Sankt Barbara im Mürztal

Geography

The center in the district of Mitterdorf is situated at an altitude of 587 m (1,926 ft) above sea level. St. Barbara im Mürztal is on the river Mürz. Small tributaries are the Small Veitsch (Kleine Veitsch brook), which in turn in the Great Veitsch opens (Große Veitsch), which unites in Mitterdorf with the Mürz river. Further, significant for the place tributaries are the Scheibsgrabenbach creek, which emptied in Wartberg in the Mürz, and the Sonnleitenbach, which flows into Mitterdorf in the Mürz.

The highest elevation of the municipality forms the massif Hohe Veitsch, with an altitude of 1,981 m (6,499 ft), and simultaneously forms a natural boundary to the west and north-west of the municipality. To the west is the Pretalsattel (1,069 m or 3,507 ft above sea level), as a compound in the Stübmingtal, Turnau and the Aflenzer Basin.

In the east and southeast of the town, borders the town of Fischbacher Alpen.

Municipality arrangement

The municipal area covers seven towns (in parentheses inhabitants as at 1 January 2016):

Großveitsch (904)

Kleinveitsch (415)

Lutschaun (453)

Mitterdorf im Mürztal (1,926)

Niederaigen (643)

Veitsch (374)

Wartberg im Mürztal (2,012)

The community consists of the cadastral (Katastralgemeinden): Großveitsch, Kleinveitsch, Lutschaun, Mitterdorf, Niederaigen, Scheibsgraben, Veitsch Dorf and Wartberg.

Politics

Regierungskommissär (von der steiermärkischen Landesregierung bestellt)

1.1. 2015 - 28.4. 2015 Jochen Jance (SPÖ)

Bürgermeister

seit 28.4. 2015 Jochen Jance (SPÖ)

Economy and sights

Pilgerkreuz am Veitscher Ölberg: Starting from the parish Veitsch is along a forest trail to Veitsch mount-of-olives pilgrims cross. The cross was built in 2004 and is 40.6 m (133 ft) high (up to 27 m height inside walkable), as the world's largest of its kind.

Holzknecht-Ball: The Holzknecht Ball held annually in January, on the first Friday after January 6 (Epiphany), and organized by Trachtenverein society D’Rauschkogler z’Veitsch. Besides Oberlandler ball in Graz, or the Schützenball in Grundlsee, it provides over Styria one of the few remaining traditional costume balls with Auftanz represents. Under the Balls and the traditional folk dance is Veitscher Masur (the locals referred to as "Veitscher Ochs gallop") during the evening by many visitors frequently practiced.

Der Ultra-Alpin-Marathon Veitscher Grenzstaffellauf, one of the toughest Alpine Marathon Austria has been held annually since 1986 on the last Saturday in June. It runs 54 km (34 mi) and 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) out of the indoor swimming pool along the municipal boundaries across the high plateau of the Hohe Veitsch back to the starting point. Top runners need just 4:30 hours for this distance. The course can also be completed as a three-team (with sections of 16.5 / 16.0 / 21.5 km). Here the winners are just under 4:00 hours. 2013 Austrian Championships were held in mountain marathon.

Mürztaler Landtage: The largest, multi-day agricultural fair of the Mürztal has been held since 2009 in Wartberg in the Mürztal. In addition to showcases and trade exhibitions in the agricultural sector, attendees have been offered a wide program of amusement parks and concerts of different genres.

Transportation

The town lies on the southern railway, has 2 train stations of ÖBB ("Mitterdorf - Veitsch" or "Wartberg im Mürztal") and is accessible on the Semmering Schnellstraße S 6 (road exit "Mitterdorf"). The town can also be reached via the L 102 (Veitscherstraße) from Turnau or via the L 118 (Semmering Begleitstraße) from Kindberg and Krieglach.

Since 2016-07-18, a bus of the Mürztaler transport company is run from Kapfenberg and interconnects all 3 districts:

Route 85 (Pretal-) Groß-Veitsch - (Dorf-Veitsch-) Niederaigen - Mitterdorf im Mürztal - Wartberg im Mürztal station.

Industry

Mining (magnesite from 1881), production of refractory products for smelting furnaces, steel production and processing have a long tradition and are still significant today in the area:

RHI AG – Feuerfestwerkstoffe, mit Veitscher Magnesitwerken

Vogel & Noot AG – Landmaschinen- und Heizgerätehersteller

Breitenfeld AG – Edelstahlwerk

Bien-Zenker – Fertighausbau

Buildings

Neue Musikmittelschule „Musium“ Mitterdorf

Landesberufsschule für Speditionskauffrau/ -mann und SpeditionslogistikerIn

Notable people

Helmut Brenner (born 1957), musician, music teacher, musicologist, historian and university lecturer

Carl Gustav Heraeus (1671-1725), German Hofantiquar at the court in Vienna, Montanist, scholar and writer

Thomas Lechner (* 1985), Austrian football player

Tom Lohner (* 1982), a graphic designer and freelance artist

Matthias Loiben (born 1969), musician and composer

Albert Oberhofer (1925-2016), university professor and rector of the University of Leoben

Michael Schilhan (born 1964), actor, stage director and theater director

David Schuller (* 1980), Austrian hockey player

Karl Skala (1924-2006), local poet

Anton Tautscher (1906-1976), an economist and university professor (University of Graz)

Richard Trenkwalder (1948-2015), businessman and football functionary

Heimo Wiederhofer (* 1962), jazz musician (drums)