Kitzbühel

Infobox Town AT
name=Kitzbühel
name_local=
image_coa = Wappen at kitzbuehel.png

state = Tyrol
regbzk =
district = Kitzbühel
population =8437
population_as_of = 2008-1-1
population_ref =
pop_dens = 147
area = 58.02
elevation = 762
lat_deg=47
lat_min=26
lat_sec=47
lat_hem=N
lon_deg=12
lon_min=23
lon_sec=31
lon_hem=E
postal_code = 6370
area_code =05356
licence = KB
mayor = Klaus Winkler (ÖVP)
website = [http://www.kitzbuehel.eu/ Kitzbühel municipality]
image_photo = InnenstadtKitzbühel.jpg
Bildbeschreibung1 = Historic Centre of Kitzbuhel

Kitzbühel is a medieval city in Tyrol, Austria, situated along the river Kitzbühler Ache. It is the administrative center of the district ("Bezirk") Kitzbühel.

History

The first known settlers, who surfaced between 1100 BC and 800 BC were Illyrians mining copper in the hills near Kitzbühel.

Around 15 BC the Roman Emperor Augustus occupied the Alps and proclaimed the province Noricum. After the fall of the western Roman Empire, Bavarii settled in the Kitzbühel region around 800 and started clearing forests.

In the twelfth century the name "Chizbuhel" is mentioned for the first time in a document of the Chiemsee monastery. "Chizzo" relates to a Bavarii clan, "Bühel" describes the location of the settlement upon a hill.

Kitzbühel became part of Upper Bavaria in 1255. Louis II, Duke of Bavaria granted Kitzbühel the rights of a city on June 6 1271, and it was fortified with mighty city walls. During the next centuries the city became a center of trade, grew steadily and never was affected by wars. So the city walls were razed at the level of the first floor and used for building new houses.

When Margarete Maultasch married Bavarii Duke Louis V the Brandenburger in 1342, Kitzbühel became part of Tyrol. After the Peace of Schärding (1369) it was given back to Bavaria. On June 30 1504 Kitzbühel became part of Tyrol again when Austrian Emperor Maximilian conquered Kitzbühel and Kufstein.

Maximilian took mortgage on Kitzbühel, and so at the end of sixteenth century it came under the rule of the Counts of Lamberg. On May 1 1840 Kitzbühel was given to the state of Austria in a ceremony.

The wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth century didn't reach the city, whereas some inhabitants participated in the Tyrolean rebellion against Napoleon. Kitzbühel once more became part of Bavaria after the Treaty of Pressburg, but was reunited with Tyrol after the fall of Napoleon, at the Congress of Vienna.

When Emperor Franz Joseph finally resolved the remaining constitutional uncertainties, and furthermore railway construction of the Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn was finished in 1875, the city's trade and industry flourished. Also during World War I and World War II Kitzbühel remained far from the areas of war.

Tourism and Sports

Kitzbühel is one of Austria's best known and fanciest winter sport resorts, situated between the mountains "Hahnenkamm" (5616 ft., 1712 m) and Kitzbühler Horn (6548 ft., 1996 m). The Hahnenkamm is home of the annual world cup ski races, including the circuit's most important event, the downhill race on the famous "Streif" slope. This downhill is counted as one of the hardest downhill competitions in the world cup. During summer time Kitzbühel also hosts an ATP tennis tournament on clay, the Austrian Open.

In 2007 and 2008 Triathlon World Cup races took place at the local "Schwarzsee" lake. [cite web |url= http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TVRFdw=&id=MTEyMg=&kee |title= 2008 Kitzbuhel BG Triathlon World Cup |accessdate=2008-08-04 |work= International Triathlon Union]

The "Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye" is an annual festival of historic automobiles. It was first held in 1988. The first trip of the "United Buddy Bears" was 2004 to Kitzbühel, following by the first trip into the "big wide world" - when they went to Hong Kong and many other metropolises on all five continents.

A further sight is the 3S Aerial Tramway, the aerial tramway with the highest span in the world.

Transport

Highway B161, which connects St. Johann in Tirol with Mittersill, passes through Kitzbühel, intersecting here with highway B170 to Wörgl. "Kitzbühel Hauptbahnhof", "Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm", and "Kitzbühel Schwarzsee" are train stops at the Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn.

climate chart|Kitzbühel
-8|1|71
-6|4|67
-3|9|85
1|13|82
6|19|109
9|21|157
11|23|172
11|23|151
8|19|103
3|14|74
-2|6|82
-6|2|83
float=right
clear=both
source= [http://www.zamg.ac.at/fix/klima/oe71-00/klima2000/daten/klimadaten/tir/12200.htm ZAMG]

Historical populations
1869 |2982
1880 |3167
1890 |3290
1900 |3453
1910 |4021
1923 |4378
1934 |5294
1939 |5419
1951 |7211
1961 |7744
1971 |8020
1981 |7840
1991 |8119
2001 |8574
2008 |8437
footnote= Source: [http://www.statistik.at/blickgem/gemDetail.do?gemnr=70411 Statistik Austria]

People

*Peter Aufschnaiter (1899-1973), mountaineer and geographer
*Markus Gandler (born 1966), cross-country skier
*Christl Haas (1943-2001), alpine skier
*Ernst Hinterseer (born 1932), alpine skier
*Hansi Hinterseer (1954), alpine skier and singer
*Georg Hochfilzer (born 1937), Famous International Hotel Director of the Hotel Bristol in Vienna
*Jörg Jaksche (born 1976), professional bicycle racer
*Hias Leitner (born 1935), alpine skier
*Anderl Molterer (born 1931), alpine skier
*Toni Sailer (born 1935), alpine skier
*Klaus Sulzenbacher (born 1965), Nordic skier
*Alfons Walde (1891-1958), expressionist painter and architect
*Haddaway (born 1965), Famous musician, most famous song is "What is love"

Twin towns

Kitzbühel is twinned with [cite web |url= http://www.kitzbuehel.eu/system/web/zusatzseite.aspx?detailonr=34869817 |title= Partnerstädte |accessdate=2008-08-04 |work= Stadtgemeinde Kitzbühel |language= German]

*flagicon|USA Greenwich, United States, since 1961
*flagicon|Japan Yamagata, Japan, since 1963
*flagicon|USA Sun Valley, United States, since 1967
*flagicon|Italy Sterzing-Vipiteno, Italy, since 1971
*flagicon|France Rueil-Malmaison, France, since 1979
*flagicon|Germany Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany, since 1984

Notes and references

External links

* [http://en.kitzbuehel.com/ Tourist office Kitzbühel]
* [http://sabin.ro/gallery/album314 Kitzbühel Ski Slopes Photo Gallery]
*flagicon|Austria [http://www.bergbahn-kitzbuehel.at/en/ Bergbahn Kitzbühel]