search
Search
Close

History of Windischgarsten

The Roman Windischgarsten "Gabromagus" (= Bocksfeld) lay in SW of the village ("Hafnerfeld") and was a "mansio" (overnight stop) of the via Norica, which existed in the 2nd to early 5th century.

Windischgarsten was at the time of its foundation originally in the southeastern part of the Duchy of Bavaria on the Pyhrnstraße. In the course of the Carolingian organization around 800 a court of justice was created, which presumably, as the name suggests (sl. "Waldbergland"), has concentrated Slavic Slav population. In the 11th century this farm came as the center of an extensive possession of the diocese of Bamberg in Franconia. As the pilgrimage increased greatly during the 1st Crusade, was cut off from the courtyard, which was below the Pfarrhofberg, a Hube at Dambachübergang.

A church was probably consecrated in 1119. In the following decades increasing pilgrimage, the court ultimately dissolved in Huben and fief. On the Palm Sunday in 1170 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa spent the night in a large village. The eastern part of the village has been home to a street market since the 13th century. The place was now called, because in the valley many Slavs still lived, in contrast to Garsten at Steyr "Windischgarsten". At that time, the church of St. Valentine was at Pfarrhofberg, which did not completely disappear until the 17th century. As the environment in the late Middle Ages largely fell under the manorial Spital am Pyhrn, formed place and immediate surroundings a Bamberg "Hofmark", which later (1435) pledged to Spital am Pyhrn and finally 1688 was integrated into the rule. As early as 1383, Windischgarsten was referred to as the "market" and in 1444 the place was given a weekly market by the king. The bustling business was in 1462 a new large church (St. Mary). In the early modern period - the market numbered more than 60 houses at that time - the "provincial dedication" in the Eisenwurzen brought a rapid upswing. Confusion in the age of confessionalization and several fires damaged development. The market of the Baroque period - still today there are dignified town houses of that time - accentuated as the center of numerous scythe works complacent bourgeoisie. During the Napoleonic Wars the place was occupied several times. After that the place belonged again to 'Austria ob der Enns'. In the 19th century, a contemplative association activity and the expansion of central facilities (for example, district court) unfolded. Tourism also started. After the annexation of Austria to the German Reich on March 13, 1938, the place belonged to the "Gau Oberdonau". At the end of the war 122 Windischgarstner were killed or missing. 1945 was the restoration of Upper Austria as a federal state. Winter tourism has been revived since 1950, and in 1951 the alpine and nordic state championships took place in the ski run. Since 1964 Windischgarsten is a health resort. The place celebrated in 1994 the market survey 550 years ago.