Graz (German:[ɡraːts]ⓘ) is the capital of the Austrianstate ofStyria and thesecond-largest city inAustria, afterVienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 including secondary residence).[4] In 2023, the population of the Grazfunctional urban area (FUA) 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 63,000 students.[6] Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe.[7]
The earliest documented mention of Graz dates to the 12th century, when it emerged as a fortified settlement under the rule of theBabenbergs. During theLate Middle Ages, the city developed into an important commercial and administrative center and, from the 14th century onward, served as the residence of theInner Austrian branch of theHabsburg dynasty. This period was marked by significant cultural and architectural growth, withRenaissance andBaroque buildings shaping the historic city center. Graz also functioned as a strategic military stronghold against theOttoman Empire, reflected in the fortifications constructed on theSchlossberg. In the 19th and 20th centuries,industrialization and subsequent modernization established Graz as a major urban and educational center, a role it continues to hold in contemporary Austria.
The name of the city, Graz, formerly spelledGratz[8] and also formerly known asGrätz, most likely derives from Slavicgradec/gradac 'small castle'. Somearchaeological finds point to the erection of a small castle byAlpine Slavic people,[9] who settled in the region after the barbarian invasions drove out the original Celts, as well as the Romans. InSlovene,gradec still means 'small castle', ahypocoristic derivative of Proto-West-South Slavic*gradьcъ, which descends vialiquid metathesis fromCommon Slavic*gardьcъ and via the Slavic thirdpalatalization fromProto-Slavic*gardiku, originally denoting 'small town, settlement'. The name thus follows the common South Slavic pattern for naming settlementsgrad.
Despite the Slavic root of the name, however, the city of Graz was founded by Bavarian settlers who arrived shortly after the Slavs, with whom they intermixed. The city's name first appears in records in 1128; a record ofGrez from 1091 is disputed.
The oldest settlement on the ground of the modern city of Graz dates back to theCopper 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 underBabenberg rule made the town into an important commercial center. Later, Graz came under the rule of theHabsburgs and, in 1281, gained special privileges from KingRudolph I.
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 theLandhaus, designed byDomenico dell'Allio, and used by the local rulers as a governmental headquarters.
Landhaus
Hauptplatz
TheUniversity of Graz was founded by ArchdukeKarl II in 1585, it is the city's oldest university. For most of its existence, it was controlled by theCatholic Church, and was closed in 1782 byJoseph 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 EmperorFranz I, and was named 'Karl-Franzens Universität' or 'Charles-Francis University' in English. More than 30,000 students are currently[as of?] enrolled at this university.
AstronomerJohannes 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 forPrague in 1600 whenProtestants 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 thePolytechnic in 1875.
Nobel laureateOtto 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'sstate (Land) ofStyria, orSteiermark 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 underMatthias Corvinus in 1481, and theOttoman Turks in 1529 and 1532. Apart from theRiegersburg Castle, the Schlossberg was the only fortification in the region that never fell to the Ottoman Turks. Graz is home tothe 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 ofEmperor 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 theBattle of Wagram in 1809, the fortifications were demolished using explosives, as stipulated in the Peace ofSchönbrunn 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]
ArchdukeKarl II of Inner Austria had 20,000Protestant books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in returning Styria to the authority of theHoly 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]
Aerial photograph showing the historic centre of Graz
Graz is situated on both sides of the riverMur in southeast Austria. It is about 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Vienna (Wien). The nearest largerurban centre isMaribor (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 theAlps. 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 mountainSchöckl is just a few kilometres to the north and surmounts the city by 1,100 m (3,600 ft).
Graz has anoceanic climate (Cfb),[14] but due to the 0 °C isotherm, the same occurs in a borderlinehumid continental climate (Dfb) according to theKöppen climate classification.Wladimir Köppen himself was in town and conducted studies to see how the climate of the past influenced theContinental Drift theory.[15] Due to its position southeast of theAlps, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly winds that bring weather fronts in from theNorth 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.
As of 1 January 2025, the city has a total population of 306,068 (with primary residence status orHauptwohnsitz), out of which are 215,785 (71%) withAustrian citizenship, 43,338 (14%) withEU citizenship, and 46,945 (15%) non-EU nationals.[23]
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 whyPeter Kozler did not include it in hismap.[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 theLyzeum of Graz in July 1811 on the initiative ofJanez Nepomuk Primic [sl].[27] A collection of lectures on the topic was published. TheSlovenian Post commemorated the anniversary with a stamp.[28]
The Castle Hill stairs (Felsensteig)Argos Apartment houseGraz downtownGraz OperaSchlossberg
The historic centre was added to the UNESCOWorld 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:
Town Hall (Rathaus).
TheCastle Hill (German: Schlossberg), a hill dominating the historic centre (475 m (1,558.40 ft) high), site of a demolished fortress, with views over Graz.
The Clock Tower (Uhrturm) is a symbol of Graz, at the top of the Castle Hill.
The New Gallery (Neue Galerie), a museum of art.
TheCastle Hill funicular (Schlossbergbahn), a funicular railway on the Castle Hill's slope.
The seat of Styria's provincial parliament (Landhaus), a palace in Lombardic style. It is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria and was built by Italian architectDomenico dell'Allio between 1557 and 1565.
TheArmoury (Landeszeughaus) is the largest of its kind in the world.
TheOpera House (Opernhaus), the principal venue for opera, ballet, and operetta performances. It is the 2nd largest opera house in Austria.
The Theatre (Schauspielhaus), Graz's principal theatre for productions of plays.
TheCathedral (Dom), a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there were many frescos on the outer walls; today, only a few remain, like theLandplagenbild ("picture of plagues") painted in 1485, presumably byThomas von Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks, all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz.
Themausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the cathedral, the most important building ofMannerism in Graz. It includes both the grave where Ferdinand II and his wife are buried, and a church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria.
The City Park (Stadtpark), located in the middle of the city centre during the Habsburg monarchy. It was designed by German architect Johannes Schirgie von Premstätten-Tobelbad. During the COVID-19 pandemic eccentric parties were celebrated which were later dissolved by the police. The responsible,[citation needed] Jonas Fabio Cristo Pinter, an Italian club owner, was arrested and the partying stopped. The City Park (Stadtpark) should not be confused with a similarly named shopping centre in Graz, called Citypark.
The Castle (Burg), with a Gothic double-helix staircase, built between 1438 and 1453 by EmperorFrederick III, because the old castle on the Castle Hill was too small and uncomfortable. The Castle remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves as residence for the Styrian government.
The Painted House (Gemaltes Haus) in Herrengasse 3. It is completely covered with frescos (painted in 1742 by Johann Mayer).
Eggenberg Palace (Schloss Eggenberg) a baroque palace on the western edge of Graz with State rooms and museum. In 2010 it was added to the existing World Heritage site of the historic centre of Graz.
TheMariatrost Basilica (Basilika Mariatrost) a late Baroque church, on the eastern edge of Graz.
TheJesus's Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche) is the largest church in Graz with the third highest spire in Austria, built in Gothic Revival style.
The Calvary Hill (Kalvarienberg) in the Gösting area of Graz with a 17th-century calvary and church.
The Graz University Hospital is the largest hospital in Graz and one of the largest hospitals inAustria. It is the largest Jugendstil building complex in Austria and was built between 1904 and 1912. It is run by the federal state Styria and is one of the most renowned hospitals in Austria and Central Europe.
TheGösting Ruin (Ruine Gösting), a ruin of a hilltop castle on the city's northwestern edge, and Plabutsch/Fürstenstand, behind Eggenberg Palace, with a hilltop restaurant and viewing tower, as well asBuchkogel/Kronprinz-Rudolf-Warte are viewpoints for vistas of the city.
Austrian Open-Air Exhibition Stübing (Österreichisches Freilichtmuseum Stübing), an open-air museum containing old farmhouses/farm buildings from all over Austria reassembled in historic settings.
TheLur Cave (Lurgrotte), the most extensive cave system in Austria.
Municipal election results since 1945Graz City Hall
For much of its post-war history Graz was a stronghold of theSocial 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 theAustrian People's Party (ÖVP) in 2003, which remained the largest party in the city council (Gemeinderat) until 2021. With the decline of the SPÖ, theCommunist 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 the2005 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 byElke 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 Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus Graz)Tramway MuseumView from the Castle Hill (Schlossberg) with the Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus Graz) in the centre
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 theRESOWI Centre by Günther Domenig.
Before Graz became European Capital of Culture in 2003, several new projects were realized, such as theStadthalle - a multifunctional space for e.g. conventions and concerts -, the Children's Museum (Kindermuseum), theHelmut-List-Halle, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) and the Island in the Mur (Murinsel).
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.
Graz hosts the annual festival of classical musicStyriarte, founded in 1985 to tie conductorNikolaus Harnoncourt closer to his hometown. Events have been held at different venues in Graz and in the surrounding region.
Referred to asSteirisch by locals, Graz belongs to theAustro-Bavarian region of dialects, more specifically a mix ofCentral Bavarian in the western part ofStyria andSouthern Bavarian in the eastern part.[33] The Styrian subsidiary of Austrian Broadcasting CorporationORF launched an initiative in 2008 calledScho 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 withStandard 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]
An extensivepublic transport network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing theGraz 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.
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, Istanbul, London, Munich, Vienna and Zurich.[35] In 2021 a two-linemetro system was proposed for Graz,[36] which would make Graz the second Austrian city with a rapid transit system after Vienna.
In Graz there are seven hospitals, several private hospitals and sanatoriums, as well as 44 pharmacies.
TheUniversity Hospital Graz (LKH-Universitätsklinikum Graz) is located in eastern Graz and has 1,556 beds and 7,190 employees. TheRegional Hospital Graz II (LKH Graz II) has two sites in Graz. The western site (LKH Graz II Standort West) is located inEggenberg and has 280 beds and about 500 employees, the southern site (LKH Graz II Standort Süd) specializes in neurology and psychiatry and is located inStraßgang with 880 beds and 1,100 employees. TheAUVA Accident Hospital (Unfallkrankenhaus der AUVA) is inEggenberg 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 inLend with 225 beds and one inEggenberg with 260 beds. The Hospital of the Order of Saint Elizabeth (Krankenhaus der Elisabethinen) inGries 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 theAustrian 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 aMobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) are operated by theRed 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 theOrder 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.
^"Graz Uhrturm".Austria-Forum (in German). Retrieved26 November 2019.
^ab"A Short History of the City".graz.at. Graz: Stadt Graz – Magistratsdirektion, Abteilung für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit. Archived fromthe original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved25 July 2017.
^Kober, Stadtportal der Landeshauptstadt Graz, Barbara."Statistik - ausländische Einwohner:innen".Stadtportal der Landeshauptstadt Graz (in German). Retrieved24 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^abGranda, Stane (2006)."Gradec in Slovenci"(PDF).Traditiones (in Slovenian). Vol. 35, no. 2. University of Graz. pp. 99–103.Archived(PDF) from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved17 December 2010.
^"Steirische Sprache".Steiermark: Das offizielle Tourismusportal der Steiermark. Medieninhaber und Herausgeber sowie Dienstanbieter Steirische Tourismus GmbH. Retrieved8 July 2020.
^Griffin, Mary (2 August 2011)."Coventry's twin towns".Coventry Telegraph. Archived fromthe original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved27 March 2017.
^"Groningen – Partner Cities". 2008 Gemeente Groningen, Kreupelstraat 1,9712 HW Groningen. Archived fromthe original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved8 December 2008.
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