- Bruneck
Infobox CityIT
img_coa =CoA civ ITA brunico.png
official_name = Città di Brunico
Stadtgemeinde Bruneck
name = Bruneck (Brunico)
region =Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
province = Bolzano-Bozen (BZ)
elevation_m = 838
area_total_km2 = 45
population_as_of =2004-12-31
population_total = 14148
population_density_km2 = 300
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|46|48|N|11|56|E
frazioni = Aufhofen (Villa Santa Caterina), Dietenheim (Teodone), Luns (Lunes), Reischach (Riscone), Stegen (Stegona), St. Georgen (San Giorgio)
telephone = 0474
postalcode = 39031
gentilic = Italian: Brunicensi
German: Brunicker
saint =
day =
mayor = Christian Tschurtschenthaler
website = http://www.comune.brunico.bz.it
mapy =
mapx =Bruneck (Brunico) (Italian: "Brunico"; German: "Bruneck";
Ladin : "Bornech"; Latin: "Branecium" or "Brunopolis"; is the largest town in the Pustertal (Val Pusteria) ('Puster Valley') in the Italian province of Bolzano-Bozen/South Tyrol. Bruneck (Brunico) lies at the confluence of the Ahr (Aurino with the Rienz (Rienza) (which itself flows into theAdige "(de. Etsch; lad. Adesc)" river).Bruneck (Brunico) lies 35 km (22 miles) from Brixen (Bressanone) and 70 km (44 miles) from Bolzano (Bozen) and from the
Brenner Pass . To the east, the town is 60 km (37 miles) fromWinnebach on the border toEast Tyrol .In 2001, 83.14% of the population was German-speaking, 14.91% spoke Italian and 1.95% Ladin.
History
Bruneck was founded by the Prince-Bishop
Bruno von Kirchberg of Bruneck, and was first mentioned on23 February 1256 . At that time the town consisted of two rows of houses forming a narrow lane. The town walls and moat were completed in 1336 under BishopAlbert von Enn . Soon thereafter, further rows of houses were built outside the eastern gate. These led to the small Church of Our Lady (today's Church of the Assumption of Mary). The first church inside the town walles (at first only a small chapel) was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgherNiklas Stuck . This church is today the "Rainkirche". In 1358,Heinrich von Stuck , Niklas's brother, funded thehospital /almshouse that was built in the following years.Soon the town received the right to hold a weekly market and impose high justice. A castle leader occupied the fortress as the bishop's representative.
In the 14th and 15th centuries there was brisk trade between
Augsburg andVenice . Some of the traded goods were brought through the Pustertal and often stored long-term in Bruneck on the Ballplatz. This soon brought the town prosperity and fame. In this time the Pustertal painting school was founded by the painterHans von Bruneck and others. The great mastersMichael Pacher andFriedrich Pacher also studied at this school. Michael Pacher's studio in Bruneck became one of the most famous institutes in the whole Alpine region. For this reason, Bruneck (Brunico) is also known as "Michael-Pacher-Stadt".In 1500 the
Pustertal was reunited withTyrol because of a testamentary contract between the house ofHabsburg and the counts of Görz-Tirol. The town of Bruneck remained an episcopal possession.In 1610 the town of Bruneck, which had previously belonged to the parish of
St. Lorenzen , became a parish in its own right. The first parish priest documented was Johann Herlin in 1613. In 1626 theCapuchin order came to Bruneck. The Fathers built themselves amonastery at the "Spitalangerle", which still exists today. In 1741 aconvent was built by theUrsulines .On
11 April 1723 the worst fire in the town's history occurred. In Oberragen, not far from the church, a fire broke out, which was soon spread by the strong east wind across a large part of the town, mostly destroying it.During the long-lasting
Napoleonic Wars the town suffered no material damage, but as a marching station went into great debt because of housing and feeding soldiers and infantrymen for many years.After World War I, South Tyrol and so also Bruneck became part of the Italian State, getting the Italian name Brunico.
The city was spared damage in
World War I , but inWorld War II the town was bombed, leading to loss of both life and property.Economy
After the war, industrial zones, workshops, and department stores were built, permitting the town considerable economic and geographic growth. In the 1960s, tourism was especially important to the town, resulting in the building of numerous new hotels and guest houses.
Today Bruneck (Brunico) is characterizied by the
manufacturing and service industries. Important tourist centers are found all around Bruneck (Brunico). Especially worthy of mention is the ski resort onKronplatz mountain.As of
22 October 2001 , the day of the Italian population and employment census, Bruneck (Brunico) had 10,692 employed persons in 1,678 workplaces, making it the second-largest employer of the province. It lay only just after Brixen (Bressanone), which on census day employed 239 fewer people. Five companies in the town employ more than 250 people each, and five more companies employ more than 100 people each.Twin towns
*flagicon|France
Brignoles ,France
*flagicon|GermanyGroß-Gerau ,Germany
*flagicon|BelgiumTielt ,Belgium
*flagicon|PolandSzamotuły ,Poland Gallery
External links
*it icon de icon [http://www.comune.brunico.bz.it Homepage of the city]
* [http://www.jarekmrzyglod.com/index.php/2007/12/02/brunico/ Photos from Brunico]
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