Kufstein#

Kufstein, Tirol, town in the district of Kufstein, alt. 499 m, pop. 13,484, area 39.45 km2, situated in the Inn Valley, at the western foot of the Kaisergebirge mountains, near the border to Germany. - District Commission, district court, district command of the gendarmerie and the fire brigade, district branch of the forestry inspectorate, employment services (AMS), financial office, office of weights, measures and surveying, district water management office, customs office, office of the customs police, district agency of public works and culture, meteorological service, Enrich barracks, Economic Chamber, Chamber of Labour, district office of the Chamber of Agriculture, regional health insurance agency (Gebietskrankenkasse), hospital, counselling and youth centre, trade union youth centre, home for girls run by the Kolping Society, Grenzland stadium, community hall, Stadtsaal multi-purpose hall, Waldorf kindergarten, schools: Bundesrealgymnasium (federal mathematics-oriented secondary school), federal upper-level secondary school of commerce and trade, vocational school of commerce and trade, school of fine arts, Fachhochschule, school of fine arts, adult education centre; planetarium, town library, Kufstein-Langkampfen sports airfield, district heating plant, comedy festival in July. Economic centre, 7,730 people employed (1991), many of them commuters, 62% of them in the service sector (personal, social and public services, wide range of businesses,). Relatively significant industry: glass industry, metal-working industry with metal and machine construction; advanced-technology industry (e.g. special machines, hunting- and sports weapons, small component parts), manufacture of innovative products (e.g. lawn mower with catalytic converter); chemical industry, sports article production (skis, tennis rackets, etc.), tinware production, special textiles (rain coats), cement works. Tourism (188,328 overnight stays, particularly in summer), popular destination for day-trips. - First documented mention around 788-790 as "Caofstein", town charter in 1339, part of Tirol since 1505; gained economic importance through shipping on the River Inn, great fire in 1703; Late Gothic parish church (1660-1666, 1840-1844 remodelled in Baroque style, 1959 partly remodelled in Gothic style); Baroque chapel of the Holy Trinity (1705) with high altar from 1765; Gothic-Baroque church of St. Martin in Zell; pilgrimage church (1679-1681) with Baroque altar (1711) in Kleinholz; remains of a fortification ("water bastion", 16th to 17th century); castle and fortification (first documented mention in 1205, enlarged until 1522 by Maximilian I and his successors, 1552-1563 and around 1675-1740; today museum of local history and culture) with the Kaiserturm ("Emperor's Tower", 1518-1522), which is the landmark of the town, Caroli bastion, Josef castle, Francisci ravelin; in the Buergerturm ("Burgher's Tower", 1931) is the so-called Heldenorgel ("heroes' organ"), which is the largest open-air organ in the world (4,307 pipes, 46 stops); Thierberg Castle ruins with pilgrimage chapel (high altar around 1780, waxen votive gifts and Christmas crèche). West of the River Inn are several lakes: Stimmersee, Thiersee, Pfrillsee, Laengsee and Hechtsee.

Literature#