Greifenburg | |
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 Coat of arms | |
  Greifenburg Location within Austria | |
| Coordinates:46°45′N13°11′E / 46.750°N 13.183°E /46.750; 13.183 | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Carinthia |
| District | Spittal an der Drau |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Josef Brandner (ÖVP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 76.28 km2 (29.45 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 644 m (2,113 ft) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[2] | |
• Total | 1,736 |
| • Density | 23/km2 (59/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 9761 |
| Area code | 04712 |
| Website | www.greifenburg.com |
Greifenburg is amarket town in the district ofSpittal an der Drau in theAustrian state ofCarinthia.
The settlement stretches in the upperDrava Valley (Drautal) between theKreuzeck mountain range in the north, part of theHigh Tauern, and theGailtal Alps in the south. From Greifenburg, a mountain road leads southwards up to theWeissensee lake andKreuzberg Saddle pass.
The municipal area comprises thecadastral communities of Bruggen, Greifenburg proper, and Kerschbaum.
The present-day settlement may have arisen from amansio calledBilachium on theRoman road fromSanctium (Villach) along the Drava River up toLittamum (Innichen), at the strategically important branch-off to Kreuzberg Pass.
Greifenburg Castle was first mentioned in an 1166 deed, then located within the lands held by theHouse of Gorizia (Meinhardiner); it was acquired by theCarinthian dukeBernhard von Spanheim about 1230. Duke Bernhard maintained Greifenburg, defeating the united troops of CountMeinhard I of Görz and his father-in-law CountAlbert IV of Tyrol with the support from his son Archbishop Philip ofSalzburg in 1252. Vested withmarket rights in 1267, Greifenburg nevertheless fell to theMeinhardiner dynasty, when upon the extinction of theSponheim dynasty theHabsburg kingRudolph I of Germany enfeoffed Count Meinhard's son,Meinhard II, with the Carinthian duchy in 1286. Duke Meinhard II died at Greifenburg Castle in 1295.
Upon the death of Meinhard's heir DukeHenry in 1335, Greifenburg, with the Carinthian lands, passed to theAustrian House of Habsburg in 1335. In 1460, CountJohn II of Görz officially relinquished all claims to the town in favour of EmperorFrederick III. In 1537 the Habsburgs enfeoffed their treasurer CountGabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg with the estates; his heirs held Greifenburg Castle until 1626.
Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2015 local elections:
Greifenburg istwinned with:
Schiffweiler, Germany
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