Eisenstadt
Eisenstadt is a city in Austria, the state capital of Burgenland. It had a recorded population on 1 January 2020 of 14,815.
In the Habsburg Empire's Kingdom of Hungary, Kismarton was the seat of the Eszterházy Hungarian noble family. The composer Joseph Haydn lived there as Hofkapellmeister under Esterházy patronage.
Geography
Eisenstadt lies on a plain leading down to the river Wulka, at the south foot of the Leitha Mountains, about from the Hungarian border.Subdivisions
Eisenstadt is divided into three districts ':- Eisenstadt-Stadt
- Kleinhöflein im Burgenland – a town that lies to the west of Eisenstadt proper
- St. Georgen am Leithagebirge – a town that lies to the east of Eisenstadt proper
- Eisenstadt-Stadt
- Oberberg, or Oberberg-Eisenstadt – the northern area of Eisenstadt from the Jewish quarter, Jewish cemetery
- Unterberg, or Unterberg-Eisenstadt – the southern area of Eisenstadt from Kalvarienbergplatz, Ruster Strasse
- Kleinhöflein im Burgenland
- St. Georgen am Leithagebirge
The city previously included the districts ' of Eisenstadt-Stadt, Eisenstadt-Oberberg, Eisenstadt-Unterberg, and Eisenstadt-Schloßgrund.
Nearby municipalities
- Großhöflein, Müllendorf, Steinbrunn, Neufeld/Leitha and Ebenfurth
- Hornstein
- Wulkaprodersdorf, Trausdorf/Wulka
Climate
Names and etymology
The city's name means "Iron City" and was first recorded in 1118 as Castrum ferrum, referring to the history of iron mining and iron trade in the area. The first written mention of the town is from 1264 as "minor Mortin", matching the Hungarian name, Kismarton, which recalls Martin of Tours, the patron saint of the main church.History
Archeological finds prove that the Eisenstadt area was already settled in the Hallstatt period. Celts and Romans settled somewhat later. During the Migration Period, the area was settled by different Germanic tribes and the Huns. Around 800, during the reign of Charlemagne, settlement by the Bavarii began.The fortress built on the original earth works was destroyed by the troops of Margrave Leopold III of Austria. In 1241, it was destroyed by the Mongol invaders. In 1373, the town came into the possession of the Kanizsai family, who rebuilt the walls surrounding the town and built a fortress at the site of the present day castle between 1388 and 1392. In 1388, Eisenstadt was given the right to hold markets by Emperor Sigismund.
From 1440 Archduke Albert VI of Austria held the town as collateral for a loan. In 1451, Matthias Corvinus ceded it to Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor in return for the Holy Crown of Hungary. Matthias Corvinus reconquered it by force in 1482, but Maximilian I acquired it again in 1490. It remained under Habsburg rule until 1622; however, the Ottoman Empire briefly conquered Kismarton in 1529 and 1532 during their advances on the city of Vienna. It was destroyed by fire in 1589.
In 1648, it passed under the rule of the Esterházy family. These Hungarian princes permanently changed the face of the city due to their extensive construction, especially on their castle, Schloss Esterházy. During this period, the city was captured by the army of Imre Thököly in 1683, and it saw the defeat of the rebel kuruc army of Sándor Károlyi by the Habsburgs in 1704. It was again destroyed by fire in 1776.
The appointment of Joseph Haydn as the prince's Hofkapellmeister began the great artistic period in the city's history. In 1809, Eisenstadt was occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars; in 1897, it was joined to the railway network.
Until the end of World War I, it was the seat of Kismarton district in Sopron county in the Kingdom of Hungary. Without plebiscite, the city and the entire Hungarian territory of Burgenland was annexed to Austria by the Saint-Germain and Treaties of Trianon in 1921. Since 30 April 1925, Eisenstadt has been the seat of the Burgenland state government and thus the state capital. During World War II, Eisenstadt was heavily bombarded. On 2 April 1945, it was captured by Soviet troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Vienna Offensive, and the city remained under Soviet occupation until 1955. In 1960, Eisenstadt became the see of its own Roman Catholic diocese.
Politics
The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Mag. Thomas Steiner ÖVP.The district council is composed as follows :
- Austrian People's Party : 17 seats
- Social Democratic Party of Austria : 8 seats
- Austrian Green Party : 2 seats
- Freedom Party of Austria : 2 seats
Main sights
Castles and palaces
- Schloss Esterházy and Schlosspark, the Esterházy castle and park.
- * Orangerie
- Gloriette, the former Esterházy hunting lodge.
Religious edifices
- Bergkirche, housing Haydn's tomb
- Eisenstadt Cathedral, late Gothic former military church, began in 1460
- Franziskanerkirche , built in 1629, it contains the crypt of the Esterházy family
- Jewish quarter
- * Jewish Community of Eisenstadt
- * A private synagogue Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum, formerly Samson Wertheimer's house
- *Jewish cemetery of Eisenstadt
Buildings
- Haydn-Mausoleum
- Rathaus
- Pulverturm
Museums
- Haydnmuseum, a museum dedicated to Joseph Haydn, who lived in the building between 1766 and 1778.
- Landesmuseum.
- Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum.
- Diözesanmuseum.
- Feuerwehrmuseum.
Gallery
Culture
Eisenstadt hosts a Haydn festival, the Haydnfestspiele.Twin towns — sister cities
Eisenstadt is twinned with:- Bad Kissingen, Bavaria, Germany
- Colmar, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France
- Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
- Sanuki, Japan
- Sopron, Hungary
Notable People
Natives
- Moritz Benedikt neurologist
- Isaiah Berlin rabbi
- Stefan Billes politician
- Friedrich Bridgetower composer, cellist, brother of George Bridgetower
- Akiva Eiger rabbi and champion of Orthodox Judaism
- Paul I, 1st Prince Esterházy of Galántha
- Prince Paul II Anton Esterházy soldier and patron of music
- Gyula Farkas linguist
- Andrea Fraunschiel mayor
- Josef Hyrtl anatomist
- Andreas Ivanschitz football player, lived in Baumgarten, about from Eisenstadt
- Josef Kirchknopf, politician
- Johann Luif, BG, Commander Provincial Military Headquarters Burgenland
- Maria Perschy actress
- Rudolf Simek Germanist and Philologian.
- Martin Vukovich diplomat
- Joseph Franz Weigl cellist
- Joseph Weigl composer and conductor
- Anton Pauschenwein football player
- Thomas Mandl football player
- Michael Mörz football player
- Johann Dihanich football player
Other residents
- Samuel Löw Brill, rabbi and Talmudical scholar; born in Budapest; attended yeshiva
- Meir Eisenstadt rabbi of the Siebengemeinden
- Joseph Haydn, musician, born in Rohrau
- Azriel Hildesheimer, German rabbi, founder of Torah im Derech Eretz; in 1851, he was called to the rabbinate of Eisenstadt
- Markus Horovitz, German rabbi and historian; born March 14, 1844, in Tiszaladány, Hungary, pursued his rabbinical studies at the yeshiva
- Johann Nepomuk Hummel, musician
- Paul Iby, a reformist Roman Catholic bishop
- Adam Liszt, musician, father of Franz Liszt
- Leopold Löw, born in Černá Hora, Moravia, studied at the yeshiva of Eisenstadt
- Mordecai Mokiach, "pseudo"-Messiah, born in Alsace
- Robert Musil, author
- Ignaz Pleyel, composer
- Emanuel Schreiber, rabbi
- Fritz Spiegl musician, journalist, broadcaster, humorist and collector
- Isaac Hirsch Weiss, talmudist and historian of literature; born at Velké Meziříčí, Moravia; studied at yeshiva
- Samson Wertheimer, rabbi
- Aaron Wise, rabbi, born in Eger, Hungary, studied at yeshiva; the father of Stephen Samuel Wise
As a surname
- Alfred Eisenstaedt
- Meir Eisenstadt
- Shmuel Eisenstadt Israeli sociologist
- Stuart E. Eizenstat
- Moses Asch