LOCATIONS IN MID-FIFTEENTH CENTURY AUSTRIA BY PROVINCE
297K .JPG of Austria with
most of the cities marked.
1460
map of Central Europe. Note that in my map (above), I made Austria
more contiguous than it "really is" because of the unified Habsburg
control even of lands that are not in Austria.
Vienna (Wien) is its own province. Note that not all of this information
is accurate. The world of 1466 contained fewer hard facts than today's
world, and I've changed some of the facts to fit the story as well. I'm
sure you'll pick it out right away.
Karnten (Carinthia)
Province in southern Austria, bordered by the provinces of Tyrol on the
northwest and east, Salzburg and Steiermark (Styria) on the north, and by
the Hungarian kingdom of Croatia to the south and Italian states on the
southwest. The principal rivers are the Drava (called the Drau in
Austria), which flows in a generally western to eastern direction, and the
Gail, which flows generally east and then north to join the Drava near the
town of Villach. The area west of the confluence of the rivers, known as
upper Karnten, is in a mountainous section of the Alps and is the site of
the Grossglockner, the highest peak in Austria.
Mining of lead and iron, is important in the region, as are lumbering and
the raising of cattle and sheep. The area east of the confluence of the
Drava and the Gail is known as lower Karnten. This region is also
mountainous, but it contains the fertile Drava Basin, in which wheat, rye,
and fruit are grown. The capital city of Klagenfurt and the town of
Villach are the chief population centers. The Worthersee, slightly west of
Klagenfurt, is a resort lake that attracts many wealthy patrons. Karnten,
originally a Roman possession, was made an independent duchy in 976. It
fell to the Habsburg family in the 13th century and became an Austrian
crown land in the 14th century. There is a baron of Karnten. (The father
of the current emperor was baron of Karnten.)
Slovenes dominate the southern section in language and cultural practices.
(It will later become part of Slovenia. Most Slovenes are Catholic, so
religious tension is minimal at the moment.) The southwestern portion of
Karnten is disputed with several Italian city-states who are closely tied
to Venice. The "free city" of Trst (Trieste) is the center point of this
dispute.
Villach
Town on the Drava (Drau) River. Principal production is beer and cloth.
The area is also well known for its mineral baths. The Roman community of
Bilachinium was located on the site of Villach, which is a major trade
center.
Klagenfurt
Town on the Glan River. Manufactures include textiles and leather goods.
Klagenfurt became a city in the late 13th century. It is one of the major
military strongholds in the south of Austria, to protect against both the
Turks and more recently, Hungary.
Tyrol (Tirol)
Province in western Austria, bounded on the north by the kingdom of
Bavaria and on the south by Bolzano and Trento (joint Italian
city-states), and lying between the Austrian provinces of Salzburg on the
east and Vorarlberg on the west. It extends south to Lake Garda. The
province, in the Alps, is traversed by a number of rivers, including the
Inn, the Otztaler Ache, the Ziller, and the Isar. The chief occupations of
the inhabitants are lumbering, cattle grazing, dairy farming, and mining
for lead and salt. Rye and wheat are grown in the Inn Valley.
At one time Tirol was a part of the Roman Empire. It passed into the hands
of Austria in 1363.
Innsbruck
Capital of Tyrol, on the Inn River. Innsbruck is at the junction of two
important routes of commerce and travel: the Arlberg Pass, connecting
western and eastern Europe, and the Brenner Pass, linking Austria with
Italy. In ancient times the Roman way station of Veldidena occupied the
site of Wilten, a section of Innsbruck. Innsbruck became the capital of
Tirol in 1420. The castle of Furstenburg with its famous balcony covered
by a gilded copper roof is being erected. The name of the city comes from
the combination of brücke (German for "bridge") and the name of the local
river. Innsbruck is the third largest city in Austria after Vienna and
Graz.
Bodensee
Lake in the Alps, bordered by the Swiss confederation, Bavaria, and
Austria. After Lake Geneva it is the largest of the Alpine lakes.
Bodensee extends northwest and southeast. At the northwestern end it is
divided by a peninsula into two forks north of the city of Konstanz in
Bavaria. The northern fork is called the Uberlinger See and the southern
fork is the Untersee. The main body of the lake is known as the Obersee.
The lake is on the course of the Rhine River, which enters from the south
and then emerges from the Untersee in a westerly direction. A number of
minor streams discharge into the lake, nearly all of them on the
northeastern side. The water of the lake is subject to sudden rises of up
to twelve feet, partly because of the melting of the Alpine snows. The
waters are clear, and the lake is rich in fish. The chief towns bordering
the lake are Konstanz and Friedrichshafen, in Bavaria, Rorschach, in the
canton of Sankt Gallein, and Bregenz, in Austria. (Bodensee is actually
in Vorarlberg, but I haven't put any information together about that
province just yet.)
Steiermark (Styria)
Province in southeastern Austria, and, Slovene lands aside, lying almost
wholly within the Alps. Numerous small lakes are scattered throughout
Steiermark, which is noted for its scenic beauty, and the mountain slopes
are heavily forested. The chief streams are the Enns, Mur, and Raab.
Despite mountainous terrain, the region has large tracts of cultivable
lands, particularly in the river valleys, and also has a thriving
livestock industry. Forestry is also economically important to the region.
Iron ore is lightly mined in Steirmark, but there are indications that it
is much more common than is currently known.
A Roman province in ancient times, the region later was a part of the
Frankish Empire established by Charlemagne, who attached it to the duchy
of Karnten (Carinthia). Steiermark became a separate duchy in 1180 and was
acquired (1192) by the duke of Austria. Steiermark became a hereditary
Habsburg possession in 1282.
As with Karnten, the southern portion of Styria is dominated by Slovenes.
Graz
Capital of Steiermark, on the Mur River, bordered on three sides by the
Alps. Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. Leather is
made in the city, which is also the center of a considerable trade in
wine, fruit, and cereal grains. The town is on the western bank of the
river, and is built around a strongly fortified and walled hill. The
buildings of Graz include an 11th-century castle, the 13th-century church
of the Teutonic Knights, and the recently-completed Gothic Cathedral of
Saint Aegidius.
Graz is known to have existed in the 9th century AD and is thought to
occupy the site of a Roman town. It is one of the homes of the Emperor.
The city's name comes from gradec, a Slavic word meaning "small fort,"
which refers to the fortress on the hill, named Schlossberg.
Leoben
Very small town in Steiermark, on the Mur River. Those who are associated
with the Order of Reason know that there is a large manor house just
outside Leoben which serves as a retreat away from the Viennan chantry
when things get too intense or when solitude is required. Why they would
select such a rural and isolated place is not known.
Baden
Town situated on the Schwechat River, 15 miles south of Vienna. Baden lies
on the eastern slopes of the Wienerwald (Vienna woods) at the entrance to
the Helenental, a wooded dale which is currently in agricultural
development. The town is famous for its medicinal sulfur springs, known
since Roman times, when they were called the Thermae Pannoniae. Buildings
of note in Baden are the town hall and the Gothic church of Saint Stephen.
Oberosterreich (Upper Austria)
Province of Austria, bounded on the north by the kingdoms of Bohemia and
Moravia, on the east by the province of Niederosterreich (Lower Austria),
on the south by the provinces of Steiermark and Salzburg, and on the west
by the kingdom of Bavaria. The Danube flows across Oberosterreich from
west to east; north of the river the province is a forested plateau, while
to the south rolling hills provide good farming territory. Cereals, dairy
products, and fruit are the chief farm products. Timber, salt, and iron
are the main natural resources. Linz, the capital, is an industrial center
important for iron smelting. The towns of Wels and Steyr combine trading
activity with some agriculture and manufacture.
Linz
Capital of Oberosterreich and an important Danube River port. Manufactures
include iron and textiles. Urfahr, is an independent town closely related
to Linz which occupies the northern riverbank. The Hauptplatz is the
13th-century main square of Linz, near the southern bank of the river.
Recently, fortifications for a castle have been completed. Linz dates
from at least the 2nd century AD, when it was a Roman fortress settlement
called Lentia. It has since become a commercial center, famous for its
merchant and leisure fairs. The Emperor has a home in Linz.
Steyr
Town in Oberosterreich. Steyr is located at the junction of the Steyr and
Enns rivers, 19 miles southeast of the city of Linz in a rolling, wooded
region. A manufacturing and tourist center, the city is dominated by the
10th-century Steyr Castle. The Stadt-Platz (main town square) contains a
courtyard bounded by three-storied arcades, houses, and the Rathaus (town
hall), which contains a great council chamber. The Parish Church is
currently under construction, although it proceeds slowly due to lack of
funds. The manufacture of weapons has been an important industry in Steyr
since the 12th century, and Steyr is the center of the Austrian iron
industry.
Wels
Town on the Traun River, near Linz. The transportation hub of the
Innviertel district, where grains, cattle, and poultry are raised, the
city includes dairying and the manufacture of agricultural equipment,
textiles, and the quarrying and carving of stone.
A Gothic parish church has just been completed; the Polheim Castle is
being erected. The Roman town of Ovilava was founded on the site in 15BC
and later served as a barrier to invading Avars and Magyars. Wels was the
seat of local dukes in the 8th century; the modern city started in the
11th century.
Salzburg
Provice and capital city in western Austria. The city is on the Salzach
River. Industries include the production of beer, the mining of salt, and
textiles. At Salzburg the Salzach River passes between two lofty masses of
rock, one of which, the Monchsberg, bears an 11th-century fort. Originally
a Celtic settlement and later a Roman trading center called Juvavum,
Salzburg has been an archbishopric since about 800. Salzburg is not
technically incorporated into Austria, but it is a Habsburg holding which
is ruled chiefly with instructions from Vienna. The city takes its name
from the German words salz (salt) and burg (castle or fort).
Wiener Neustadt
Town at the eastern approach to the Alps. Wiener Neustadt is located 28 mi
southwest of Vienna. Founded in 1192 by Duke Leopold III, it has been the
scene of much fighting against both Hungarians and Turks. The 12th-century
castle of the Babenberg line of Austrian rulers dominates the city. (The
Babenburgs were the predecessors of the Habsburgs in the Holy Roman
Imperial seat, and they weren't nearly so successful.) Other notable
buildings include the 13th-century Liebfrauen Church and the more recently
completed Cistercian Abbey.
Burgenland
Province in eastern Austria, lying south of the Danube River. It is
bounded on the north by the province of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria),
on the east by Hungary, on the south by the Hungarian kingdom of Croatia,
and on the west by the province of Steiermark (Styria). The low-lying
plains of the northern section contain large tracts of pastureland and
arable farmland. Elsewhere, the terrain is hilly and thickly forested.
About two-thirds of Neusiedler Lake lies within Burgenland, with the
remaining portion extending across the border into Hungary. The main river
is the Raab. Temperate climatic conditions prevail throughout most of the
province; and the average annual temperature is about 50° F. Livestock
farming, especially the raising of cattle, hogs, and poultry, and
lumbering are leading industries. The principal crops include grains,
fruits, wine grapes, tobacco, legumes, sugar beets, hemp, and flax.
Deposits of limestone and sulfur are worked. The population of Burgenland
is mostly rural. The larger communities are Eisenstadt (the capital),
Oberwart, and Deutschkreutz.
After the 8th century AD the region occupied by present-day Burgenland was
settled by German, Slavic, and Magyar colonists. It is theoretically under
Habsburg control, but its close proximity and relations with Hungary make
it difficult to manage. Although there are currently no active disputes,
Hungarian influence over the area continues to grow. As with Karten, the
southern portion of Burgenland is dominated by Slovene language and
culture.
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