!!!Leoben

Leoben, Styria, town in the district of Leoben, alt. 541 m, pop. 
28,897 (in 1981: 31,989), area 107.74 km%%sup 2/%, old iron 
industry centre and second biggest town of Styria, situated on River 
Mur/Mura.  Donawitz and  Goess are part of the town. - District 
Commission, district court, local hunting authority, mining authority, 
provincial court, social and labour court, prison, Employment 
Services, fiscal authority, Office of Weights and Measures, Customs 
Office, works inspectorate, local agricultural authority, office of 
the provincial government of Styria (building site management for the 
area), federal police authority, Leoben barracks, Economic Chamber and 
Wirtschaftsfoerderungsinstitut (Institute of Economic Development), 
Chamber of Labour, local Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, health 
insurance agency, hospital, counselling and information centre for 
upper Styria, marriage guidance, family and life counselling for the 
Diocese of Graz-Seckau, youth centre, counselling agency for 
educational psychology, day-care centre for disabled people, Sisters 
of Mercy of the Holy Cross, office of the Provincial of the Ursulines, 
school of the Redemptorists, Erich Schmid Institute of Solid-State 
Physics (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Institute of the Joanneum 
research association, Austrian foundry institute, Austrian dust 
control authority, technology transfer centre, Kammersaele Donawitz 
and Stadtsaal (multi-purpose halls), congress centre, stadium, Tivoli 
sports grounds, gymnasium, skating rink, Oberlandhalle (multi-purpose 
hall), art exhibition hall of the town museum, town theatre, public 
library. Schools: adult education institution of the Chamber of 
Labour;  University of Mining and Metallurgy, 2 Bundesgymnasium 
secondary schools and 1 Bundesrealgymnasium (federal 
mathematics-oriented secondary school), Hoehere Bundeslehranstalt fuer 
wirtschaftliche Berufe (advanced level commercial school), Hoehere 
Technische Lehranstalt (advanced level technical school), Vocational 
Training Institute with training and further training centres. 
Newspapers such as "Kleine Zeitung", "Obersteirische Volkszeitung". 
Important commuter centre with 14,028 employed people (1991), of which 
about 58 % in the tertiary sector (personal, social and public 
services, trade); production: iron and steel industry (steel at 
VOEST-Alpine Stahl Donawitz GesmbH, rails at VOEST-Alpine Schienen 
GesmbH, wire at VOEST-Alpine Draht GesmbH.) printed circuit board 
factory,  Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG, wood processing 
industry (novopan boards, saw mill), limestone and gravel factories, 
important construction industry; brewery ( Brau Union Oesterreich AG); 
concrete, brick and paint industries, foundries, electric power 
stations, tourism (41,914 overnight stays). Used to be an important 
mining site for lignite in the Leoben Tertiary depression around the 
Seegraben trench (closed down in 1964,  Norische Senke Depression). - 
Archaeological finds of the Bronze Age, burial grounds of the 
Hallstatt culture. First documentary mention in 982 as "Liubina", 
mentioned as market town in 1173, planned founding of town from 1261 
to 1280 by King  Otakar II of Bohemia in the bend of River Mur; 
already trade centre for iron in the Middle Ages, planned extension of 
town from 1885 to 1889; town parish church of St. Xaver (since 1811, 
1660 to 1665 built as church of the Jesuits), pilaster church with 
beautiful pulpit (around 1665-1670) and monumental high altar (1670). 
The town museum is in the former Jesuits´ school (demolished in 
1965, only eastern part of the building conserved) with frescoes 
(1715); museum of the Goesser brewery, Goess abbey museum; St. Jakob 
church with Romanesque core (parish church until 1811), after 1500 
late Gothic style and Baroque modifications in the 17%%sup th/%  
century, interior from the 18%%sup th/%  century, former high altar 
piece with view of the town (1772), burial monuments and stones with 
coats of arms; Assumption of Virgin Mary Gothic parish church in 
Waasen with Gothic choir (around 1400), tower (1900), vault paintings 
(1483), rich stained-glass windows (1410-1420) and beautiful new 
Gothic high altar (1845); former Dominican monastery (founded before 
1280, today provincial court and prison); Redemptorist church 
(1846-1847) and monastery; "Schwammerlturm" ("mushroom 
tower", 1616, cupola 1794, last preserved town gate in Austria); 
medieval tower, formerly the residence of the executioner of Leoben, 
remains of the medieval fortification on the southern side of the 
Postpark, P. v.  Tunner monument in front of it (1904); old town 
hall (first documentary mention in 1485) with tower of 1568; new town 
hall (1964-1973); houses with Gothic and Renaissance nuclei around the 
main square (new design by B. Podrecca); Baroque Hackl house; angel 
fountain (1794); miners´ fountain (1799); town theatre 
(1790/1791); University of Mining and Metallurgy (1908-1910); 
Massenburg castle ruins (13%%sup th/%  century, in ruins since 1820).

!Literature
G. Jontes, Leoben. Die alte Bergstadt, 1989; 
Oesterreichisches Staedtebuch, vol. VI, part 3, Die Staedte 
der Steiermark, 1990; G. Jontes, Leoben. Ein Fuehrer durch einst und 
heute, 1995.


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