Salzburg (state)

Austrian federal state

Federal state in Austria

Salzburg

Federal state

Flag

Coat of arms

Anthem: Salzburger Landeshymne

Country|  Austria
Capital| Salzburg
Government

• Body| Landtag of Salzburg
• Governor| Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP)
• Deputy Governors|

* Marlene Svazek (FPÖ)
* Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP)

Area

• Total| 7,052.88 km2 (2,723.13 sq mi)
Population

(2022)

• Total| 562,606
• Density| 80/km2 (210/sq mi)
GDP

[1]

• Total| €29.926 billion (2021)
• Per capita| €53,300 (2021)
Time zone| UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code| AT-5
HDI (2019)| 0.939[2]
very high · 2nd of 9
NUTS Region| AT3
Votes in Bundesrat| 4 (of 62)
Website| www.salzburg.gv.at

Salzburg[note 1] (Austrian German: [ˈsaltsbʊʁk]; German: [ˈzaltsbʊʁk] ⓘ; Austro-Bavarian: Soizbuag, also known as Salzburgerland; Italian: Salisburghese) is an Austrian federal state. In German it is called a Bundesland, a German-to-English dictionary translates that to federal state and the European Commission calls it a province. In German, its official name is Land Salzburg, to distinguish it from its eponymous capital Salzburg. For centuries, it was an independent Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire. It borders Germany and Italy.

## Geography

[edit]

Typical Salzburg Alpine landscape near Sankt Koloman

### Location

[edit]

Salzburg State covers an area of 7,156 km2 (2,763 sq mi). It stretches along its main river — the Salzach – which rises in the Central Eastern Alps in the south to the Alpine foothills in the north. It is located in the north-west of Austria, close to the border with the German state of Bavaria; to the northeast lies the federal state Upper Austria; to the east the federal state Styria; to the south the federal states Carinthia and Tyrol. With 561,714 inhabitants, it is one of the country's smaller federal states in terms of population.

Running through the south are the main ranges of the Alpine divide (incl. the Hohe Tauern mountains) with numerous three-thousanders. The Dachstein massif and the Berchtesgaden Alps ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps border Salzburg State to the east and north.

### Regions

[edit]

The federal state is traditionally subdivided in five major regions (Gaue), congruent with its political districts (Bezirke, see administrative divisions).

Regions of Salzburg

* In the northern part:
* Flachgau (Salzburg city and environs), the flat (German: flach) Salzburg Basin around the confluence of Salzach and Saalach, stretching from the slopes of the Salzkammergut Mountains in the east to the Untersberg massif and the Chiemgau Alps in the west.
* Tennengau (district capital Hallein), named after the Tennen Mountains, including the broad Salzach Valley south of Salzburg and the surrounding ranges of the Limestone Alps.
* The southern, mountainous (colloquially Innergebirg) part is divided into:
* Pinzgau (Zell am See) in the southwest,
* Pongau (St. Johann im Pongau) on Salzach and Enns, and
* Lungau (Tamsweg) in the southeast, separated by the Niedere Tauern range.

### Major cities and towns

[edit]

Salzburg municipalities with town privileges:

* Salzburg city (pop. 148,521)
* Hallein (20,022)
* Saalfelden (16,046)
* St. Johann im Pongau (10,740)
* Bischofshofen (10,352)
* Zell am See (9,683)
* Seekirchen (9,945)
* Neumarkt am Wallersee (5,846)
* Oberndorf bei Salzburg (5,600)
* Mittersill (5,443)
* Radstadt (4,864)

Wals-Siezenheim, a common municipality with about 12,000 inhabitants, is known as 'Austria's largest village'.

## History

[edit]

See also: Archbishopric of Salzburg

Salt mining has played an important role in the region's development; Salzburg means "salt city".

### Salzburg as an independent state

[edit]

Independence from Bavaria was secured in the late 14th century. The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an independent prince-bishopric and State of the Holy Roman Empire until German Mediatisation in 1803.

### Electorate of Salzburg

[edit]

The territory was secularized and, as the Electorate of Salzburg, given as compensation to Ferdinand III, former Grand Duke of Tuscany, the brother of Emperor Francis II.

### The end of independence

[edit]

Following the Austrian defeat at Austerlitz in 1805, Salzburg was annexed by Austria as compensation for the loss of Tyrol to the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Ferdinand was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Würzburg.

### Bavarian Salzburg

[edit]

After Austria's defeat in 1809, the federal state was handed over to Bavaria in 1810.

### The country divided between Bavaria and Austria

[edit]

In 1816, following the defeat of Napoleon and the provision of adequate compensation to Bavaria at the Congress of Vienna, it was returned to Austria with the exception of the north-western Rupertiwinkel which remained Bavarian. The Salzburger Land was administered as the department of Salzach from Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. In 1849 the Duchy of Salzburg was established as a crown land of the Austrian Empire and, after 1866, Austria-Hungary.

### World War I

[edit]

Salzburg participated in World War I, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 49,000 Salzburgers were called to arms, of whom 6,000 were killed.[7]

### Post-World War I Austrian republics

[edit]

In 1918 after World War I, the Duchy of Salzburg was dissolved and replaced with the State of Salzburg, as a component part initially of German Austria and subsequently of the First Republic of Austria, the separate state which was mandated by the Allied powers.

### Salzburg in Germany

[edit]

As a result of Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, Austria, including Salzburg State, was incorporated into Nazi Germany.

### American control

[edit]

After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the Allies occupied the territory of Austria, being recognized as an independent territory under their rule. Salzburg State was occupied by the United States.

### Salzburg as an Austrian federal state

[edit]

In 1955, Austria was again declared an independent state and Salzburg was once again one of the reconstituted federal states of the Second Republic of Austria.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1869| 153,159| —
1880| 163,570| +6.8%
1890| 173,510| +6.1%
1900| 192,763| +11.1%
1910| 214,737| +11.4%
1923| 222,831| +3.8%
1934| 245,801| +10.3%
1939| 257,226| +4.6%
1951| 327,232| +27.2%
1961| 347,292| +6.1%
1971| 405,115| +16.6%
1981| 442,301| +9.2%
1991| 482,365| +9.1%
2001| 515,327| +6.8%
2011| 529,066| +2.7%
2021| 561,714| +6.2%
Source: Censuses[8]

The historical population is given in the following chart:

## Politics

[edit]

Salzburg adopted its current provincial constitution in 1999. The provincial government (Landesregierung) is headed by a governor (Landeshauptmann), who is elected by a majority in the provincial parliament Landtag. Provincial elections are held every five years.

After World War II, most provincial governments were led by the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). ÖVP politician Josef Klaus (1910-2001), later chancellor of Austria, served as governor of Salzburg from 1949 till 1961. In 2004 Gabi Burgstaller became the first Social Democratic (and first female) governor of Salzburg.

Chiemseehof, seat of Salzburg's provincial parliament

The last results, in April 2023 (Compared to 2018) were:

> | Party  | Votes in %  | Change  | Seats  | Change
> 
|
|
|
|
|

> | Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)  | 30.37%  |  7.4%  | 12  |  3
> | Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)  | 25.75%  |  6.9%  | 10  |  3
> | Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)  | 17.87%  |  2.1%  | 7  |  1
> | Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ)  | 11.66%  | 11.3%  | 4  |  4
> | The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE)  | 8.20%  |  1.1%  | 3  | \-
> | NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS)  | 4.20%  | 3.1%  | 0  |  3
> | We are Salzburg (WIRS)  | 1.19%  | 1.2%  | 0  | New
> | MFG Austria - People, Freedom, Fundamental Rights (MFG)  | 0.77%  |  0.8%  | 0  | New

The current governor of Salzburg, Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP), entered into coalition discussions with the FPÖ, after his proposition of a ÖVP-FPÖ-SPÖ coalition was rejected by the Social Democrats. Haslauer said "I regret that we could not implement the Alliance for Salzburg". After successful coalition negotiations, the ÖVP and the FPÖ entered into a governing coalition with Haslauer as the Governor and Marlene Svazek as the First Deputy Governor.[1] Salzburg State has joined Lower Austria and Upper Austria as the third black-blue coalition provincial government. The ÖVP has four seats in the government, while the FPÖ has three.[9] The current president (speaker) of the Salzburg federal state parliament is Brigitta Pallauf.

### Government

[edit]

Government ministers and their portfolios from the 2023 provincial election.

#### Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) [2]

[edit]

* State Direction
* Finance and Asset Management
* Security
* Disaster Prevention
* Museums
* Research and Science
* European Affairs

#### 1st Deputy Marlene Svazek (FPÖ) [3]

[edit]

* Nature and Environment Protection
* Business
* Early and Primary Education
* Hunting and Fishing
* Youth
* Families
* Integration
* Generations

#### 2nd Deputy Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) [4]

[edit]

* Economy and Tourism
* Communities
* Employment and Labour Market
* Infrastructure and Traffic
* Culture

#### Members of the provincial government [5]

[edit]

* Josef Schwaiger (ÖVP): Agriculture, Personnel Management, Water, National Parks, Energy, Asylum Seekers
* Daniela Gutschi (ÖVP): Education, Health, Women and Diversity
* Christian Pewny (FPÖ): Social Services, Food, Consumer Protection, Regional Development, Apprenticeships
* Martin Zauner (FPÖ): Spatial Planning, Living, Sport, Basic Traffic

## Administrative divisions

[edit]

### Districts

[edit]

Salzburg State comprises six districts, known as Bezirke or vernacularly Gaue:

* Hallein District (Tennengau region)
* St. Johann im Pongau District (Pongau region)
* Salzburg-Umgebung District (Salzburg environs) (Flachgau region)
* Tamsweg District (Lungau region)
* Zell am See District (Pinzgau region)

Salzburg city is its own administrative district.

### Municipalities

[edit]

The federal state is divided into 119 municipalities, including Salzburg City. 11 of them have city status (Städte), 25 are market towns (Marktgemeinden) and the other 83 are simple municipalities (Gemeinden). Below is a list of all the municipalities divided by district:

* Hallein District (Tennengau) (13 municipalities): Abtenau, Adnet, Annaberg-Lungötz, Bad Vigaun, Golling an der Salzach, Hallein, Krispl, Kuchl, Oberalm, Puch bei Hallein, Rußbach am Paß Gschütt, St. Koloman, Scheffau am Tennengebirge.
* Salzburg-Umgebung District (Flachgau) (37 municipalities): Anif, Anthering, Bergheim, Berndorf bei Salzburg, Bürmoos, Dorfbeuern, Ebenau, Elixhausen, Elsbethen, Eugendorf, Faistenau, Fuschl am See, Großgmain, Göming, Grödig, Hallwang, Henndorf am Wallersee, Hintersee, Hof bei Salzburg, Koppl, Köstendorf, Lamprechtshausen, Mattsee, Neumarkt am Wallersee, Nußdorf am Haunsberg, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Obertrum, Plainfeld, St. Georgen bei Salzburg, St. Gilgen, Schleedorf, Seeham, Seekirchen am Wallersee, Straßwalchen, Strobl, Thalgau, Wals-Siezenheim.
* St. Johann im Pongau District (Pongau) (25 municipalities): Altenmarkt im Pongau, Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Bischofshofen, Dorfgastein, Eben im Pongau, Filzmoos, Flachau, Forstau, Goldegg, Grossarl, Hüttau, Hüttschlag, Kleinarl, Mühlbach am Hochkönig, Pfarrwerfen, Radstadt, St. Johann im Pongau, St. Martin am Tennengebirge, St. Veit im Pongau, Schwarzach im Pongau, Untertauern, Wagrain, Werfen, Werfenweng.
* Tamsweg District (Lungau) (15 municipalities): Göriach, Lessach, Mariapfarr, Mauterndorf, Muhr, Ramingstein, St. Andrä im Lungau, St. Margarethen im Lungau, St. Michael im Lungau, Tamsweg, Thomatal, Tweng, Unternberg, Weißpriach, Zederhaus.
* Zell am See District (Pinzgau) (28 municipalities): Bramberg am Wildkogel, Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße, Dienten am Hochkönig, Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, Hollersbach im Pinzgau, Kaprun, Krimml, Lend, Leogang, Lofer, Maishofen, Maria Alm, Mittersill, Neukirchen am Großvenediger, Niedernsill, Piesendorf, Rauris, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Saalfelden, St. Martin bei Lofer, Stuhlfelden, Taxenbach, Unken, Uttendorf, Viehhofen, Wald im Pinzgau, Weißbach bei Lofer, Zell am See.

## Economy

[edit]

The federal state's gross domestic product (GDP) was 29 billion € in 2018, accounting for 7.5% of the Austria's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 46,500 € or 154% of the EU27 average in the same year. Salzburg is the federal state with the highest GDP per capita in Austria before Vienna.[10]

## Architecture

[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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The Salzburg Cathedral was the first Baroque building in the German-speaking artistic world. Two other important buildings initiated by the Salzburg archbishops were Hohenwerfen Castle and Hohensalzburg Fortress. The first Archbishop of Salzburg was Arno of Salzburg (785–821), in whose honor the world-famous hiking circuit — the Arnoweg — is named.

The predominant stylistic elements of Salzburg's architecture have their origins in the Baroque and the Rococo periods.

Salzburg City's historic centre was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

## Language

[edit]

Austrian German is the local written language, and it can be heard especially in the cities. Austro-Bavarian is also spoken, especially in the rural areas and the common language of Salzburgerland.

## Visitors' attractions

[edit]

* Eisriesenwelt: the largest ice cave in the world
* Großglockner Hochalpenstraße: a panoramic road, called Grossglockner High Alpine Road
* Salzkammergut: a lake district situated in Salzburg State, Upper Austria and Styria
* Liechtensteinklamm: Salzburg is home to one of the longest and deepest gorges of the Alps, the Liechtensteinklamm. It is located near Sankt Johann im Pongau or St.Johann/Pg., a small town in the centre of the federal state.
* Nonnberg Abbey: a Benedictine monastery that was immortalized in the movie The Sound of Music

## Sports

[edit]

Stadion Wals-Siezenheim

* Salzburgring, a permanent racing circuit, north east of the city of Salzburg
* Ski Amadé
* Kitzsteinhorn, skiing the year round on a glacier
* Icespeedway in St. Johann im Pongau
* Aperschnalzen, an old tradition of competitive whipcracking

### Ski resorts

[edit]

Ski run in Gastein Valley resort

Altenmarkt im Pongau, Flachau, Wagrain, St. Johann, Zell am See (Saalbach-Hinterglemm), Obertauern, Bad Gastein, Rauris, Lofer, Hochkönig, Krispl

## Assorted statistics

[edit]

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|

* Tourist Regions: 21
* Resort Towns: 115
* Guest Beds: 192,000
* Lakes: 185
* Biggest lake: Wolfgangsee
* Longest river: Salzach
* Highest mountain: Großvenediger — elevation 3,666 m (12,028 ft)
* Hiking paths: 7,200 km (4,500 mi)
* Hill farms: 1,800 — 550 of them serving refreshments
* National parks: 1
* Marked cycle paths: 2,000 km (1,200 mi)
* Mountainbike trails (including cross-border routes): 3,000 km (1,900 mi)
* Golf courses: 13
* Ski slopes: 1,700 km (1,100 mi)
* Cross-country ski trails: 2,220 km (1,380 mi)
* Night slopes: 14
* Winter hiking paths: 2,500 km (1,600 mi)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ English: /ˈsɔːltsbɜːrɡ/, also UK: /ˈsæltsbɜːrɡ/, US: /ˈsɔːlzbɜːrɡ, ˈsɑːlz-, ˈsælz-, ˈzɑːltsbʊərk/.[3][4][5][6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Basisdaten Bundesländer" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29.
3. ^ "Salzburg". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020.
4. ^ "Salzburg". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
5. ^ "Salzburg". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
6. ^ "Salzburg". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
7. ^ "In 1816 Salzburg was incorporated into Austria". Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
8. ^ "Historic Censuses - STATISTICS AUSTRIA". Statistics Austria. Archived from the original on 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
9. ^ red, salzburg ORF at/Agenturen (2 May 2023). "Regierungsbildung: ÖVP verhandelt mit FPÖ". salzburg.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
10. ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2020-03-07.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salzburg (state).

* Official website (in German)
* Salzburg Tourism
* Salzburg State Travel Guide with entries for all municipalities

* v
* t
* e

Federal states of Austria

* Burgenland
* Carinthia
* Lower Austria
* Salzburg
* Styria
* Tyrol
* Upper Austria
* Vienna
* Vorarlberg

* v
* t
* e

Cities and districts (Bezirke) of Salzburg State

Cities|

* Salzburg

Districts|

* Hallein
* Salzburg-Umgebung
* St. Johann im Pongau
* Tamsweg
* Zell am See

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

47°25′N 13°13′E﻿ / ﻿47.42°N 13.22°E﻿ / 47.42; 13.22
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