!!!Kufstein

Kufstein, Tirol, town in the district of Kufstein, alt. 499 m, 
pop. 13,484, area 39.45 km%%sup 2/%, 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", 16%%sup th/%  
to 17%%sup th/%  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
F. Biasi, Kufstein, Eine Stadtkunde, 1976, 1983; idem, 
Kufstein, 600 Jahre Stadt 1393-1993, 1992; Oesterreichisches 
Staedtebuch, vol. V, part 1, Die Staedte Tirols, 1980.


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