Bludenz (German pronunciation: [ˈbluːdɛnt͡s] ; Alemannic: Bludaz) is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg with around 15.000 inhabitants. It is the administrative seat of the Bludenz District, which encompasses about half of Vorarlberg's territory.
Bludenz
Bludaz | |
|---|---|
 View from southwest | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in the district | |
  Bludenz Location within Austria | |
| Coordinates: 47°08′00″N 09°49′00″E / 47.13333°N 9.81667°E | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Vorarlberg |
| District | Bludenz |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Simon Tschann (ÖVP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29.92 km2 (11.55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 588 m (1,929 ft) |
| Population () | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 6700 |
| Area code | 05552 |
| Vehicle registration | BZ |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
editThe town is located on the Ill River, a direct tributary of the Rhine. It is surrounded by the ranges of the Bregenz Forest Mountains in the north, and by the Rätikon and Silvretta ranges in the south. Bludenz lies at the meeting point of five valleys: Walgau and Montafon (Ill), Brandnertal, Klostertal up to Arlberg Pass, and Großes Walsertal.
Bludenz is a popular starting point for hiking and mountain-biking in spring, summer, and autumn. It is located not far from many skiing resorts (e.g., Brand[2] and Lech[3]).
Major companies are Mondelēz International (Milka chocolate) and the Fohrenburg brewery which was established in 1881.[4]
History
editArchaeological finds indicate that settlement in the area of Bludenz began in the Bronze Age,[5] and continued throughout the La Tène era.
Bludenz itself was first mentioned in the year 830 CE in an urbarium of the Raetian estates within the Carolingian Empire. The town was established by the comital Werdenberg dynasty; town privileges were granted in 1274. A stay by the Habsburg Duke Frederick IV of Austria, who had just received an imperial ban at the Council of Constance, is documented from 30 March 1416. Four years later, Bludenz passed into the Further Austrian possessions of the Habsburg dynasty.
The Bludenz district headquarters are situated in the Castle of Gayenhofen, built in the 18th century.
Education
editHigh schools in Blundenz include Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Bludenz.
Culture
editThe Alpinale Short Film Festival was founded in 1985 in Bludenz. In August, around 40 international short films are shown to a crowd of 1,000 visitors. Related events are the Alpinale Ländle Tour, the Vorarlberger Short Film Night, and the Horror Short Film Night in autumn.[6][7] The festival has taken place in Bludenz from 1985 to 2002, and from 2020 onwards. Between 2003 and 2019, it was held in Nenzing.[8]
The Brewery Museum Fohrenburg displays the development of the Fohrenburg brewery and beer brewing in Bludenz in general. Historical photographs, old beer bottles and labels, earlier advertising motifs and equipment for beer production allow a look back at more than 130 years of Fohrenburg's brewing history.[9]
The Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik is an international contemporary music festival annually held in autumn/winter. It was founded by Hans Peter Frick, later artistic directors were Georg Friedrich Haas, Wolfram Schurig and Alexander Moosbrugger and the young Italian composer, Clara Iannotta, who been responsible for the programme since 2014. Over the years, more than 100 world premieres have been performed in Bludenz.[10][11]
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1869 | 2,466 | — |
| 1880 | 3,151 | +27.8% |
| 1890 | 4,501 | +42.8% |
| 1900 | 5,361 | +19.1% |
| 1910 | 5,870 | +9.5% |
| 1923 | 6,019 | +2.5% |
| 1934 | 7,738 | +28.6% |
| 1939 | 7,738 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 10,178 | +31.5% |
| 1961 | 11,127 | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 12,273 | +10.3% |
| 1981 | 12,891 | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 13,369 | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 13,701 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 13,726 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 14,539 | +5.9% |
Notable people
edit
- Bertram Batlogg (born 1950), an Austrian physicist, researches high-temperature superconductivity
- Herbert Willi (born 1956), an Austrian composer of classical music
- Robert Rollinger (born 1964), an ancient historian and Assyriologist, worked on Herodotus
- Markus Wallner (born 1967), an Austrian politician (ÖVP) and governor of Vorarlberg.
Sport
edit- Dietmar Berchtold (born 1974), an Austrian football midfielder, played over 370 games
- Dursun Karatay (born 1984), an Austrian football player who has played over 250 games
- Johannes Strolz (born 1992), alpine ski racer, won two gold and one silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Seifedin Chabbi (born 1993), an Austrian footballer who has played over 260 games
- Marco Stark (born 1993), an Austrian former footballer who played over 290 games
Transport
editThere are three active railway stations in Bludenz: Bludenz railway station (the main railway station) located on the intersection of the Vorarlberg Railway, Arlberg Railway and Bludenz–Schruns railway (Montafonerbahn) lines, and Bludenz-Moos railway station and Brunnenfeld-Stallehr railway station, both located on the Bludenz–Schruns railway line. The stations are served by the S4 regional train service of the Vorarlberg S-Bahn. Bludenz station is the southern terminus of the S1 service of Vorarlberg S-Bahn.
References
edit- ^ "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ (in German) Brand website Archived 2008-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in German) Lech website
- ^ (in German) Fohrenburger website
- ^ (in German) Infos at Bludenz website[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Alpinale, Forum Österreichischer Filmfestivals". www.film-festivals.at. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
- ^ alpinale. "Veranstaltungen". ALPINALE (in German). Retrieved 2020-06-29.
- ^ red, vorarlberg ORF at (2019-10-30). "Alpinale kehrt nach Bludenz zurück". vorarlberg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 2020-06-29.
- ^ "Brauereimuseum Fohrenburg Bludenz". museenvorarlberg.at. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ "BTZM". allerArt Bludenz. Archived from the original on 2015-05-19. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Ufer, Julia (2021-07-12). "Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik 2021 / Remise, Bludenz » CREATIVE AUSTRIA – Contemporary Culture". CREATIVE AUSTRIA – Contemporary Culture (in German). Retrieved 2021-08-08.
External links
edit
Media related to Bludenz at Wikimedia Commons
- (in German) Bludenz official website