Hüttenberg#
Huettenberg, Carinthia, market town in the district of St. Veit an der Glan, alt. 786 m, pop. 2,198 (1981: pop. 2,738), area 134.51 km2, main town in the upper Goertschitztal valley, at the confluence of the Steierbach and the Mosinzbach streams, forming the River Goertschitz; "Noric iron" has been mined since pre-Roman times (Knappenberg, alt. 1,064 m, siderite and limonite). Formerly second-largest iron ore deposit in Austria after the Styrian deposits, mining was discontinued in 1978, caused economic decline of the area and considerable decrease in population. Festival hall, show mine in the Knappenberg gallery (700 m long), mining museum, display of mineralogical collection, demonstration and research gallery, Heft open-air museum (2 blast furnaces, neo-Gothic ironworks around 1857, trail), H.-Harrer museum, Huettenberg geological centre (training centre), Huettenberg power station; popular destination for day trips. First documented mention 1266, from the 10th century until 1805 owned by the Archdiocese of Salzburg; late-Gothic parish church (15th century) with additions from the 19th century in Gothic style, post-Classicist high altar (1845) and Baroque Trinity group, Roman epitaphs on the west façade; Loelling late-Gothic parish church with Baroque high altar (1705); Silberberg Gothic-Baroque parish church; Romanesque parish church in St. Johann am Pressen, castle with Baroque alterations (Gothic core 16th -17th centuries) and Suessenstein Fortress (16th century). Every 3 years the so-called "Laubhuettenfest" festival, a miners´ festival with the traditional "Reiftanz" dance is held. Mineral finds in the vicinity.
Literature#
F. Muenichsdorfer, Geschichte des Huettenberger Erzberges, 1870; F. Ucik and G. Niedermayr, H. in Kaernten, 1991; Grubenhunt und Ofensau, exhibition catalogue, 2 vols., Huettenberg 1995.