Schwarzenberg, Austria
| Schwarzenberg | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| ||
  Schwarzenberg Location within Austria
Location in the district
| ||
| Coordinates: 47°25′00″N 09°51′00″E / 47.41667°N 9.85000°ECoordinates: 47°25′00″N 09°51′00″E / 47.41667°N 9.85000°E | ||
| Country | Austria | |
| State | Vorarlberg | |
| District | Bregenz | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Armin Berchtold | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 25.76 km2 (9.95 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 696 m (2,283 ft) | |
| Population (1 January 2016)[1] | ||
| • Total | 1,877 | |
| • Density | 73/km2 (190/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| Postal code | 6867 | |
| Area code | 05512 | |
| Vehicle registration | B | |
| Website | www.schwarzenberg.at | |
Schwarzenberg is a municipality in the Bregenz Forest in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, part of the district of Bregenz. Schwarzenberg has an area of 25.76 km². It lies south of Lake Constance. The village center is heritage-protected for its clapboard houses.
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1869 | 1,300 | — |
| 1880 | 1,105 | −15.0% |
| 1890 | 1,214 | +9.9% |
| 1900 | 1,233 | +1.6% |
| 1910 | 1,209 | −1.9% |
| 1923 | 1,181 | −2.3% |
| 1934 | 1,258 | +6.5% |
| 1939 | 1,262 | +0.3% |
| 1951 | 1,333 | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 1,282 | −3.8% |
| 1971 | 1,430 | +11.5% |
| 1981 | 1,470 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 1,576 | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 1,669 | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 1,805 | +8.1% |
According to the last count in September 2011, the municipality has 1810 inhabitants.
Economy
The main sources of income in Schwarzenberg are craft, tourism and agriculture. In addition to a dozen larger companies, there are also around 100 small and micro companies.
Every year, about 50 000 guests spend the night in Schwarzenberg, around 55% of them during the summer months. The municipality of Schwarzenberg offers many opportunities for recreation in nature, examples are the ski area Schwarzenberg-Bödele, cross-country trails, and around 40 km of winter and summer hiking trails. World Cup downhill competitions of the ladies have already taken place in Schwarzenberg.
Livestock farming is of great importance in Schwarzenberg. Already in 1894 an association for livestock was founded. Today there are around 45 farms with a total of 700 cows, but sheep and goats are also kept in Schwarzenberg. The Alpine Transhumance (mountain meadow culture) is still very well preserved there, about 650 cows are "alped", which means they are sent to the mountain pastures in the summer.
Personalities
- Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) grew up in Schwarzenberg.
Culture
Points of interest
The Angelika Kauffmann museum displays oil paintings, porcelain, souvenirs and letters from Angelika Kauffmann's father in Schwarzenberg. Furthermore, the local museum shows the Bregenzerwälder living culture of the 18th century.
The parish church Schwarzenberg is considered to be one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Vorarlberg. In this church, one can find paintings by Angelika Kauffmann and her father.
The Bregenzerwald Umgang (literally "Bregenz forest hike") shows the design of 12 traditionally built villages, including Schwarzenberg, in the Bregenz Forest. By means of the landscape, public buildings, houses and everyday objects, walkers are informed about the typical Bregenzerwälder architecture style through the ages. In particular, the Angelika Kauffmann hall in Schwarzenberg must be mentioned. The hall was rebuilt in 2001 and has been suitable for musical events ever since. Due to the excellent acoustics, the auditorium was even named one of the three best chamber music venues in the world.
The Käsestraße Bregenzerwald is a joint venture between farmers, milk farmers, artisans, gastronomists and companies in the Bregenz Forest. The members and partners contribute to the maintenance of small-scale agriculture and mountain pasture culture, the diversity of local products and the cheese culture in Vorarlberg. Farmers in Schwarzenberg also take part in this initiative and sell cheese in farm shops and sometimes show tourists their cheese factory.
Events
The Schubertiade Schwarzenberg takes place every year in the summer. It is a world-famous lied- and chamber-music festival and focuses on compositions that are usually not played at larger concerts and which may or may not have been composed by Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Performances in the past have included artists like Alfred Brendel, Emerson String Quartet, Michael Schade, Robert Holl, Angelika Kirchschlager, Thomas Quasthoff.
The Schwarzenberger Markt takes place in mid-September each year. The market has grown over time and evolved from a regular food market to a traditional social highlight in the Bregenz Forest.
The Schwarzenberger Alptag takes place annually in the week before the Schwarzenberg Markt. Around 700 festively decorated cows and sheep are returned to the valley after the summer of the mountain pasture (see Alpine Transhumance). This so-called "Almabtrieb" is a 400-year-old tradition in Schwarzenberg.
References
External links
.svg.png){kind=small}