!!!Melk

Melk, Lower Austria, town in the district of Melk, alt. 213 m, 
pop. 5,139, area 25.71 km%%sup 2/%, on the southern bank of the 
Danube, between the mouths of the Rivers Melk and Pielach, at the 
entrance into the Wachau region; landing stage, Danube bridge. - 
District commission, local court, Birago Barracks, local tax office, 
office of weights, measures and surveying, economic chamber, chamber 
of labour, local chamber of agricultural workers, hospital, 
information centre, episcopal seminary, Protestant pastoral office, 
child guidance clinic, road and bridge maintenance depot, Melk 
run-of-river power station (1982, 187 MW), regional 
administration of the Forest Technology Service for Torrent and 
Avalanche Control (Forsttechnischer Dienst fuer Wildbach- und 
Lawinenverbauung), Stiftsgymasium (collegiate secondary school) and 
seminary, school for adult education; Wachau Ring motor sport 
racing-course, Melk Summer Festival; 2,840 persons employed (1991), 
about 64 % of which in the service sector (especially personal, 
social and public services, trade); printing shop, plastics and wood 
processing industries, metal-works and heater production plant, 
building and construction industry; summer tourism (45,006 overnight 
stays). - Colonisation started in the Neolithic age, archaeologic 
finds from Melk and surrounding lands are on display in the town 
museum; 831 documented mention as "Medilica", in the medieval German 
epic "Nibelungenlied" (around 1200) as "Medelicke". After 976 main 
seat of Margrave Leopold I and his successors, in the 
11%%sup th/%  century founding of a canonicate abbey with a tomb for 
Austrian margraves; 1089 converted into a Benedictine abbey, 1113 
Leopold III donated the castle section to the abbey. Important goods 
distribution centre until the 17%%sup th/%  century, granted town 
charter 1898. Patrician houses with historical, mainly Baroque 
façades (late Gothic centre) around the St. Colman fountain 
(1687) on the rectangular market square. Parish church (late Gothic 
core, reconverted with neo-Gothic interior) with monumental Mount of 
Olives group (around 1520); early classisistic post house, richly 
decorated with stucco (1792). Abbot B.  Dietmayr had the Benedictine 
Abbey built as a Baroque abbey palace in a prominent place above the 
Danube by J. Prandtauer, 1702-1736 (completed by J. Munggenast); with 
its 362-m-long front and 1,188 windows it is one of the most important 
monumental structures in Europe; the collegiate church, one of the 
most important Baroque churches in Austria, was built by J. Prandtauer 
1702-1726, continued by J. Munggenast until 1734, restoration work to 
repair fire damage lasted until 1746 (the 63-m-high cupola was 
renovated in 1947 after a fire), contains works by the painters 
J. M. Rottmayr, G. Fanti, P. Troger, P. Widerin, magnificent high 
altar, splendid organ case (1733). Graves of Saint Colman and of the 
early Babenbergs with their wives (Baroque monuments). On the 
monastery premises, gateway and bastions, main building around the 
prelacy yard, partly erected on top of previous buildings, prelacy 
with banqueting room (picture gallery), paintings of the collegiate 
parish churches, "Melker Kreuz" - "Melk Cross" in the treasure-chamber 
(1362 and 1%%sup st/%  quarter of 15%%sup th/%  century), portable 
altarlet of Margravine Suanhild (11%%sup th/%  century), Monstrance of 
Saint Colman (1752); paintings of the Babenbergs and Habsburgs in the 
emperor´s tract, museum with Romanesque crucifix (12%%sup th/%  
century), panel paintings by H. Egkl (15%%sup th/%  century), Joerg 
Breu and P. Troger; huge roofless terrace-like balcony; library with 
ceiling fresco by P. Troger, fresco by J. Bergl on the upper floor, 
80,000 vols., 1,850 manuscripts, 868 incunabula; school tract with St. 
Colman´s hall - Kolomanisaal ("students´ chapel") with 
frescoes by P. Troger; residence for seminarians, park with garden 
pavilion (F. Munggenast, 1747).

!Literature
Oesterr. Staedtebuch, vol. IV, part 2, Die Staedte 
Niederoesterreichs, 1976; G. Flossmann, W. Hilger and H. Fasching, 
Stift Melk und seine Kunstschaetze, 1977; Zeitschrift Stift Melk in 
Geschichte und Gegenwart, 1981ff.; 900 Jahre Benediktiner in Melk, 
exhibition catalogue, Melk 1989; Arbeitskreis fuer Bezirks-Kunde, 
Leitung (Working group for district studies, head) G. Flossmann, 
(ed.), Herzstueck Niederoesterr. Der Bezirk Melk, 2 vols., 1990-1994.


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