Location: Burgenland Map
Eisenstadt is a capital city of Burgenland state in the Eastern Austria. You can travel to Vienna and then get to Eisenstadt that is located 50 km (31 miles) South. Its name in German means "Iron City" as a reference to iron mining and iron trade that was common here since the Medieval times. City of Eisenstadt situated on the banks of Wulka river was known since the 12th century, however archaeological evidence show that first human settlements were formed by Celtic tribes and later Roman legionnaires. Eisenstadt lies on a plain that descends to the Wulka River, south of the mountain range known as the Leithagebirge, about 12 km from the Hungarian border. During rule of the Habsburg Empire's Kingdom of Hungary, Kismarton (Eisenstadt) was the seat of the Hungarian noble family Eszterházy. Famous Hungarian composer Joseph Haydn lived there as Hofkapellmeister under Esterházy patronage.
Eisenstadt has a population of 14,241 inhabitants (2016). Eisenstadt lies on a plain that descends to the Wulka River, south of the mountain range known as the Leithagebirge, about 12 km from the Hungarian border.
The city of Eisenstadt was first mentioned in a
document in 1264. At that time, however, it was still called "Little
Martin" (hence the Hungarian name of the town, Kismárton), which
consisted of the "St. Martin" chapel and a few houses. The Kanizsai
family first laid the foundation stone for the city by building a
castle, which is known today as Esterházy Palace. In addition, the
city was enclosed by a wall. From then on it was considered
impregnable and iron, from which the name "Eisenstadt" was derived.
It is believed that Eisenstadt was a market town as early as the
13th century. In 1373 the manorial town charter was granted. Another
important year was 1622: Eisenstadt was given to Nikolaus Esterházy
as a pledge until it passed into his rightful possession a few years
later. The rule of the Esterházy family was to last for over 300
years.
After the First World War and the handover of
Burgenland to Austria in 1921, Eisenstadt was named the state
capital on April 30, 1925, by determining the seat of the state
government here.
Eisenstadt has four districts:
The
wine-growing town of Kleinhöflein was incorporated into the
municipality in 1970. It's west of the city.
Eisenstadt-Oberberg
is directly adjacent to Kleinhöflein. There you will find the
mountain church with the Calvary and the Haydn mausoleum.
The
Jewish quarter with the small streets characterizes
Eisenstadt-Unterberg. Today the Austrian Jewish Museum is located
there.
The district of St. Georgen am Leithagebirge is east of
the city and is known for its numerous taverns.
Schloss Esterhazy/
Esterhazy Palace
Esterházy Palace, Esterházyplatz 5. Tel.: +43 (0)
2682 63004-0, email: schloss-esterhazy@esterhazy.at. The Esterházy
Palace is a baroque building and the landmark of Eisenstadt and
represents the most important cultural monument in this region. The
history of the former moated castle begins in the Middle Ages when the
Kanizsai family settled in Eisenstadt in the 14th century. 3 centuries
later, Count Nikolaus Esterházy took over the rule of Eisenstadt. In
1647 the castle finally became his property. His son, the first Prince
Esterházy, Paul I finally converted the castle into a palace. In the
centuries that followed, the architectural style of the castle was
always adapted to the "fashion" of the respective ruler. The stables and
main guard building opposite the castle were built, and today's castle
park was transformed into an English garden. In this way, the palace
unites baroque splendor, neoclassical austerity and influences from the
Austrian Biedermeier period in an extraordinary way. Today the Esterházy
Private Foundation manages the palace. Cautious conversions and
expansions in the exhibition area and the office adaptation are carried
out again and again.
A diverse cultural and event program as well
as the special location give Esterházy Palace an outstanding position in
the 21st century: as the scene of fascinating history, the center of
lively culture and a place of international encounters. Since 2011, the
Esterházy Festival has also taken place every year as a series of
concerts, which ties in with the cultural work of the Esterházy princes
of past centuries. In addition, the premises can be rented for private
events (weddings), company events and concerts.
The Esterházy princes were also known for their love of music.
Concerts and performances at the Viennese court particularly inspired
Prince Paul I Esterházy, who composed and published the collection
"Harmonia Caelestis". He also had the musicians at his court taught by
experienced musicians from the imperial court. In 1761, Prince Paul II
Anton Esterházy placed the Burgenland composer Joseph Haydn in the
family's service as Vice Kapellmeister. Haydn expanded the court
orchestra into a well-known music ensemble and wrote numerous works. In
1766, Prince Nikolaus I appointed Joseph Esterházy Haydn as the first
Kapellmeister. The hall named after him is the showpiece of the castle
and one of the most beautiful and acoustically best concert halls in the
world.
The life of the royal family and the work of the composer
can be admired in the course of various events, in the form of concerts
and exhibitions.
With the "Bibliotheca Esterházyana", Count Nikolaus I laid the foundation for the extensive collection of the Esterházy family. In addition, countless gold and silversmith works as well as magnificent clocks came into his possession. His son, Prince Paul I Esterházy, was able to expand this collection due to his political and material prestige. His focus was on the art collection, in the course of which he created the ancestral gallery at Forchtenstein Castle. The collections and other treasures of the princely family can be viewed at Esterházy Palace as well as at Forchtenstein Castle.
castle park. The Eisenstadt Palace Park is one of the most popular
destinations in the area. The small paths meander through the complex
and invite you to discover one or the other monument or to linger at one
of the numerous small ponds
When Count Nikolaus I Esterházy took
over the castle, today's castle park was a small castle garden. For his
part, the Count already made some changes, with the conversion of the
moated castle into a palace, the park became more and more magnificent.
In the 18th century, Prince Paul II Anton had a French rococo garden
laid out, while at the turn of the 18th and 19th Century Prince Nicholas
II commissioned the architect Charles de Moreau to design an English
landscape garden. Only Prince Nicholas IV carried out a revitalization
of the garden. The castle park was expanded by more than half of its
size. The English details can still be found in the castle park today.
These include the Leopoldine Temple and the Gloriette.
Haydn Haus/ Haydn house
One of the most important cultural monuments in Burgenland is the
beautifully restored, baroque Haydn House in Eisenstadt. Joseph Haydn
acquired it in 1776 as princely conductor at the Esterházy court and
lived there for 12 years. Here, even after more than 2 centuries, the
spirit of the great composer can be felt. Apart from rooms with original
furnishings, the museum presents precious rarities such as the
fortepiano from 1780 or the organ table from the mountain church. Prints
of his most famous works such as B. the oratorio "The Creation" as well
as illustrations and busts make it possible to experience Joseph Haydn
and his music up close. Annual special exhibitions focusing on the life
and work of Joseph Haydn and other composers complement the permanent
exhibition.
The Haydn House is located in the vicinity of where
the composer worked, Esterházy Palace, and is now a museum:
Haydn
House, Josef-Haydn-Gasse 12. Tel.: +43 2682 719 6000, fax: +43 2682 719
6051, e-mail: office@haydnhaus.at. Open: Tue-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun+Fri
10am-5pm; Closed Monday March to May, June to November 9am to 5pm.
Closed from around mid-November to the end of March (winter break).
Price: Admission 4.50 euros; reduced 4 euros; Group and family rates
available.
Eisenstadt Cathedral.
The Cathedral of St. Martin is based on a chapel from 1264 in the
Romanesque style. Elements from this previous building can still be
found today. The chapel was enlarged in the 13th and 14th centuries.
When Constantinople fell in 1453, a Turkish attack was feared. A new
church was built on the old foundations between 1460 and 1522 as a late
Gothic fortified church, but it burned down again in 1589. The church
was rebuilt 30 years later. The interior has been completely revised
several times, most recently in 2003. In 1960 the diocese of Eisenstadt
and thus the church of St. Martin were made a cathedral. The cathedral
is particularly well-known for its organ, which originally dates from
1778. The organ builder Johann Gottfried Malleck built this instrument
according to the instructions of Joseph Haydn, which still impresses
with its sound aesthetics. Of course, concerts are held in the cathedral
as part of the Haydn Days.
Bergkirche.
The mountain church dates from 1715 and houses the Joseph Haydn
mausoleum and the so-called Calvary. Originally there was a hill here,
which was built over it in 1701 with a spiral Way of the Cross. This
building contained, among other things, 10 chapels, 18 altars, a large
number of niches, stairs, grottos and corridors made of tuff and even a
"Holy Staircase", which is a Passion story told with stone and wood
sculptures. 200 larger-than-life baroque figures could be seen here in
33 stations. This "Calvary" attracted so many pilgrims as a place of
pilgrimage that the building of the church became necessary. However,
the integration of the many sculptures into the church required cutbacks
due to a lack of space. And so some stations were completely canceled or
the former "Holy Grave" became the 20th station. In the 1990s the
Klavarienberg was extensively restored. But whoever talks about the
Bergkirche today usually does so in the same breath as Joseph-Haydn. His
life is linked to the Bergkirche in several ways, so it is not
surprising that people often speak of the Haydnkirche. From 1766 he
first lived in the house next door to the church before moving to the
Haydn House. 11 years after his death, the Esterházy family decided to
transfer the body from Vienna to Eisenstadt and to bury it in the crypt
of the mountain church. At that time it was noticed that the head was
missing. Without further ado, this was replaced by a false head. In 1932
the mausoleum was built in the north tower, in which the corpse was
reburied. However, without a head. This followed the body into the
mausoleum only in 1954 after all sorts of wrong turns.
The Martin
Kaserne or the former KuK Kadettenanstalt is just a few steps away from
the state government. In the mid-19th century, an extreme need for
additional leaders in the Austrian army was identified. In the course of
this, the planning of some new educational institutions began. One of
them was built here in Eisenstadt in 1858. The building was built in the
style of romantic historicism and is based on the design of the Vienna
arsenal. At the end of the 20th century the building was completely
restored.
The Bishop's Court is located at the back of the Eisenstadt
Cathedral. The building was rebuilt in 1951 and, in addition to the
administration of the diocese and the parish, also contains guest rooms
and a small chapel. The building was completely renovated and restored
in 2011 for EUR 2.4 million.
Jewish quarter with small, narrow
streets - a few steps west of the castle ("Eisenstadt-Oberberg"). In the
Jewish Quarter are the Burgenland State Museum and the Austrian
Jewish Museum. The so-called
private synagogue is particularly worth seeing in the Jewish Museum.
Like the rest of the house, it was built for and by the chief rabbi of
Hungary, Samson Wertheimer. However, it was financed out of gratitude by
the House of Esterházy for the numerous services he had rendered to the
house.
The building of the Burgenland provincial government is a
massive 1930s building located on Europaplatz. Originally, after the
annexation of Burgenland to Austria, the provincial government was
temporarily to be found in the Martin barracks. In 1930, however, the
country house could be occupied in its current form. In the meeting room
there was a mural depicting the greeting of the returning Burgenland.
This work of art by the painter Ferdinand Kitt was destroyed in 1945. In
1973 an extension was added for the Burgenland Provincial Archive.
The ORF regional studio in Burgenland (modern architecture from the
1970s) is located at the foot of the Leitha Mountains. The visit can be
combined with a forest walk. Like all other ORF state studios, the
building was designed by the architect Gustav Peichl, with technical
aesthetics in the foreground. The spiral structure is based on the
Maison de la Radio in Paris.
City Hall - The original building was
constructed around 1560 in the early Renaissance style. Despite a major
renovation in 1648, some elements of the original structure can still be
seen. In addition to the floor plan and the diamond ashlar of the
portal, the wall paintings are particularly noteworthy. Virtues such as
faithfulness, hope, charity, justice, wisdom, strength and temperance
are represented here in the form of women. These were only rediscovered
in 1926 and extensively restored in 1949. Inside, the wedding hall is
also worth mentioning. This has a magnificent 17th-century Renaissance
ceiling.
Plague Column - When the plague raged in Eisenstadt in 1713,
the people of Eisenstadt erected this column to free the city from the
plague. The column is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, depicted on the top
of the column, and to the Holy Virgin Mary. The figures at the base of
the column show various saints, e.g. B. Saint Roch, Sebastian, Cajetan,
John of Nepomuk and Saint Rosalia. The coat of arms of the city can also
be seen on the base.
Franciscan Church
- Originally a Minorite monastery with the Church of St. John the
Evangelist stood here. However, the monastery was destroyed during the
Turkish siege in 1529. Only in 1625, under Count Nikolaus Esterházy, a
monastery and a church of the Franciscan order were built again. But as
early as 1683, during the second Turkish siege, the buildings were
burned down. It took almost a hundred years for the buildings to be
restored and the new west tower of the church was completed in 1778. In
1705, the Esterházy family crypt was embedded in the complex, which was
expanded again in 1857. Several renovations followed in the years that
followed. Inside the church, in addition to a few Renaissance altars by
Italian masters and a Haydn organ, a rococo pulpit is particularly worth
seeing. This dates from 1752 and shows St. Francis preaching to fish and
birds. The Esterházy family crypt, designed as a neo-Gothic three-aisled
pillared hall, is located in the eastern wing.
Parish Church of St.
Georgen - This church dates from the High Middle Ages. The church was
first mentioned in writing in 1437. However, an earlier construction
date is generally assumed. The murals "The Last Judgment" and the
"Coronation of Mary" from 1623 are particularly worth seeing.
Kleinhöflein Parish Church - The church from 1462 has Gothic and
Romanesque stylistic elements. The church is particularly well-known for
the fact that the so-called older Haydn organ stood here from 1797 to
1942. It has been in the auditorium of the Burgenland State Museum since
1976.
In 1647, the city of Eisenstadt came under the rule of the princely
house of Esterhazy, which had a great influence on the city and led to
positive changes. In 1648, by order of Emperor Ferdinand III, Eisenstadt
became a free city, paying a ransom fee of 16,000 guilders and 3,000
barrels of wine. In 1670 Paul I allowed 3000 Jews to settle in
Eisenstadt and six nearby settlements, who were expelled from Vienna.
The city's rabbi was Samson Wertimer, who himself was buried in the old
Jewish cemetery.
There was a need for a cemetery. This is how the
old Jewish cemetery appeared in the 17th century near the Jewish
quarter. The old cemetery functioned from 1679 to 1875 and contained
about 1,140 gravestones with only Hebrew inscriptions. Due to the
limited space, a new one was created next to the old cemetery. The new
cemetery has been in operation since 1875.
During the Nazi
occupation, both cemeteries were partially destroyed, and tombstones
were used to erect a fence throughout the city. After 1945, the
cemeteries were repaired and the monuments were put in place. In 1992,
an act of vandalism took place at the new cemetery: about 80 gravestones
were desecrated with Nazi symbols.
The Eisenstadt cemetery
differs from other ancient Jewish cemeteries in the absence of
vegetation. However, it bears great similarity in form and appearance to
the Vienna Cemetery. This is because the first settlers were Viennese
emigrants. Earlier, the entrance to the old cemetery was made through a
beautiful semicircular metal gate, however, now they have not survived.
Both cemeteries are open to the public.
The Martin Kaserne or
the former KuK Kadettenanstalt is a few steps away from the state
government. In the middle of the 19th century, there was an extreme need
for additional leaders in the Austrian army. In the course of this began
planning some new educational institutions. One of them was built here
in Eisenstadt in 1858. The building was built in the style of romantic
historicism and its design is based on the Viennese arsenal. The
building was completely restored at the end of the 20th century.
The bishop's court is on the back of the Eisenstadt cathedral. The
building was rebuilt in 1951 and contains, in addition to the
administration of the diocese and the parish, guest rooms and a small
chapel. The building was completely refurbished and restored in 2011 for
EUR 2.4 million.
The Burgenland Provincial Government building is
a massive 1930s building located on Europaplatz. Originally, after the
annexation of Burgenland to Austria, the provincial government was
initially to be found provisionally in the Martin barracks. In 1930,
however, the country house could be moved into in its current form. In
the conference room there was a mural depicting the greeting of the
returned Burgenland. This work of art by the painter Ferdinand Kitt was
destroyed in 1945. In 1973 an extension was added for the Burgenland
State Archives.
The ORF regional studio Burgenland (modern
architecture from the 1970s) is located at the foot of the
Leithagebirge. The visit can be combined with a walk in the forest. Like
all other ORF regional studios, the building was designed by the
architect Gustav Peichl, with a focus on technical aesthetics. The
spiral structure is based on the Maison de la Radio in Paris.
Town Hall - The original building was erected around 1560 in the style
of the early Renaissance. Despite a considerable renovation in 1648,
some elements of the original structure can still be seen. In addition
to the floor plan and the diamond cuboid of the portal, the wall
paintings are particularly worth mentioning here. In the form of women,
among other things Virtues such as loyalty, hope, charity, justice,
wisdom, strength, and temperance are depicted. These were only
rediscovered in 1926 and extensively restored in 1949. Inside the
wedding hall is also noteworthy. This has a splendid Renaissance ceiling
from the 17th century.
Plague column - When the plague raged in
Eisenstadt in 1713, the people of Eisenstadt built this column to free
the city from the plague. The column is consecrated to the Holy Trinity,
which is depicted on top of the column, and to the Holy Virgin Mary. The
figures on the base of the column show various saints, e.g. St. Rochus,
Sebastian, Kajetan, Johannes von Nepomuk and St. Rosalia. The city coat
of arms can also be seen on the base.
Parish Church of St.
Georgen - This church dates from the High Middle Ages. The church was
first mentioned in writing in 1437. However, it is generally assumed
that the building date was older. The murals "The Last Judgment" and the
"Coronation of Mary" from 1623 are particularly worth seeing.
Kleinhöflein parish church - The church from 1462 has Gothic and
Romanesque stylistic elements. The church is especially known for the
fact that the so-called older Haydn organ stood here from 1797 to 1942.
It has been in the auditorium of the Burgenland State Museum since 1976.
The pedestrian zone in the heart of Eisenstadt invites you to stroll
and stroll. Besides fashion chains (H&M, s.oliver) there are also many
local unique boutiques. The fact that Austria is known for its
long-standing coffee house culture is also evident in Eisenstadt:
bakeries and small cafés create a taste for coffee and cake. A large
market is held once a week.
Outside the pedestrian zone, on the
outskirts of Eisenstadt, you will find two retail parks with various
shops. Sports shops offer their products as well as drugstores and
grocery stores, fashion shops and furniture stores.
1 FMZ Haidäcker
Park, Haidäcker Park, 7000 Eisenstadt. Open: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:30, Sat
09:00-18:00.
2 FMZ Rusterstrasse, Rusterstrasse, 7000 Eisenstadt.
Open: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:30, Sat 09:00-18:00.
There is also a
shopping center, the EZE, which hosts a farmer's market on Wednesdays.
3 EZE, Ruster Strasse 82-104, 7000 Eisenstadt. Tel.: (0)2682 65512,
fax: (0)2682 61426, e-mail:
office@eze-eisenstadt.at
Shopping
By plane
The nearest international airport is
Vienna-Schwechat Airport (IATA Code: VIE), it is located approx. 45
km northeast of Eisenstadt. Reachable by car via A3-S1-A4, with
public transport preferably with a regional bus to Vienna
(Südtiroler Platz / Hauptbahnhof), then with an ICE or Railjet
directly to the airport.
Public transport
From Vienna
first via the A 2 (southern motorway), from the Guntramsdorf
junction via the A 3 (south-eastern motorway). Exit Müllendorf,
continue on the B51.
From Graz first on the A 2 to the Wiener
Neustadt junction, there on the S 4 towards Hungary / Eisenstadt,
then exit S4 towards Hungary. Shortly before Mattersburg change to
the S 31 towards Wien / Eisenstadt. The best way to get to the
center is to take the Eisenstadt Mitte exit.
From Budapest on the
M1 to the border, then on the A4 to the Neusiedl exit, then on the
B50.
From Bratislava: A6 to the Bruckneudorf junction, then take
the A4 towards Budapest and exit at Neusiedl, continue on the B50.
The journey from Balaton and Sopron leads via the Hungarian trunk
road 84 to the former border crossing in Klingenbach. You can either
drive the A3-S31, or from Siegendorf through Drassburg on state
roads.
By train
Eisenstadt can only be reached by rail
using regional trains. From Vienna (Meidling) you take a regional
train of the ROeEE to Sopron or Deutschkreutz and change in
Wulkaprodersdorf.
Getting there is faster and easier with one
of the numerous regional buses (every 30 minutes during the day)
from Vienna (Südtiroler Platz).
In the
center of the city there is a large bus station (Domplatz). The
surrounding places are visited several times an hour, Vienna,
Central Burgenland and Southern Burgenland several times a day or
hourly.
There is also a train station from which Neusiedl am
See and Sopron can be reached every hour within half an hour.
Wulkaprodersdorf and Mattersburg are stations where the trains stop
several times an hour.
A taxi ride within the city costs €
5.00. It is possible to get a guest card at the town hall, with
which the cost of a taxi ride in the city area is limited to € 2.00.
The districts of St. Georgen am Leithagebirge and Kleinhöflein are
not included. The costs for the nearest locations are between €
10.00 and € 15.00.
Bicycles can be borrowed from nextbike at
Esterházy Palace, the train station, the Eisenstadt technology
center and on Krautgartenweg. The current status can be called up at
any time on the Internet.
If you are driving your car in the city center, the marked
short-term parking zones must be observed. The parking fee is
payable on weekdays from Mon-Fri 8 am-4pm and Sat 8 am-12pm (€ 0.60
/ 30 minutes). However, in some shops in the pedestrian zone it is
possible to get the parking fee refunded.
1 Café Restaurant Gloriette, Glorietteallee 51. Tel.: +43 (0)2682 62
985, +43 (0)664 47 47 650 (mobile 1), +43 (0)664 88 51 54 00 (mobile 2),
e-mail: gloriette@stainer.net.
2 Restaurant Henrici, Restaurant at
Esterházyplatz 5. Tel.: +43 (0)2682 62819. - opposite Esterházy Palace,
a toque.
3 Hotel Restaurant Ohr, Rusterstraße 51. Tel.: +43 2682 624
60, fax: +43 (0) 2682 624 60-9, e-mail: info@hotelohr.at. -
Rusterstrasse, a hood,
4 Haydnbräu, Pfarrgasse 22. Tel.: +43 (0)2682
63945, fax: +43 (0)2682 63945-13, e-mail: office@haydnbraeu.at. -
Pfarrgasse, traditional cuisine.
5 Café Ebinger, Glorietteallee 1.
Tel.: +43 (0) 2682 64 314, email: mail@cafe-ebinger.at. - upscale
experimental cuisine.
6 Bakery-Confectionery-Café Altdorfer,
Hauptstrasse 10. Tel.: +43 2682 62 356, e-mail: office@altdorfer.at.at.
- Snacks, baked goods of all kinds, cakes and pastries, small lunch
dishes, Haydn rolls; Eisenstadt's oldest company.
East of the city,
in the village of St. Georgen, which belongs to the municipality of
Eisenstadt, there are numerous good and inexpensive wine taverns and
wine taverns that offer their own wine and Burgenland home cooking
(hearty).
1 Tanzbar James D., Mattersburgerstraße 26. Tel.: +43 2682 642490.
Open: Fri-Sun 22:00-06:00. Price: Admission € 6.00.
2 Mangoo-Mexican
Restaurant & Bar, Domplatz 4. Tel.: (0)800 400 171 660 (free of charge
throughout Austria), e-mail: mangoo@bnet.at. Open: Tue-Sat 10:00-04:00,
Mexican cuisine and restaurant 11-30-14:00 and 17:00-23:00.
3 Cebu
Cocktailbar, St. Rochusstraße 48. Tel.: +43 (0)664 5747424. Open: Mon
17:00-02:00, Thu-Sun 17:00-02:00.
Hotels
4 stars
1 Hotel Ohr, Ruster Strasse 51, 7000 Eisenstadt.
Phone: +43 2682 62460.
2 Hotel Burgenland, Franz Schubert-Platz 1,
7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 696 0.
3 stars
3 Hotel
Vicedom, Vicedom 5, 7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 64222.
4 Haydn
Hotel, Kalvarienbergplatz 1, 7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 62751.
5 Parkhotel Eisenstadt, Joseph Haydn-Gasse 38, 7000 Eisenstadt. Phone:
+43 2682 75325.
2 stars
6 "The sporty house", Hotterweg 67,
7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 62326 12.
Inns
7 Gasthof
Wimmer, Brunnengasse 1, 7000 Eisenstadt-St.Georgen. Phone: +43 2682
62429.
8 Gasthof Kutsenits, Mattersburger Strasse 30, 7000
Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 63511.
Holiday home/apartment
9
Haus Höfer, St. Georgener Hauptstrasse 46, 7000 Eisenstadt-St. George.
Phone: +43 2682 68738.
10 Apartment Maria, St. Georgener Hauptstrasse
3, 7000 Eisenstadt-St. George. Phone: +43 2682 68722.
11 Apartment
Weinberg, Schulgasse 5, 7000 Eisenstadt-St. George. Phone: +43 2682
61820.
12 Apartment Eisenstadt, Rusterstrasse 6, 7000 Eisenstadt.
Phone: +43 664 3223933.
Private room
13 Guesthouse Filbert, Am
Graben 52, 7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 2682 68941.
14 Wein-Haus
Eva-Maria Wagner, Wiener Strasse 10-12, 7000 Eisenstadt. Phone: +43 676
3175590.
15 Tinhof Winery, St. Georgener Hauptstrasse 10, 7000
Eisenstadt-St.Georgen. Phone: +43 2682 68609.
Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy, Johannes von Gott-Platz 1. Tel.:
+43 (0)2682-601 0.
KRAGES Burgenland Hospitals, Josef Hyrtl-Platz 4.
Tel.: +43 5797 3060.
Eisenstadt Tourism, Glorietteallee 1. Tel.: +43(0)2682 673 90.
Eisenstadt is located at the southern foot of the Leithagebirge on a
terrace gradually sloping down to the Wulka plain at an altitude of 182
m (meteorological station 230 m). The east-west course of the terrace
was originally followed by the expansion of the city from
Oberberg-Eisenstadt in the west to the barracks in the east. Only later
did it begin to spread south towards the Wulka plain and in recent
decades also north up the slopes of the Leitha Mountains, where the
vineyards gradually had to give way to new settlements.
Grapes,
apricots, peaches and almonds ripen on the climatically favorable
slopes, protected by the ridge of the Leithagebirge, which towers over
400 m and is covered by dense deciduous forests. As far as the eye can
see, everything is planted with vines, which also surround the city on
all sides.
The highest point in the city area, in the north-west,
is in the Leitha Mountains at an altitude of 450 m and is called "Beim
Juden".
The neighboring municipalities are (clockwise) Stotzing,
Oslip, Trausdorf/Wulka, Siegendorf, Wulkaprodersdorf, Großhöflein and
Hornstein.
The municipal area includes the
following three localities (number of inhabitants in brackets as of
January 1, 2022):
Eisenstadt (9537)
Kleinhöflein in Burgenland
(3171)
Sankt Georgen am Leithagebirge (2532)
The community
consists of the cadastral communities of Eisenstadt, Kleinhöflein in
Burgenland, Oberberg-Eisenstadt, St. Georgen and Unterberg-Eisenstadt.
The winegrowing village of Kleinhöflein, west of Eisenstadt, was part of the Eisenstadt lordship in the Middle Ages, came into the possession of the Esterházy family in the 17th century and was incorporated on January 1, 1971, as was the community of Sankt Georgen am Leithagebirge.
The Wulka flows through the
southern part of the city and finally flows into Lake Neusiedl.
Furthermore, the Eisbach is a tributary of the Wulka, which flows
through the city area and flows into it between Oslip and Schützen am
gebirge.
The Schloss-See and the Maschinenteich are located in
Eisenstadt Castle Park.
The long-term mean annual temperature (determined in the years 1961 to 1990) is 9.4 °C. The average for 2007 was 11.8 °C. The average annual precipitation (between 1961 and 1991) is 589 mm. Current values can be found on the ZAMG website for weather values in Burgenland.
Before the birth of Christ, the area was part of the Celtic kingdom
of Noricum and belonged to the area surrounding the Celtic hilltop
settlement of Burg on the Schwarzenbacher Burgberg.
Later under
the Romans, today's Eisenstadt was in the province of Pannonia.
Finds show that the Eisenstadt area was already inhabited in the
Hallstatt period. Celts and Romans settled a little later. At the time
of the migration of peoples, various Germanic peoples and the Huns
settled in the Eisenstadt area. Around 800, at the time of Charlemagne,
the settlement by the Bavarians began. Eisenstadt appeared in 1118 for
the first time as "castrum ferrum". The first written mention was in
1264 as "minor Mortin" (corresponding to Hungarian "Kismarton"). The
Eisenstadt area was one of the westernmost parts of the Kingdom of
Hungary.
In 1373 the city came into the possession of the
Hungarian noble family Kanizsai. The family had the walls fortified and
built a moated castle within the walls. The name "Eysenstat" (strong,
iron, hence Eisenstadt) comes from this period. In 1388 Eisenstadt
received market rights. West Hungary, which was populated by Germans,
was pledged to the House of Habsburg: in 1445 Duke Albrecht VI. the
city; for the next 150 years, Eisenstadt remained under Austrian
administration (as if it were part of what later became Lower Austria),
acting from Vienna. During the Turkish War, the Turks conquered
Eisenstadt in 1529 and 1532 while advancing on Vienna.
The
Hungarian nobility demanded that the Habsburgs, who in the meantime also
functioned hereditarily as kings of Hungary, fully reintegrate western
Hungary into Hungary and end direct Austrian administration. In order to
take the Hungarian noble family Esterházy for the House of Habsburg,
they were in 1648 by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III. In his
function as King of Hungary, he was enfeoffed with the Eisenstadt
region, among other things, and raised to the rank of imperial prince in
1687 by his successor Leopold I. The princely family permanently changed
the image of the city through lively building activity.
At the
same time, on October 26, 1648, Eisenstadt (in its former extent within
the city walls) was raised by the emperor to the status of a royal free
city at the urgent request of the citizenry, which was subject to no one
but the king, and paid 16,000 guilders and 3,000 buckets of wine worth
9,000 guilders for this. Outside the city walls, in an area administered
by him, Paul I. Esterházy de Galantha settled in 1670 immediately next
to what was then Eisenstadt and in six surrounding towns, the so-called
Siebengemeinden, around 3,000 Jews who had previously been expelled from
Vienna. Samson Wertheimer (1658–1742), who worked as a court factor in
Vienna, worked as a rabbi in Eisenstadt.
The Esterházy family
soon developed into one of the richest noble families in Central Europe
and had numerous castles to choose from. She chose Eisenstadt as her
princely headquarters, converted the former fortified castle into a
representative palace and maintained a very elaborate, impressive court,
which even led to visits from Empress Maria Theresia. With the
appointment of Joseph Haydn as the princely court music director in the
1760s, a 30-year heyday of artistic life began here. In 1809, during the
Napoleonic Wars, Eisenstadt was occupied by French troops.
From
1865 to 1898, the House of Esterházy had to do without the usual large
expenses for representation, since they had overreached themselves
financially and had only escaped bankruptcy with imperial help. It
became quiet in Eisenstadt. The western Hungarian city was culturally
aligned with Vienna and tried to evade the Magyarization pursued by
Budapest in the last decades of the 19th century. In 1897 Eisenstadt was
connected to the Hungarian railway network.
After the First World
War and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, a three-year struggle took
place over the future citizenship of "German-West Hungary" and thus of
Eisenstadt. Through the peace treaties of St. Germain in 1919 with
Austria and of Trianon in 1920 with Hungary, the area became part of
Austria in 1921 as Burgenland (the new name). Ödenburg (Hungarian:
Sopron), originally intended to be the state capital, was added to
Hungary as a result of a referendum. On October 19, 1925, instead of
Ödenburg, Eisenstadt became the seat of the Burgenland state government
and thus the de facto state capital. However, it was not mentioned as
such in the Burgenland constitution at the time.
A Roman Catholic
apostolic administration was set up in Eisenstadt so that the
Burgenlanders would no longer be subordinate to a Hungarian bishop. The
surrounding communities were attached to the Freistadt Eisenstadt: 1923
Eisenstadt-Schlossgrund, 1938 Unterberg-Eisenstadt, 1939
Oberberg-Eisenstadt, 1970 Kleinhöflein and St. Georgen.
In July
1932, on the occasion of Haydn's 200th birthday, the Haydn Foundation
organized a large Haydn celebration in Eisenstadt in cooperation with
the then “Mittelstelle Deutscher Jugend in Europa” (Central Office for
German Youth in Europe) with a clearly nationalistic, Greater German
character. From all German-speaking settlement areas in Central Europe,
young people brought earth from their homeland (e.g. Heligoland),
important historical sites (e.g. from the Wartburg near Eisenach), from
graves of historically important Germans (e.g. from the imperial tombs
of Speyer Cathedral and the grave of Martin Luther), from memorials
(e.g. from Friedrich Schiller's birthplace in Marbach am Neckar),
battlefields (e.g. from the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and
from Langemarck-F friedhof) and from workplaces (e.g. Warndt area in
Saarland) to Eisenstadt as a commitment to national Germanness. The
Haydnmal in the form of a large cube urn bore the inscription "Youth
came from all Marche and brought earth to their homeland, to honor
Joseph Haydn, the singer of the German song, as pledge to the eternal
empire of the Germans."
Burgenland was dissolved during the Nazi
era; its northern part with Eisenstadt was added to the Reichsgau
Niederdonau and a security apparatus with a criminal police control
center, a Gestapo branch office with a prison and an office of the SS
security service (SD) was installed. On December 11, 1938, Heinrich
Himmler visited the SS troops in Eisenstadt that had been built up
during the illegal period of 1935. The Jewish Eisenstadt residents were
expelled or murdered. During World War II, Eisenstadt was bombed once,
resulting in 40 casualties. In 1945 the Red Army took Eisenstadt and the
city remained under Soviet occupation until 1955. In 1956 Eisenstadt
became the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Superintendency of
Burgenland and in 1960 the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Eisenstadt.
It was not until 1965 that Eisenstadt anchored the
status of the state capital in the city constitution. It was only in the
state constitution in 1981.
After the annexation of Burgenland to Austria, the ethnic-linguistic
structure of the population changed significantly. In 1910 the Magyar
population was still around 27%; In 1934, however, the proportion of the
Hungarian-speaking population was around 5%. This change is due on the
one hand to the retreat of many Magyar civil servants, military
personnel, etc. to Hungary, and on the other hand to the
language-national self-definition of the inhabitants.
In the last
census, Eisenstadt (without districts) had a proportion of 2.7% and 4.0%
Hungarian and Croatian-speaking population (resident population with
Austrian citizenship). The latter is mainly due to the influx from the
surrounding Croatian and mixed-language communities in recent decades.
The denominational composition of the population also changed: the
number of Protestants rose from 52 in 1890 to 493 in 1961. The number of
Jews was 906 in 1836 and then fell continuously until 1923 to 445
people. The emigration went mainly in the direction of Vienna. Of the
more than 400 Jews in Eisenstadt, around 250 survived the Shoah. Only
two Eisenstadt Jews returned after 1945.
As of January 1, 2023,
the continuously growing state capital had 15,752 inhabitants.
EV Eisenstadt Raptors
SC Eisenstadt from 1907 to 2008.
UFC St.
Georgen/Eisenstadt: The home ground is in the Eisenstadt district of St.
Georgen am Leithagebirge. The UFC is currently champions in the second
league north and has been promoted to the Burgenland state league for
the 2013/14 season.
Eisenstadt FC: home ground in Müllendorf.
(2007-2008)
ASVÖ Burgenland
Burgenland Eisenstadt running team:
Eisenstadt athletics arena
In addition to the athletics arena in
Eisenstadt, there is also an indoor swimming pool and an artificial ice
rink.
UBC Warriors: home ground Allsportzentrum Eisenstadt, 2nd
division (National Champion 2023)
There are more jobs in the state capital than employees live in Eisenstadt.
The following graph shows a comparison of the Austrian provincial
capitals in seven environmentally relevant areas, which was carried out
by the environmental organization Greenpeace in 2020 (the more points
the better):
Choice of means of transport: Number of journeys in
passenger transport that are made in an environmentally friendly manner
on foot, by bike or with public transport.
Air quality: exposure to
nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.
Bicycle traffic: length of
the cycle network, number of city bike stations, number of traffic
accidents.
Public transport: price, temporal and spatial coverage.
Parking space: price for parking, proportion of short-term parking
zones.
Pedestrians: areas of pedestrian zones and restricted traffic
zones, number of traffic accidents.
Car alternatives: number of
electric cars, number of electric charging stations, number of
car-sharing cars.
Average: Sum of the seven individual scores divided
by seven.
Graphics are currently disabled due to a security issue.
The Burgenland expressway S 31 connects Eisenstadt with the south-eastern autobahn A 3 (flows into the south autobahn A 2 near Guntramsdorf in the direction of Vienna) and the Mattersburg expressway S 4 (runs through the district of Mattersburg in the direction of Wiener Neustadt and then also flows into the south autobahn A 2). Eisenstadt can be reached via the B 50 Burgenland Strasse, the B 52 Ruster Strasse and the B 59 Eisenstädter Strasse.
Eisenstadt is connected to the Ostbahn via the Pannoniabahn and can
therefore be reached continuously from Vienna with Regional Express
trains. In Wulkaprodersdorf there is a connection for every train coming
from Eisenstadt either to Deutschkreutz/Sopron or to Vienna Meidling.
The Domplatz in Eisenstadt is a hub for regional bus services. From
here buses run to the neighboring towns as well as to the districts of
Mattersburg, Neusiedl, Baden(Lower Austria), Bruck an der Leitha(Lower
Austria) and Wiener Neustadt Land(Lower Austria) as well as to Vienna.
Domplatz and the train station are frequented by regular ÖBB post buses
and regional bus lines from Südburg, all of which belong to the
Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR).
Since December 2016 there have
been three city bus routes in Eisenstadt: Georg (line 1), Vitus (line 2)
and Martin (line 3). In December 2018, the Fanny line (line 4) was put
into operation. Lines 1, 2 and 3 run every half hour, line 4 every hour.
None of the lines run on Sundays. They connect the historic centres, the
settlement areas on the Leithagebirgshang, the residential areas to the
south and the shopping centers and commercial areas to the south with
the two main transfer points at the train station and at the bus
station/Cathedral Square.
As of May 15, 2001, the 1,089 companies in Eisenstadt employed 13,581
people. Eight of these companies each employed more than 200 people.
2006: Due to the expiry of EU subsidies, many companies move away from
Eisenstadt to Vienna or Hungary.
Important companies with
headquarters in Eisenstadt include ISOSPORT Verbundteile GmbH and ETM
professional control GmbH.
Eisenstadt is the capital of the federal state of Burgenland and, in
addition to the seat of the state government, is also home to the seat
of the Burgenland state parliament, the state's highest administrative
institutions and courts of justice.
The Burgenland State Police
Headquarters, which is also responsible for the nearby Free Town of
Rust, acts as the security authority for the city. As a department of
the guard body, the Eisenstadt city police command is subordinate to it.
The training center of the security executive for the federal state of
Burgenland is also located in Eisenstadt.
Caritas Burgenland
operates the care center Haus St. Martin with 75 residential units and
18 care places. The Seniorenpension Eisenstadt with 54 single and 2
double rooms is managed by the Burgenland relief organization.
BG/BRG/BORG Eisenstadt
Federal Commercial Academy and Federal
Commercial School Eisenstadt
Training Center of the Security
Executive (BZS) Eisenstadt of the Security Academy
University of
Applied Sciences Burgenland
Gymnasium of the Diocese of Eisenstadt
Wolfgarten
HTBLA Eisenstadt
University of Education Burgenland
Theresianum Eisenstadt
Joseph Haydn Conservatory
Central Music
School in Eisenstadt
Due to the number of inhabitants, the municipal council has a total of 29 seats.
Since November 2011, the mayor has been Thomas Steiner (ÖVP), member
of the Burgenland state parliament, who succeeded Andrea Fraunschiel.
The first deputy mayor is Istvan Deli (ÖVP). The second vice mayor from
2009 to 2019 was the member of the Burgenland state parliament Günter
Kovacs (SPÖ). In February 2019, Lisa Vogl (SPÖ) succeeded him as second
vice mayor. After their withdrawal, Otto Kropf (SPÖ) has held the office
of second vice mayor since 2021. In the 2022 election, Thomas Steiner
was confirmed as mayor with 61.64 percent of the votes in the first
ballot.
The following were appointed district leaders: Istvan
Deli (Eisenstadt district), Heidi Hahnekamp (St. Georgen) and Josef
Weidinger (Kleinhöflein).
In addition to the mayor Thomas Steiner, the deputy mayor Istvan Deli and the deputy mayor Charlotte Toth-Kanyakl, the city council includes the municipal councilors Michael Freimuth (ÖVP), Stefan Lichtscheidl (ÖVP), Birgit Tallian (ÖVP) and Beatrix Wagner (SPÖ).
In 2021, the city plans total income of 42,256,600 euros and total
expenses of 42,255,800 euros.
The 2021 budget consisted of total
assets of EUR 161,938,554 and net assets of EUR 101,737,723.
One of the city's best-known personalities is the composer Joseph
Haydn (1732-1809), who worked here as court conductor. The Esterházy
family, which has honorary citizenship as a family, has had a connection
to the city for several centuries. Several well-known politicians,
artists, scientists and athletes were born in Eisenstadt, including the
anatomist Josef Hyrtl (1810-1894), the Austrian Minister of Agriculture
Nikolaus Berlakovich (* 1961), the director Barbara Eder (* 1976), the
singer-songwriter "Die Mayerin" (* 1984) and the soccer players Andreas
Ivanschitz (* 1983) and Philipp Hosiner (* 1989).
Eisenstadt was
also the place of activity of historically significant personalities of
religious, especially Jewish life. For example, Esriel Hildesheimer
(1820–1899), the co-founder of modern orthodoxy in Judaism, worked as a
rabbi in Eisenstadt for 18 years. The Israeli politician and Rabbi
Mosche Se'ev Feldman (1930-1997) was born in Eisenstadt. The rabbis
Jesaja Berlin (1725-1799), Akiba Eger (1761-1837) and Samuel
Yaffe-Schlesinger (* 1939) were also born in Eisenstadt. Rabbi Meir
Eisenstadt (1670–1744) died in Eisenstadt. Esriel Hildesheimer became
rabbi in Eisenstadt (Hungary, now Austria) in 1851, where he founded a
Jewish school that taught both Jewish and secular knowledge, but also
placed great value on the German language. Soon he also founded a
yeshiva, which began in 1851 with six students; In 1868, 128 students
were already being taught there.