Graz

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Graz
Graz (35932179023).jpg
Graz View from Schlossberg
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Graz City Hall
Flag of Graz.svg
AUT Graz COA.svg
Logo Stadt Wien Graz.webp
Austria Styria adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Graz
Location within Styria
Austria adm location map.svg
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Graz
Graz (Austria)
Coordinates: 47°04′15″N15°26′19″E / 47.07083°N 15.43861°E / 47.07083; 15.43861
Country Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
Federal state Flag of Styria.svg  Styria
District Statutory city
Government
   Mayor Elke Kahr (KPÖ) [1]
Area
[2]
  Total
127.57 km2 (49.26 sq mi)
Elevation
353 m (1,158 ft)
Population
 (1 January 2025) [3]
  Total
306,068
  Density2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Grazer (en)
Grazer (m.)
Grazerin (f.) (de)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
A-801x, A-802x, A-803x, A-804x, A-805x
Area code +43 316
Vehicle registration G
Website www.graz.at
Official nameCity of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg
Criteria Cultural: ii, iv
Reference 931
Inscription1999 (23rd Session)
Extensions2010

Graz (Austrian German: [ɡraːts] ) is the capital of the Austrian federal state of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 including secondary residence). [4] In 2023, the population of the Graz larger urban zone (LUZ) stood at 660,238. [5] Graz is known as a city of higher education, with four colleges and four universities. Combined, the city is home to more than 60,000 students. [6] Its historic centre ( Altstadt ) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. [7]

Contents

In 1999, the city's historic centre was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and in 2010 the designation was expanded to include Eggenberg Palace (German : Schloss Eggenberg) on the western edge of the city. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003 and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008. In addition, the city is recognized as a "Design City" by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network.

Etymology

The name of the city, Graz, formerly spelled Gratz [8] and also formerly known as Grätz, most likely derives from Slavic gradec/gradac 'small castle'. Some archaeological finds point to the erection of a small castle by Alpine Slavic people, [9] who settled in the region after the barbarian invasions drove out the original Celts, as well as the Romans. In Slovene, gradec still means 'small castle', a hypocoristic derivative of Proto-West-South Slavic *gradьcъ, which descends via liquid metathesis from Common Slavic *gardьcъ and via the Slavic third palatalization from Proto-Slavic *gardiku, originally denoting 'small town, settlement'. The name thus follows the common South Slavic pattern for naming settlements grad . Despite the Slavic root of the name, however, the city of Graz was founded by Bavarian settlers who arrived shortly after the Slavs, with which they intermixed. The city's name first appears in records in 1128; a record of Grez from 1091 is disputed.

History

Vischer - Topographia Ducatus Stiria - 110 Graz.jpg
Graz, Georg Matthäus Vischer (1670)
Kuwasseg Leopold, Panorama von Graz und Umgebung - um 1830 - J.F.Kaiser Lithografirte Ansichten der Steiermark 1830.jpg
Graz, 1830 – Lith. J.F. Kaiser
Graz-Neutor vor 1883-Neutorgasse.jpg
Neutor in 1883

The oldest settlement on the ground of the modern city of Graz dates back to the Copper Age. However, no historical continuity exists of a settlement before the Middle Ages. The city was originally called "Bayrischgraz" or "Bavarian Graz" (i.e. German Graz) by the German founders to distinguish it from the elder "Windischgraz" or "Slovenian Graz". Bavarian Graz, however, soon eclipsed its Slovenian counterpart and henceforth Graz always referred to the German one.

During the 12th century, dukes under Babenberg rule made the town into an important commercial center. Later, Graz came under the rule of the Habsburgs and, in 1281, gained special privileges from King Rudolph I.

In the 14th century, Graz became the city of residence of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs. The royalty lived in the Schlossberg castle and from there ruled Styria, Carinthia, most of today's Slovenia, and parts of Italy (Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Trieste).

In the 16th century, the city's design and planning were primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings representative of this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell'Allio, and used by the local rulers as a governmental headquarters.

IMG 0412 - Graz - Landhaushof.JPG
Landhaus
Graz-hauptplatz01s.jpg
Hauptplatz

The University of Graz was founded by Archduke Karl II in 1585, it is the city's oldest university. For most of its existence, it was controlled by the Catholic Church, and was closed in 1782 by Joseph II in an attempt to gain state control over educational institutions. Joseph II transformed it into a lyceum where civil servants and medical personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-established as a university by Emperor Franz I, and was named 'Karl-Franzens Universität' or 'Charles-Francis University' in English. More than 30,000 students are currently enrolled at this university.

Astronomer Johannes Kepler lived in Graz for a short period beginning in 1594. He worked as district mathematician and taught at the Lutheran school, but still found time to study astronomy. He left Graz for Prague in 1600 when Protestants were banned from the city.

Ludwig Boltzmann was Professor for Mathematical Physics from 1869 to 1890. During that time, Nikola Tesla studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic in 1875.

Nobel laureate Otto Loewi taught at the University of Graz from 1909 until 1938. Ivo Andrić, the 1961 Nobel Prize for Literature laureate obtained his doctorate at the University of Graz. Erwin Schrödinger was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936.

Graz is centrally located within today's Bundesland (state) of Styria, or Steiermark in German. Mark is an old German word indicating a large area of land used as a defensive border, in which the peasantry is taught how to organize and fight in the case of an invasion. With a strategic location at the head of the open and fertile Mur valley, Graz was historically a target of invaders, such as the Hungarians under Matthias Corvinus in 1481, and the Ottoman Turks in 1529 and 1532. Apart from the Riegersburg Castle, the Schlossberg was the only fortification in the region that never fell to the Ottoman Turks. Graz is home to the region's provincial armory, which is the world's largest historical collection of late medieval and Renaissance weaponry. It has been preserved since 1551, and displays over 30,000 items.

From the earlier part of the 15th century, Graz was the residence of the younger branch of the Habsburgs, which succeeded to the imperial throne in 1619 in the person of Emperor Ferdinand II, who moved the capital to Vienna. New fortifications were built on the Schlossberg at the end of the 16th century. Napoleon's army occupied Graz in 1797 and, in 1809 the city withstood another assault by the French army. During this attack, the commanding officer in the fortress was ordered to defend it with about 900 men against Napoleon's army of about 3,000. He successfully defended the Schlossberg against eight attacks, but they were forced to give up after the Grande Armée occupied Vienna and the Emperor ordered to surrender. Following the defeat of Austria by Napoleonic forces at the Battle of Wagram in 1809, the fortifications were demolished using explosives, as stipulated in the Peace of Schönbrunn of the same year. The belltower (Glockenturm) [10] and the civic clock tower (Uhrturm), [11] which is a leading tourist attraction and serves as a symbol for Graz, were spared after the citizens of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation. [12]

Archduke Karl II of Inner Austria had 20,000 Protestant books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in returning Styria to the authority of the Holy See. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz in what is now the Stadtmuseum (city museum).

On 2 April 1945, while the heaviest Allied bomb raid of Graz occurred, the Gestapo and Waffen-SS committed a massacre against resistance fighters, Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers, and POWs at the SS barracks at Graz-Wetzelsdorf. [13]

Geography

Aerial photograph showing the historic centre of Graz Historic City Center of Graz.jpg
Aerial photograph showing the historic centre of Graz

Graz is situated on both sides of the river Mur in southeast Austria. It is about 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Vienna (Wien). The nearest larger urban centre is Maribor (Marburg) in Slovenia, which is about 50 km (31 mi) to the south. Graz is the capital of Styria and the largest city in the federal state, a green and heavily forested region on the eastern edge of the Alps. It is located in the Graz Basin and surrounded by mountains and hills to the north, east and west. The city centre sits at an elevation of 353 m (1,158 ft), the highest point is Plabutsch mountain with 754 m (2,474 ft) at the western border. The mountain Schöckl is just a few kilometres to the north and surmounts the city by 1,100 m (3,600 ft).

Climate

Graz has an oceanic climate (Cfb), [14] but due to the 0 °C isotherm, the same occurs in a borderline humid continental climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification. Wladimir Köppen himself was in town and conducted studies to see how the climate of the past influenced the Continental Drift theory. [15] Due to its position southeast of the Alps, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly winds that bring weather fronts in from the North Atlantic to northwestern and central Europe. The weather in Graz is thus influenced by the Mediterranean, and it has more hours of sunshine per year than Vienna or Salzburg and also less wind or rain. Graz lies in a basin that is only open to the south, causing the climate to be warmer than would be expected at that latitude. [16] Plants are found in Graz that normally grow much further south.

Climate data for Graz (Karl-Franzens University) 1991–2020, extremes 1961–2020
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)21.0
(69.8)
22.8
(73.0)
25.1
(77.2)
28.8
(83.8)
34.1
(93.4)
37.2
(99.0)
38.1
(100.6)
38.1
(100.6)
32.0
(89.6)
27.2
(81.0)
23.0
(73.4)
19.2
(66.6)
38.1
(100.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)3.9
(39.0)
7.7
(45.9)
11.6
(52.9)
17.2
(63.0)
20.8
(69.4)
25.0
(77.0)
25.9
(78.6)
25.4
(77.7)
21.2
(70.2)
15.3
(59.5)
9.2
(48.6)
4.0
(39.2)
15.6
(60.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)0.6
(33.1)
2.7
(36.9)
6.8
(44.2)
11.6
(52.9)
15.8
(60.4)
19.4
(66.9)
21.2
(70.2)
20.8
(69.4)
16.1
(61.0)
11.3
(52.3)
6.0
(42.8)
1.1
(34.0)
11.1
(52.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−2.8
(27.0)
−1.9
(28.6)
1.7
(35.1)
6.0
(42.8)
9.9
(49.8)
13.9
(57.0)
15.1
(59.2)
14.8
(58.6)
11.1
(52.0)
6.6
(43.9)
2.7
(36.9)
−1.8
(28.8)
6.3
(43.3)
Record low °C (°F)−19.5
(−3.1)
−19.3
(−2.7)
−17.2
(1.0)
−5.5
(22.1)
−1.3
(29.7)
1.4
(34.5)
6.3
(43.3)
4.9
(40.8)
0.8
(33.4)
−6.4
(20.5)
−10.8
(12.6)
−18.3
(−0.9)
−19.5
(−3.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)19.8
(0.78)
28.9
(1.14)
34.6
(1.36)
51.6
(2.03)
93.2
(3.67)
121.3
(4.78)
124.1
(4.89)
128.7
(5.07)
93.8
(3.69)
63.8
(2.51)
54.4
(2.14)
40.0
(1.57)
854.2
(33.63)
Average snowfall cm (inches)9.1
(3.6)
12.4
(4.9)
5.2
(2.0)
0.5
(0.2)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.1)
4.7
(1.9)
13.1
(5.2)
45.3
(17.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)4.34.45.67.710.611.510.69.98.77.37.05.392.9
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm)11.57.83.50.30.00.00.00.00.00.11.67.532.3
Average relative humidity (%) (at 14:00)68.759.153.049.653.054.553.455.258.163.070.873.159.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 102.1128.6169.2193.1227.0238.1253.4242.8188.0149.789.187.32,068.4
Percentage possible sunshine 40.349.248.350.050.952.555.558.552.748.735.135.848.1
Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics [17] [18]
Climate data for Graz Airport (1991–2020, extremes 1971–2020) [i]
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)21.4
(70.5)
23.0
(73.4)
24.5
(76.1)
28.1
(82.6)
33.6
(92.5)
35.2
(95.4)
38.2
(100.8)
38.4
(101.1)
32.1
(89.8)
27.1
(80.8)
22.9
(73.2)
20.4
(68.7)
38.4
(101.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)3.1
(37.6)
7.0
(44.6)
11.3
(52.3)
16.8
(62.2)
20.4
(68.7)
24.6
(76.3)
25.6
(78.1)
25.2
(77.4)
20.9
(69.6)
15.1
(59.2)
8.8
(47.8)
3.3
(37.9)
15.2
(59.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)−1.3
(29.7)
0.9
(33.6)
5.4
(41.7)
10.3
(50.5)
14.9
(58.8)
18.6
(65.5)
20.2
(68.4)
19.8
(67.6)
15.1
(59.2)
10.2
(50.4)
4.7
(40.5)
−0.6
(30.9)
9.9
(49.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−5.6
(21.9)
−4.9
(23.2)
−0.8
(30.6)
3.8
(38.8)
8.3
(46.9)
12.5
(54.5)
13.5
(56.3)
13.3
(55.9)
9.4
(48.9)
4.7
(40.5)
0.6
(33.1)
−4.4
(24.1)
4.2
(39.6)
Record low °C (°F)−26.8
(−16.2)
−24.3
(−11.7)
−20.8
(−5.4)
−6.4
(20.5)
−4.2
(24.4)
1.7
(35.1)
4.5
(40.1)
3.5
(38.3)
−1.9
(28.6)
−8.9
(16.0)
−19.1
(−2.4)
−21.1
(−6.0)
−26.8
(−16.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)18.7
(0.74)
28.9
(1.14)
33.8
(1.33)
54.3
(2.14)
88.7
(3.49)
114.1
(4.49)
117.7
(4.63)
125.6
(4.94)
95.5
(3.76)
67.2
(2.65)
55.0
(2.17)
41.6
(1.64)
841.1
(33.11)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)3.74.45.07.710.811.210.49.58.27.16.85.490.2
Average relative humidity (%) (at 14:00)72.758.250.246.950.352.551.352.856.062.372.678.058.7
Average dew point °C (°F)0.2
(32.4)
0.1
(32.2)
0.3
(32.5)
1.7
(35.1)
6.6
(43.9)
9.8
(49.6)
9.6
(49.3)
9.2
(48.6)
3.5
(38.3)
1.0
(33.8)
0.3
(32.5)
0.1
(32.2)
3.5
(38.4)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 63.094.0140.0162.0208.0213.0239.0219.0168.0135.079.059.01,779
Source 1: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics [17] [19]
Source 2: NOAA (Dew Point and Sun) [20]
  1. Dew Point and Sunshine for 1961-1990 period
Hilmteich Hilmteich (118718019).jpeg
Hilmteich

Neighbouring municipalities

These towns and villages border Graz:

Districts

Graz is divided into 17 municipal districts ( Stadtbezirke ): [21]

Karte Graz Stadtbezirke.svg

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
186998,229    
1880116,770+18.9%
1890135,660+16.2%
1900168,808+24.4%
1910193,790+14.8%
1923199,578+3.0%
1934210,845+5.6%
1939208,106−1.3%
YearPop.±%
1951226,476+8.8%
1961237,080+4.7%
1971249,089+5.1%
1981243,166−2.4%
1991237,810−2.2%
2001226,244−4.9%
2011261,726+15.7%
2021291,731+11.5%
Source: Statistics Austria [22]

As of 1 January 2025, the city has a total population of 306,068 (with primary residence status or Hauptwohnsitz), out of which are 215,785 (71%) with Austrian citizenship, 43,338 (14%) with EU citizenship, and 46,945 (15%) non-EU nationals. [23]

Largest groups of foreign nationals, 2024 [24]
NationalityPopulation
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 11,463
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 8,985
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 7,739
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 7,578
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 6,023
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4,351
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 4,283
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg  Syria 4,013
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan 3,435
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 2,858
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 2,571
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1,934
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 1,852
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo 1,848
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 1,132
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 1,097
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 1,048
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 1,032
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 989
Flag of India.svg  India 888

Slovene minority

Graz, being the capital of the then multiethnic Duchy of Styria, was also a centre of Slovene culture, especially from the establishment of the University of Graz in 1586 until the establishment of the University of Ljubljana in 1919. In 1574, the first Slovene Catholic book  [ sl ] was published in Graz, and in 1592, Hieronymus Megiser published in Graz the book Dictionarium quatuor linguarum , the first multilingual dictionary of Slovene. [25]

In the 19th century the student associations in Graz were a crucible of Slovene nationalism and some Slovene students there were more nationally aware than other Slovenes. This led to fierce anti-Slovene efforts by the German supermajority in Graz before and during World War II. [26] Slovenes only ever constituted a tiny minority in the city.[ citation needed ] This is also why Peter Kozler did not include it in his map.[ citation needed ]

Nowadays, some Slovenian Styrians study and some have found employment there, whiles being formerly unemployed in Slovenia. [26]

A symposium on the relation of Graz and the Slovenes was held in Graz in 2010, at the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the first and oldest chair of Slovene. It was established at the Lyzeum of Graz in July 1811 on the initiative of Janez Nepomuk Primic  [ sl ]. [27] A collection of lectures on the topic was published. The Slovenian Post commemorated the anniversary with a stamp. [28]

Sights

Graz Austria pano from Schlossberg.jpg
A panoramic view of the historic centre from the Castle Hill (Schlossberg)

For the year that Graz was Cultural Capital of Europe, new structures were erected. The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (German: Kunsthaus) was designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier and is situated next to the Mur river. The Island in the Mur is a floating platform made of steel. It was designed by American architect Vito Acconci and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.

Historic city centre

The Castle Hill with the Clock Tower Graz - Uhrturm (c).JPG
The Castle Hill with the Clock Tower
The Castle Hill stairs (Felsensteig) Grazer Schlossberg Kriegssteig.jpg
The Castle Hill stairs (Felsensteig)
Argos Apartment house ARGOS in Graz.jpg
Argos Apartment house
Graz downtown Graz Am Eisernen Tor und Herrengasse-4615.jpg
Graz downtown
Graz Opera Graz Opera.jpg
Graz Opera
Schlossberg Graz - Uhrenturm6.jpg
Schlossberg

The historic centre was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 [12] due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the historic centre consists of over 1,000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to contemporary.

The most important sights in the historic centre are:

Outside the historic city centre

Eggenberg Palace Graz Schloss Eggenberg front facade.jpg
Eggenberg Palace

Greater Graz area

Politics

Municipal election results since 1945. Gemeindesrat of Graz elections, 1945-2021.png
Municipal election results since 1945.
Graz City Hall Rathaus Graz (18305161105).jpg
Graz City Hall

For much of its post-war history Graz was a stronghold of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), but since the late 1990s the party has lost most of its support on a local level. It was overtaken by the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in 2003, which remained the largest party in the city council (Gemeinderat) until 2021. With the decline of the SPÖ, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) has become highly popular in Graz, despite its negligible presence on a national level. The party placed third with 20.8% of votes in the 2003 local election, which has been attributed to the popularity of local leader Ernest Kaltenegger. It fell to 11.2% in 2008, and recovered under new leader Elke Kahr, becoming the second most popular party in Graz with 19.9% in 2012 and 20.3% in 2017. The KPÖ's popularity in Graz allowed them to enter the Styrian provincial parliament in the 2005 election, marking their first appearance in an Austrian provincial parliament in 35 years; they have retained their seats in the subsequent 2010, 2015, and 2019 elections. [29] The 2021 municipal election saw a collapse in the ÖVP's popularity, allowing the KPÖ, once again led by Elke Kahr, to become the largest party with 29% of votes. [30] She was subsequently elected mayor in November, leading a coalition with the Greens and SPÖ. [31] [32]

The most recent city council election was held on 26 September 2021, and the results were as follows:

PartyLead candidateVotes %+/-Seats+/-Coun.+/-
Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) Elke Kahr 34,28328.84Increase2.svg 8.5015Increase2.svg 53Increase2.svg 1
Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Siegfried Nagl 30,79725.91Decrease2.svg 11.8813Decrease2.svg 62Decrease2.svg 1
The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE) Judith Schwentner 20,59317.32Increase2.svg 6.819Increase2.svg 41±0
Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)Mario Eustacchio12,61210.61Decrease2.svg 5.255Decrease2.svg 31±0
Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)Michael Ehmann11,3259.53Decrease2.svg 0.524Decrease2.svg 10±0
NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS)Philipp Pointner6,4475.42Increase2.svg 1.482Increase2.svg 10±0
Others2,8252.370±00±0
Invalid votes1,807
Total120,689100.0048±07±0
Electorate/voter turnout223,51254.00Decrease2.svg 3.39
Source: Stadt Graz

Culture

During 2003 Graz held the title of "European Capital of Culture" and was one of the UNESCO "Cities of Design" in 2011.

Museums

The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) Graz Kunsthaus vom Schlossberg 20061126.jpg
The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus)
Tramway Museum Tramway graz14.jpg
Tramway Museum
View from the Castle Hill (Schlossberg) with the Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) in the centre 07 Graz, Austria.jpg
View from the Castle Hill (Schlossberg) with the Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) in the centre

The most important museums in Graz are:

Architecture

The city centre and the adjacent districts are characterized by the historic residential buildings and churches. In the outer districts buildings are predominantly of the architectural styles from the second half of the 20th century.

In 1965 the Graz School (Grazer Schule) was founded. Several buildings around the universities are of this style, e.g. the green houses by Volker Giencke and the RESOWI Centre by Günther Domenig.

Before Graz became European Capital of Culture in 2003, several new projects were realized, such as the Stadthalle - a multifunctional space for e.g. conventions and concerts -, the Children's Museum (Kindermuseum), the Helmut-List-Halle, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) and the Island in the Mur (Murinsel).

Jesus's Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche) Graz Herz Jesu 3.jpg
Jesus's Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche)

Buildings in Graz which are at least 50m tall:

Name or AddressCompletionUsageHeight (m)floors
1. Jesus's Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche) 1887church109
2.Elisabeth Building (Elisabeth Hochhaus)1964residential7525
3. 4.Kärntner Straße 212, Liebenauer Hauptstraße 3091968 and 1955residential6921
5.Franciscan Church (Franziskanerkirche)1240church69
6.Alpha Tower1960/2 floors added in 2015residential6721
7. Telekom Austria Tower1960soffice6515
8. Basilica Mariatrost1724church61
9.Styria Media Center2014office6015
10.Science Tower2017office6012 plus skygarden
11. 12. 13. 14.St. Peter Pfarrweg, Kindermanngasse, Hanuschgasse, Algersdorferstraße1960/70sresidential5517
15. 16. 17. 18.Vinzenz Muchitschstraße, Ungergasse, Kärntner Straße 216, Eggenberger Gürtel1970sresidential5216

Sports

Merkur Arena Graz Merkur arena graz 2023.jpg
Merkur Arena Graz

SK Sturm Graz is the main football club of the city, with Four Austrian championships, 5 Austrian Cup wins and 4 participations in the Champions League (where they were 1st in the first group stage in 2000/01 and therefore got promoted to the round of 16 as the first Austrian club ever). Grazer AK also won an Austrian championship, but went into administration in 2007 and was excluded from the professional league system.

In ice hockey, ATSE Graz was the Austrian Hockey League champion in 1975 and 1978. EC Graz was runner-up in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94. Graz 99ers has played in the first division since 2000.

UBSC Raiffeisen Graz plays in the Austrian Basketball League.

Graz Giants play in the Austrian Football League (American Football).

The city bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, but lost the election to Salt Lake City.

Styriarte

Graz hosts the annual festival of classical music Styriarte, founded in 1985 to tie conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt closer to his hometown. Events have been held at different venues in Graz and in the surrounding region.

Dialect

Referred to as Steirisch by locals, Graz belongs to the Austro-Bavarian region of dialects, more specifically a mix of Central Bavarian in the western part of Styria and Southern Bavarian in the eastern part. [33] The Grazer ORF, the Graz subsidiary of Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, launched an initiative in 2008 called Scho wieda Steirisch g'redt to highlight the numerous dialects of Graz and Styria in general and to cultivate the pride many Styrians hold for their local culture. Two reasons for a melding of these dialects with Standard German: the influence of television and radio bringing Standard German into the home and the industrialization causing the disappearance of the single farmer since the farming communities are seen as the true keepers of dialect speaking. [34]

Transport

Tram at Jakomini square (Jakominiplatz) Tramway graz23.jpg
Tram at Jakomini square (Jakominiplatz)
Graz Airport 16-07-05-Flughafen-Graz-RR2 0347.jpg
Graz Airport

An extensive public transport network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing the Graz tram network, which has six lines. Four lines pass through the underground tram stop at the central train station (Hauptbahnhof) and on to the city centre before branching out. Furthermore, there are eight night-time bus routes, although these run only at weekends and on evenings preceding public holidays.

The Castle Hill funicular (Schlossbergbahn), and the Castle Hill lift (Schlossberg lift), a vertical lift, link the city centre to the Castle Hill (Schlossberg).

Graz Central Railway Station Graz Aufnahmsgebaude Hauptbahnhof-4380.jpg
Graz Central Railway Station

From the central train station (Hauptbahnhof), regional trains link to most of Styria. Direct trains run to most major cities nearby including Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Maribor and Ljubljana in Slovenia, Zagreb in Croatia, Budapest in Hungary, Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic, Zürich in Switzerland, as well as Munich, Stuttgart, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt in Germany. Trains for Vienna leave every hour. In recent years many railway stations within the city limits and in the suburbs have been rebuilt or modernised and are now part of the Styria S-Bahn, a commuter train service connecting the city with its suburban area and towns nearby.

Graz Airport is located about 10 km (6 mi) south of the city centre and is accessible by bus, railway, taxi and car. Direct destinations include Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Zurich. [35] In 2021 a two-line metro system was proposed for Graz, [36] which would make Graz the second Austrian city with a rapid transit system after Vienna.

Health

LKH Graz LKH Graz Hauptgebaude.jpg
LKH Graz

In Graz there are seven hospitals, several private hospitals and sanatoriums, as well as 44 pharmacies.

The University Hospital Graz (LKH-Universitäts-Klinikum Graz) is located in eastern Graz and has 1,556 beds and 7,190 employees. The Regional Hospital Graz II (LKH Graz II) has two sites in Graz. The western site (LKH Graz II Standort West) is located in Eggenberg and has 280 beds and about 500 employees, the southern site (LKH Graz II Standort Süd) specializes in neurology and psychiatry and is located in Straßgang with 880 beds and 1,100 employees. The AUVA Accident Hospital (Unfallkrankenhaus der AUVA) is in Eggenberg and has 180 beds and a total of 444 employees.

The Albert Schweitzer Clinic in the western part of the city is a geriatric hospital with 304 beds, the Hospital of St. John of God (Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder) has two sites in Graz, one in Lend with 225 beds and one in Eggenberg with 260 beds. The Hospital of the Order of Saint Elizabeth (Krankenhaus der Elisabethinen) in Gries has 182 beds.

There are several private clinics as well: the Privatklinik Kastanienhof, the Privatklinik Leech, the Privatklinik der Kreuzschwestern, the Sanatorium St. Leonhard, the Sanatorium Hansa and the Privatklinik Graz-Ragnitz.

EMS in Graz is provided solely by the Austrian Red Cross. Perpetually two emergency doctor's cars (NEF – Notarzteinsatzfahrzeug), two NAWs (Notarztwagen – ambulances staffed with a physician in addition to regular personnel) and about 30 RTWs (Rettungswagen – regular ambulances) are on standby. Furthermore, several non-emergency ambulances (KTW – Krankentransportwagen) and a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) are operated by the Red Cross to transport non-emergency patients to and between hospitals. In addition to the Red Cross, the Labourers'-Samaritan-Alliance (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs), the Austrian organisation of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps (Malteser Hospitaldienst Austria) and the Green Cross (Grünes Kreuz) operate ambulances (KTW) for non-emergency patient transport. In addition to the cars, there's also the C12 air ambulance helicopter stationed at Graz airport, staffed with an emergency physician in addition to regular personnel.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Graz Denkmal Staedtefreundschaft DSCN0584.JPG

Graz is twinned with: [37]

Other forms of cooperation and city friendship similar to the twin city programmes

Notable residents

The following are some past and present notable residents of Graz.

Sport

See also

References

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Further reading

Official websites

History

Further information