný: Sources on the history of the Litschau rule in the Moravian Provincial Archives in Brno. In: The Waldviertel. No. 44, 1995, pp. 377-383.

Heinrich Tippl: Litschau's importance in the Middle Ages. In: The Waldviertel. No. 18, 1969, pp. 84-89.

Karl Zimmel: The City of Litschau (Litschau 1912).

Sepp Zwölfer: The cadastral communities of the large community of Litschau. In: Stadtgemeinde Litschau (ed.): 600 years of the city of Litschau 1386–1986 (Litschau 1986) pp. 79–83.

Web links

Commons : Litschau - collection of images, videos and audio files

City of Litschau

30925 - Litschau. Community data, Statistics Austria .
Entry on Litschau in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
Entry for Litschau in the database of the state's memory for the history of the state of Lower Austria ( Museum Niederösterreich )

Individual evidence

↑ Statistics Austria: Population on January 1st, 2020 by locality (area status on January 1st, 2020) , ( CSV )

^ Antonín Bartoněk, Bohuslav Beneš, Wolfgang Müller-Funk and Friedrich Polleroß : Kulturführer Waldviertel, Weinviertel, South Moravia , Vienna 1996, ISBN 978-3-216-30043-0 , p. 391.

↑ Stefan René Buzanich: Reformation and Counter-Reformation and the meaning of the brotherhood of the poor and souls in the rule Litschau . In: The Waldviertel . No. 4 , 2017, p. 432-439 .

↑ Stefan René Buzanich: The lifeworld of the village subjects of the Kuefstein rule Litschau as reflected in the legacy treatises of the 1st half of the 18th century (dissertation at the University of Vienna, 2020, 4 volumes) .

↑ Stefan René Buzanich: The lifeworld of the village subjects of the Kuefstein rule Litschau as reflected in the legacy treatises of the 1st half of the 18th century (dissertation at the University of Vienna, 2020, 4 volumes). S. 37, 40 f., 110, 112, 126, 215, 249 .
↑ Stefan René Buzanich: The lifeworld of the village subjects of the Kuefstein rule Litschau as reflected in the legacy treatises of the 1st half of the 18th century (dissertation at the University of Vienna, 2020, 4 volumes) . S. 26 .

↑ Stefan René Buzanich: The lifeworld of the village subjects of the Kuefstein rule Litschau as reflected in the legacy treatises of the 1st half of the 18th century (dissertation at the University of Vienna, 2020, 4 volumes). S. 35 f .
^ Statistics Austria, A look at the community of Litschau, population development. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ Result of the municipal council election 1995 in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian State Government, March 30, 2000, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
^ Election result of the municipal council election 2000 in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian State Government, February 4, 2005, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
^ Election result of the municipal council election 2005 in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian State Government, March 4, 2005, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
^ Election result of the municipal council election 2010 in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian State Government, October 8, 2010, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
^ Election result of the 2015 municipal council election in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian State Government, December 1, 2015, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
↑ Results of the municipal council election 2020 in Litschau. Office of the Lower Austrian state government, January 26, 2020, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
^ Mourning in Litschau. Otto Huslich died. Markus Lohninger, NÖN Gmünd, May 21, 2014
↑ New theater festival "Hin & Weg" in Litschau . Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria, OTS report from August 9, 2018, accessed on August 10, 2018.
↑ orf.at: Theater an “Unorten”: New Festival in Litschau . Article dated April 17, 2018, accessed August 10, 2018.
↑ Statistics Austria, A look at the community of Litschau, agricultural and forestry operations. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ Statistics Austria, A look at the community of Litschau, workplaces. Retrieved April 15, 2019 .
^ Statistics Austria, A look at the community of Litschau, employees. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ City of Litschau, Health & Social Affairs, Doctors & Pharmacies. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ Province of Lower Austria, care and bed care center Litschau. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
↑ http://www.litschau.at/system/web/zusatzseite.aspx?menuonr=219580084&detailonr=218355660
↑ Waldviertelbahn, timetable. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ City of Litschau, Health & Social Affairs, Kindergarten. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
^ Federal Ministry, New Middle School Litschau. Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
↑ Mentioned in the report on the decision of this series in Die Yacht (Hamburg), issue 18, p. 706.