Werfen | |
|---|---|
 View from Hohenwerfen Castle | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Werfen in Pongau district | |
  Werfen Location within Austria | |
| Coordinates:47°28′30″N13°11′20″E / 47.47500°N 13.18889°E /47.47500; 13.18889 | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Salzburg |
| District | St. Johann im Pongau |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hubert Stock[1] (ÖVP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 153.99 km2 (59.46 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 548 m (1,798 ft) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[3] | |
• Total | 3,027 |
| • Density | 20/km2 (51/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 5450 |
| Area code | 06468 |
| Vehicle registration | JO |
| Website | Official website |
Werfen (German pronunciation:[ˈvɛɐ̯fn̩]) is amarket town in the district ofSt. Johann im Pongau, in theAustrian state ofSalzburg. It is mainly known for medievalHohenwerfen Castle and theEisriesenwelt ice cave, the largest in the world.
Werfen is located in the northwest of the historic Pongau region, about 40 km (25 mi) south of the city ofSalzburg. The settlement is situated in theSalzach valley south of theLueg Pass, between theBerchtesgaden Alps (Hagen Mountains and theHochkönig massif) in the west and theTennen Mountains in the east. TheSalzburg-Tyrol Railway line (Giselabahn) and theTauern Autobahn run parallel to the river. The region is known as thetype locality of the geologicWerfen Formation, aTriassic stone layer of theLimestone Alps.
The municipality comprises thecadastral communities (Katastralgemeinden) of Reitsam, Scharten, Sulzau, Werfen Markt, and Wimm.
Important trade routes passed through the Salzach valley since ancient times, when the area was part of the RomanNoricum province.Werven was first mentioned about 1140 AD. The settlement arose south of Hohenwerfen Castle, erected from 1075 at the behest of the ArchbishopGebhard of Salzburg during theInvestiture Controversy with KingHenry IV of Germany. It is one of the oldest markets in the formerArchbishopric of Salzburg, with market privileges documented since 1425. At about the same time, the nearby parish ofPfarrwerfen was established, like the neighbouring settlement ofWerfenweng in the east.
As the seat of the local administration, Werfen and the castle were heavily attacked during theGerman Peasants' War in 1525/26. From 1675 onwards, numerous people in the environment of the local knacker Barbara Koller and her son Jakob were sentenced and executed in theZaubererjackl witch trials. Werfen was also a centre of the expulsion ofSalzburg Protestants under the rule of Prince-ArchbishopCount Leopold Anton von Firmian in 1731. In the late 18th century, a largelimonite deposit was developed in Sulzau, which from 1770 became the most important ironworks (Konkordiahütte) in the Salzburg archbishopric.
With the lands of thesecularised prince-archbishopric, Werfen finally fell to theAustrian Empire by resolution of theVienna Congress in 1816. The Salzburg-Tyrol Railway line from Salzburg toWörgl opened in 1875, with stations in Sulzau, Tenneck, and Werfen.
The secluded Blühnbach Valley above the village of Tenneck is the site of theBaroqueSchloss Blühnbach, a former hunting lodge of ArchbishopWolf Dietrich Raitenau, which in 1908 was acquired byArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. After the archduke's assassination in 1914, theHabsburg-Lorraine dynasty sold the castle to the GermanKrupp industrial magnates. The Krupp dynasty held the premises until the death ofArndt von Bohlen und Halbach in 1986, today the estates are privately owned byFrederick R. Koch.
A small portion of a picnic scene fromThe Sound of Music was filmed on a hillside of the village of Werfen.Julie Andrews and crew filmed the opening shots of the "Do-Re-Mi" sequence with Hohenwerfen Castle in the background.[4] Hohenwerfen was also the location for some filming ofWhere Eagles Dare.
Seats in the municipal council (Gemeinderat) as of 2019 local elections:[5]
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