!!!Retz

Retz, Lower Austria, town in the district of Hollabrunn, alt. 
252 m, pop. 4,284, area 45.01 km%%sup 2/%, located between 
the Weinviertel and the Waldviertel regions, close to the border with 
the Czech Republic. - District court, district Chamber of Agriculture, 
surveying office, customs office, road maintenance services, local 
health and social insurance office, branch office of the Federal 
Office and Research Centre for Agriculture, Caritas home for the 
disabled, public library, commercial college, training institution for 
the hotel and catering industry, OeAMTC leisure centre, waterworks; 
services sector dominates (mainly personal, social and public 
services, trades), building trade, concrete factory, wine growing and 
merchandising, some tourism. - Finds from the Neolithic period; first 
documented mention 1180, expanded in 1305, consists of the 
"grown" old part of town and the rectangular planned town 
(between 1280 and 1290); first documented mention of viniculture 1150. 
Fortification with corner towers and 2 gates preserved; extensive 
(approx. 10 km) cellars under the town (mainly 18%%sup th/%  
century); Baroque parish church with altarpieces by L. Kupelwieser 
(1852) and M. Altomonte (1730); high-Gothic Dominican church (end of 
13%%sup th/%  century) with neo-Gothic high altar and Baroque 
interior, altarpiece by M. J. Schmidt (1749); Dominican monastery 
(mainly 17%%sup th/%  century) with library, main building with Gothic 
core, with chapel of the Virgin Mary (alterations 16%%sup th/% 
-18%%sup th/%  centuries, late-Baroque frescoes); main hall of town 
hall with murals by M. J. Schmidt (1740/41); Baroque castle 
(rebuilt 1660-1670); former monastery estate of St. Poelten 
(1698-1702, today primary school and parsonage); town houses 
(16%%sup th/% /17%%sup th/%  century): "Verderberhaus" 
(16%%sup th/%  century), "Sgraffitohaus" (1576); Baroque 
Calvary Hill. Museum of local history and culture in the Altes 
Buergerspital. A windmill (1722), located west of the town, is the 
landmark of Retz. Wine festival in September.

!Literature
R. Resch, R. Heimatbuch, 2 vols., 1936-1951; 
Oesterreichisches Staedtebuch vol. IV, part 3, Die Staedte NOe., 1982; 
S. Jell, Entwicklung einer Grenzlandgemeinde am Beispiel der 
Stadtgemeinde Retz, master´s thesis, Vienna 1987.


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