Villach
Coat of arms	Location
Administration
Country	Austria
State	Carinthia
District	Statutory city
Mayor	Helmut Manzenreiter (SPÖ)
Basic statistics
Area	134. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) Carinthia (Kärnten Koroška is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Austria is divided into 84 political districts ( Politische Bezirke ' and 15 Statutarstädte which form their own districts A Statutory city ( Statutarstadt in Austria, or Statutární město in Czech Republic) is a city with its own municipal Law Burgomaster (alternatively spelled Burgo[[meister]], literally translated meaning master of the town or master of the Fortress The Social Democratic Party of Austria ( German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is one of the oldest parties in Austria. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 89 km² (52. 1 sq mi)
Elevation	501 m  (1644 ft)
Population	58,480  (31/12/2006)[1]
- Density	434 /km² (1,123 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	VI
Postal code	9500
Area code	04242
Website	www.villach.at
Location of Villach within Carinthia
Coordinates: 46°36′53″N 13°50′46″E / 46.61472, 13.84611

Villach (pronounced [ˈfɪlax]; Slovenian Beljak) is the second largest city in Carinthia in the south of Austria, at the Drau River (Slovenian Drava) and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Austrian car number plates are License plates found on Austrian cars Format Postal codes in Austria consist of four digits The first identifies a geographic delivery area within Austria This article details the use of Telephone numbers in Austria. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Carinthia (Kärnten Koroška is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Drava or Drave ( German: Drau; Italian, Croatian, and Slovene: Drava; Hungarian: Dráva Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language A junction, when discussed in the context of Transport, is a location where Traffic can change between different routes directions or sometimes modes of travel Alpe-Adria is a Bioregion in Central Europe, embracing all of Slovenia, the Austrian states of Carinthia and Styria, and As of December 2006, the population is 58,480. ^[1]

Geography

Geographical position

The city is located west of the Klagenfurt Basin at the confluence of the Drau and the Gail Rivers. Drava or Drave ( German: Drau; Italian, Croatian, and Slovene: Drava; Hungarian: Dráva Gail (Zilja is the name of a River in southern Austria. Originating in the Tyrolian municipality of Obertilliach it flows from west to east Nearby countries are Slovenia with a direct line to the border of 11 km (6. Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west 8 mi) and Italy with a distance of 14. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest 5 km (9 mi) respectively. Slovenia could be accessed via the Karawanken Autobahn (A11) and the Karawanken Tunnel, Italy by the Süd Autobahn (A2). The Autobahn is the national Freeway system of Austria. History The first Autobahn in Austria was the A1 West Autobahn from Salzburg See also Karawanken Tunnel (railway The Karawanken Tunnel (Karawankentunnel Predor Karavanke or Karavanški predor is a Motorway

The municipal area borders on or surrounds several lakes, including Lake Ossiach, Lake Faak, Silbersee, Vassacher See, Magdalensee, and St. Lake Ossiach (Ossiacher See Osojsko jezero is a Lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia, situated in the Nock Mountains between the Towns Faaker See or Lake Faak (Faaker See Baško jezero is an alpine Lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Leonharder See.

Villach is surrounded by mountains of the Alps which are used for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage

Structure

The following sections belong to Villach:

• Bogenfeld, Dobrova, Drautschen, Drobollach am Faaker See, Duel, Egg am Faaker See, Goritschach, Graschitz, Gratschach, Greuth, Gritschach, Großsattel, Großvassach, Heiligen Gestade, Heiligengeist, Kleinsattel, Kleinvassach, Kratschach, Kumitz, Landskron, Maria Gail, Mittewald ober dem Faaker See, Mittewald ob Villach, Neufellach, Neulandskron, Obere Fellach, Oberfederaun, Oberschütt, Oberwollanig, Pogöriach, Prossowitsch, Rennstein, Serai, St. Andrä, St. Georgen, St. Leonhard, St. Magdalen, St. Michael, St. Niklas an der Drau, St. Ruprecht, St. Ulrich, Tschinowitsch, Turdanitsch, Untere Fellach, Unterfederaun, Unterschütt, Unterwollanig, Urlaken, Villach-Auen, Villach-Innere Stadt, Villach-Lind, Villach-Seebach-Wasenboden, Villach-St. Agathen und Perau, Villach-St. Martin, Villach-Völkendorf, Villach-Warmbad-Judendorf, Weißenbach, Zauchen

History

Near the center of Villach

The oldest human traces found in Villach date back to 3500 BC. A lot of Roman artifacts were found there, as it was close to an important Roman road called the Römerweg. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial A document mentions a bridge in what is today Villach in 878, and the settlement across the bridge was given market town status in 1060, though Villach is first mentioned in records in 1240. It got its first mayor in the 16th century.

On January 25, 1348 an earthquake destroyed a big part of Villach followed by another earthquake in 1690. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer There were also several fires in Villach which destroyed a lot of buildings.

In 1759 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria formally purchased Villach, as well as much of Carinthia. Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia see also names in other languages; May 13, 1717 November 29 1780) was the Archduchess regnant During the Napoleonic Wars, Villach was part of the Illyrian provinces of the French Empire from 1809 until 1813. The Illyrian Provinces (Provinces illyriennes Ilirske province Ilirske pokrajne Province Illiriche were lands on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea which were

The Südbahn railway finally reached Villach in 1864, providing growth and expansion. The Austrian Southern Railway ( German Österreichische Südbahn or just Südbahn, Slovene Južna železnica) was an Austrian

During the period of the German Anschluss (1938-45) when Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany, the mayor of Villach was Oskar Kraus, an enthusiastic Nazi. The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers ^[2] A memorial for the 1919 border conflict caused controversy when it was inaugurated in 2002, as Kraus, who had not been especially prominent in the conflict, was the only person named. The Carinthian Plebiscite ( German: Kärntner Volksabstimmung, Slovene: Koroški plebiscit) on October 10, 1920 determined ^[3]

During World War II, the town was bombed 37 times by the Allies. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including About 42,500 bombs killed 300 people and damaged 85% of the buildings, nevertheless the city quickly recovered. ^[4]

Today, Villach is a bustling city with commerce and recreation, yet it retains its historic background.

Incorporations

In 1905 a part of the municipal area St. Martin was incorporated. In 1973 the city area was further enlarged through the incorporation of Landskron, Maria Gail and Fellach.

Politics

Municipal council

The municipal council (Gemeinderat) consists of 45 members, with the mayor as president, and—as of 2003—is composed of:

• SPÖ: 28 seats
• FPÖ: 8 seats
• ÖVP: 6 seats
• Die Grünen: 2 seats
• Ferdinand Truppe (Independent): 1 seat

City government

The city government of Villach (Stadtsenat) consists of seven members. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Social Democratic Party of Austria ( German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is one of the oldest parties in Austria. The Freedom Party of Austria ( Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ is a political party in Austria. The Austrian People's Party ( German: Österreichische Volkspartei, or ÖVP) is an Austrian Political party. The Greens – The Green Alternative (Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative or Die Grünen, also translated as Austrian Green Party) is a Political party It is chaired by the mayor, who is directly elected by the people. The other members—two vice-mayors and four town councillors—are appointed by the municipal council, with party affiliations according to the election results.

• Mayor Helmut Manzenreiter, SPÖ
• First vice-mayor Karl-Heinz Evers, SPÖ
• Second vice-mayor Mag. Gerda Sandriesser, SPÖ
• Councillor Mag. Hilde Schaumberger, SPÖ
• Councillor Harald Sobe, SPÖ
• Councillor Walter Lang, FPÖ
• Councillor LAbg. KR Helmut Hinterleitner, ÖVP

Twin towns

Villach is twinned with:

• Bamberg (Germany)
• Udine (Italy)
• Suresnes (France)
• Springfield, Illinois (USA)

Festivals

There are several festivals throughout the year:

• The carnival in Villach (which starts on November 11 and ends on March 4)
• The arts and crafts festival (with self made goods)
• The New Orleans festival
• The streets-art festival (displays performances of artists and singers)
• The "Villacher Kirchtag" (a kermis spanning a whole week in summer and ends on August's first Saturday with a notorious fireworks show)
• Performances on a stage beside the Drau

Notable citizens

• Alex Antonitsch, tennis player (retired)
• Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, current CEO of the Nestlé Group
• Kurt Diemberger, mountaineer and author
• Bruno Gironcoli, modern artist
• Michael Grabner, ice hockey player (active)
• Herbert Hohenberger, ice hockey player (active)
• Martin Koch, ski jumper (active)
• Peter Löscher, current CEO of Siemens AG
• Paul Watzlawick, a communication scientist, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, philosopher, and author (deceased)

References

External links

• Villach - official web site (English version)

Gallery

Villach from the Alpenstraße (Oct. 2005)

Main square

Drau River - downstream (2004)

edit	Cities and Districts (Bezirke) of Carinthia
Klagenfurt | Villach Feldkirchen | Hermagor | Klagenfurt-Land | Spittal an der Drau | St. Veit an der Glan | Villach-Land | Völkermarkt | Wolfsberg