Greifenburg

Greifenburg
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Coat of arms of Greifenburg Coat of arms
Greifenburg Location within Austria
Coordinates:
Country	Austria
State	Carinthia
District	Spittal an der Drau
Government
• Mayor	Franz Mandl (FPK)
Area
• Total	79.27 km2 (30.61 sq mi)
Elevation	644 m (2,113 ft)
Population (1 January 2014)
• Total	1,779
• Density	22/km2 (58/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	9761
Area code	04712
Website	www.greifenburg.com

Greifenburg is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia.

Geography

It is situated in the Drau Valley between the Kreuzeck mountain range in the north, part of the Hohe Tauern, and the Gailtal Alps in the south. The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Bruggen and Kerschbaum.

History

The present-day settlement may have arisen from a mansio called Bilachium on the Roman road from Sanctium (Villach) along the Drava River up to Littamum (Innichen), at the southern branch-off to the Kreuzbergsattel Pass.

File:Greifenburg Schloss ueber Marktplatz 16012011 115.jpg

Greifenburg Castle

Greifenburg Castle was first mentioned in an 1166 deed; then located within the lands held by the Counts of Görz (Gorizia), it was acquired by the Carinthian duke Bernhard von Spanheim about 1230. Duke Bernhard maintained Greifenburg, defeating the united troops of Count Meinhard I of Görz and his father-in-law Count Albert IV of Tyrol with the support from his son Archbishop Philip of Salzburg in 1252. Vested with market rights in 1267, Greifenburg nevertheless fell to the House of Gorizia, when upon the extinction of the Sponheim dynasty the Habsburg king Rudolph I of Germany enfeoffed Count Meinhard's son, Meinhard II, with the Carinthian duchy in 1286. Duke Meinhard II died at Greifenburg Castle in 1295.

Carinthia passed to the Austrian House of Habsburg in 1335, and in 1460 Count John II of Görz officially relinquished Greifenburg in favour of Emperor Frederick III. In 1537 it was acquired by the Habsburg treasurer Count Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg, whose heirs held Greifenburg Castle until 1626.

Politics

Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2009 elections:

• Freedom Party in Carinthia (FPK): 7
• Austrian People's Party (ÖVP): 5
• Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ): 2
• BLG (Independent): 1

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Austria

Greifenburg is twinned with:

• Schiffweiler, Germany