!!!Gmunden

Gmunden, Upper Austria, town in the district of Gmunden, alt. 
440 m, pop. 13,133, area 63.50 km%%sup 2/%. Climatic health 
resort (since 1862), tourism (155,769 overnight stays). Situated on 
the northern shore of lake Traunsee, where the river Traun flows out 
of the lake. - District Commission, District Court, District Office of 
Agriculture, Job Centre, Office of Financial Affairs, Office of 
Weights, Measures and Surveying, District Office of Construction Work, 
forestry enterprise of the Oesterreichische Bundesforste AG (Austrian 
Federal Forests), District Office of the Chamber of Agriculture, 
Chamber of Commerce, hospital, regional insurance office, 
administrative centre entrusted with all matters concerning 
recreation, health and rehabilitation facilities, conference centre, 
theatre, observatory, office of the Salzkammergut newspaper, 
run-of-river power station (opened in 1968, 48,000 MWh), cable car to 
Gruenberg mountain (alt. 984 m), Austria´s oldest electric 
tram (since 1894), airfield (municipality of Gschwandt), sports 
complex. School types: Bundesgymnasium and Bundesrealgymnasium 
secondary schools, boarding school for girls run by the Sisters of 
Mercy of the Holy Cross Order, 2 vocational schools, Vocational 
Training Institute, International Summer School. Nature reserve in the 
area around the Traunstein mountain (1,691 m). In 1991, 9,295 
persons in gainful employment; 64% employed in the service sector 
(mainly in social and public services, commercial and trade industries 
(esp. sports gear), banks and insurance companies). Production 
industries: Cement works, ceramics and china factories (sanitary ware 
by  OeSPAG and "Gmunden" pottery), manufacturing of menswear, food 
industries, machine and tool production (Energie AG Oberoesterreich), 
production of biomass heating stations, construction industries, 
printing works. - Until the 19%%sup th/%  century, Gmunden was the 
most flourishing trading town (especially in salt) in the 
Salzkammergut region province of Upper Austria; parish church, 
basilica from the first half of the 14%%sup th/%  century (frescoes 
1520-1530), 1713-1718 redecorated in Baroque style, high altar with 
the Three Wise Men by T. Schwanthaler (1678), ornamented tombstones 
from various centuries, Capuchin monastery (1636-1639), Protestant 
church (1871-1872), neo-Gothic interior; hospital church (1340 and 
1890), town hall. Museum in the former treasury (Brahms room, cribs 
and other regional crafts and exhibits from the 17%%sup th/%  and 
18%%sup th/%  centuries, archives and Hebbel estate), Cumberland 
Palace (nursing home); Ort Castle on Lake Traunsee (first documentary 
mention in 1138) with Gothic core (rebuilt after 1634) and a chapel 
from the 17%%sup th/%  century; Part of castle buildings is situated 
on a small island in Lake Traunsee and can be reached via a bridge; 
the parts of the castle from the 17%%sup th/%  century were renovated 
and refurbished in the 19%%sup th/%  and 20%%sup th/%  centuries. A 
unique ceramic carillon is displayed in the loggias of the town hall. 
Customs: "Gloecklerlauf", Dreikoenigsfahrt (boat trip over Lake 
Traunsee at Epiphany); funfair on the shores of the lake in July, 
festival of lights in August.

!Literature
Oesterreichisches Staedtebuch, vol. I, 
Oberoesterreich, 1968; F. Krackowizer, Geschichte der Stadt Gmunden, 
3 vols., 1898-1900; E. Operschal (ed.), Festbuch der 
Stadtgemeinde Gmunden anlaesslich des Jubilaeumsjahres 1978.


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