Bad Bleiberg

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Bad Bleiberg
Bad Bleiberg Aufnahme von der Traininger Wand.jpg
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Bad Bleiberg
Location within Austria
Coordinates: 46°37′29″N13°41′09″E / 46.62472°N 13.68583°E / 46.62472; 13.68583
Country Austria
State Carinthia
District Villach-Land
Government
   Mayor Christian Hecher (Ind.)
Area
[1]
  Total
44.81 km2 (17.30 sq mi)
Elevation
902 m (2,959 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01) [2]
  Total
2,283
  Density51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
9530, 9531
Area code 04244
Website www.bad-bleiberg.at

Bad Bleiberg (Slovene : Plajberk pri Beljaku) is a market town in the district of Villach-Land, in Carinthia, Austria. Originally a mining area, especially for lead (German : Blei), Bad Bleiberg today due to its hot springs is a spa town. [3]

Contents

Geography

Bad Bleiberg is situated west of the district's capital Villach in a high valley on the northern slope of the Dobratsch (Villacher Alpe) massif, the easternmost part of the Gailtal Alps mountain range.

The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Bleiberg proper and Kreuth.

History

King Henry II of Germany granted the Carinthian lands around Villach to the newly created Diocese of Bamberg at the Frankfurt synod of 1 November 1007, together with other estates like Griffen or the Canal Valley around Tarvisio. When under Emperor Frederick II Bamberg was elevated to a Prince-Bishopric, the territories became ecclesiastical exclaves within the territory of the Carinthian dukes. In 1759 the Bamberg estates were finally acquired by Empress Maria Theresa and incorporated into Habsburg Carinthia.

Bad Bleiberg with Dobratsch massif, 1908 postcard Bleiberg AK 1908 gegen den Dobratsch.jpg
Bad Bleiberg with Dobratsch massif, 1908 postcard

The mine was first mentioned as Pleyberg in a 1333 deed issued by the Bamberg bishops; it was operated by the Swabian Fugger family from the late 15th century onwards. Georgius Agricola described the mining and smelting of lead and zinc in his 1556 book De re metallica . Mining operations ceased in 1993 for economic reasons, today a tourist mine offers guided underground tours.

The current municipality was established in 1850, it received the status of a market town in 1930. When in 1951 a hot spring had flooded an adit, a public bath was established and Bleiberg received the official Bad title of a spa town in 1978.

Politics

The municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) consists of 19 members. Since the 2021 local elections, it is made up of the following parties:

The mayor of the municipality, Christian Hecher, was also elected in 2021. [4]

Twin town

Notable people

Oskar Potiorek (1853–1933), Austro-Hungarian army officer

References

  1. "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  2. "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. "Bad Bleiberg". Town Homepage. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  4. "Ergebnisse und Visualisierungen zur Gemeinderatswahl in Kärnten 2021". orf.at (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-24.