Mittelberg

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Mittelberg
Kreuzkirche und St. Anna in Hirschegg.jpg
Wappen Mittelberg.svg
Mittelberg im Bezirk B.png
Location in the district
Austria relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Mittelberg
Location within Austria
Austria Vorarlberg relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Mittelberg
Mittelberg (Vorarlberg)
Coordinates: 47°19′22″N10°09′20″E / 47.32278°N 10.15556°E / 47.32278; 10.15556
Country Austria
State Vorarlberg
District Bregenz
Government
   Mayor Andi Haid (Offene Bürgerliste und Volkspartei Kleinwalsertal)
Area
[1]
  Total
96.82 km2 (37.38 sq mi)
Elevation
1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01) [2]
  Total
4,962
  Density51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
6991, 6992, 6993 (Austria)
87567, 87568, 87569 (Germany)
Area code 05517
Vehicle registration B
Website GDE-Mittelberg.at

Mittelberg is a municipality and a village in the district of Bregenz in the Kleinwalsertal, in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is accessible by road only from Germany.

Contents

Geography

The largest stream in the municipality is the Breitach which originates in Baad and flows through all three villages of Mittelberg, Hirschegg and Riezlern. It receives water of the side streams such as Derrabach, Turabach, Bärgundbach, Gemstelbach and Wildenbach.

The main mountains of Mittelberg include Elfer (2387 m) Bärenkopf (Allgäu Alps) (2083 m), Walmendingerhorn (1990 m), Grosser Widderstein (2536 m) and Zwölfer (2224 m).

Kleinwalsertal is a valley that is accessible by road only from Germany.

History

Mittelberg was settled around 1300 by five Walser families from Tannberg coming across over the Hochalppass. The first houses were probably in Bödmen, a district of Mittelberg. The settlers inherited the land from the Swabian Counts of Rettenberg. The valley initially belonged to the Walser court of Tannberg but in 1563 the valley was awarded its own court in Mittelberg, which existed until 1807. [3]

Population

Although it is not an exclave in a strict sense (it is contiguous with the rest of Austria), its geographic position creates a special situation for inhabitants and visitors. For instance, it has both Austrian and German postal codes. Since 1891 Kleinwalsertal has been in the German customs union, and has an open border with that country. [4]

Before the introduction of the euro, the German Deutsche mark rather than the Austrian schilling was the currency used in Mittelberg. Since Austria joined the European Union (1995), the Schengen Agreement was ratified (1997), and the euro was introduced (2002), the same currency is used in Austria and Germany. However, due to Mittelberg's location there are several taxation differences with the rest of Austria, such as use of the lower (as of 2025) German VAT rate. [5]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18691,500    
18801,398−0.64%
18901,282−0.86%
19001,187−0.77%
19101,267+0.65%
19231,599+1.81%
19341,944+1.79%
19392,209+2.59%
19512,830+2.09%
19613,557+2.31%
19713,980+1.13%
1981 [6] 4,599+1.46%
1991 [6] 5,038+0.92%
2001 [6] 4,717−0.66%
2011 [6] 4,783+0.14%
2021 [6] 4,981+0.41%

Education

Kindergartens:

Mittelberg was the setting of "The Final Reich," one of the levels of Call of Duty: World War II: Nazi Zombies .

See also

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. mb (n.d.). "Mittelberg Geschichte und Brauchtum". Gemeinde Mittelberg. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  4. "Regulation (EEC) No 1496/68 of the Council of 27 September 1968 on the definition of the customs territory of the Community". Publications Office of the European Union. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  5. "VAT in Austria". Marosa. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mittelberg (Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria)". Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information. 23 March 2025.
  7. "Kindergarten Hirschegg." Mittelberg. Retrieved on January 6, 2018.
  8. "Kindergarten Mittelberg." Mittelberg. Retrieved on January 6, 2018.
  9. "Kindergarten Riezlern." Mittelberg. Retrieved on January 6, 2018.
Panoramic view of the south part of Mittelberg Autriche Mittelberg Le Chalet.jpg
Panoramic view of the south part of Mittelberg