Steyr#

Steyr, Upper Austria, statutory town, alt. 310 m, pop. 39,337, area 26.56 km2, third largest town in Upper Austria at the confluence of the Rivers Steyr and Enns, 11 districts (including Christkindl, Steyrdorf, Ennsdorf). - District commission, district court, district fire brigade command, district school inspectorate, district building authority, labour market service, area commission for torrent and avalanche control, provincial court and prison, tax office, health care office, Office of Weights, Measures and Surveying, customs office, Economic Chamber, Chamber of Labour, district Chamber of Agricultural and Allied Workers, Vocational Training Institute, office of the regional health and social insurance agency and outpatient clinics, hospital, advice centre for drug abuse, 2 day centres of the Lebenshilfe charity, probation assistance, Caritas (advice centre, reformatory), youth centres, cultural centre, youth counselling centre, Kolpinghaus centre, psychosocial and school psychological counselling service, vocational training centre, educational and rehabilitation centre, Dominican educational centre, parent-child centre, Friedensdorf International (relief organisation with projects in Albania, Afghanistan and Angola), town theatre, Stadtsaal (multi-purpose hall), Altes Theater, Youth Culture Centre, Wehrgraben multi-purpose hall, Theaterkeller theatre, Museum of Industrial Labour Environment, Steyrer Museumsbahn historical railway, ice rink, sports facilities, Tabor sports hall, Muenichholz leisure and cultural centre, Fachhochschule, Bundesgymnasium secondary school, Bundesrealgymnasium secondary school, commercial academy, vocational school (commercial and trade professions), advanced-level commercial school, upper secondary school of engineering, federal training institute of kindergarten teachers, school of nursing, adult education centre, district-heating plant and gas works, central administration of the Ennskraftwerke AG, forestry enterprise of the Oesterreichische Bundesforste AG (Austrian Federal Forests), central offices of the newspapers "Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten", "Steyrer Rundschau" and "Korrekt Zeitung"; 24,051 persons in gainful employment (1991), 54 % employed in the production sector, centre of the metal-processing industry: Main factory of the Steyr-Nutzfahrzeuge AG and Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG (driving systems) (production of power-driven and utility vehicles, vehicle parts, industrial engineering and systems engineering), production of roller bearings, BMW Motoren GmbH engine works, machine industry; popular destination for day trips, congress tourism (57,816 overnight stays). - The town developed around the castle, first documented mention as "Stirapurch" 985-991; town since 1170, owned by the Styrian Otakare until 1192, then handed over to the Babenbergs, part of the dominions north of the River Enns, confirmation of town status and settlement rights of iron and wood trade in 1287, centre of Austrian iron industry since the Middle Ages ( Iron). - Ancient Gothic castle, converted into the Baroque Lamberg Castle after a fire in 1727 (construction by J. M. Prunner); medieval "Roemerturm" tower; castle chapel and clock tower (1731); Gothic town parish church (1443-1522, 1630-1636), hall church after plans of H. Puchsbaum, M. Kronschacher and H. Schwedchorer; Gothic sacrament house with glass windows (14th /15th century), font from Laxenburg castle (1569), tombstones (15th - 19th century; the town parish church, the late-Gothic Margaretenkapelle chapel, the presbytery (1687), the late-Gothic sacristan´s house and the former cemetery (1572) form an architecturally homogenous unit; former Dominican church, rebuilt in Baroque (1642-1647) with Rococo interior, Jesuit church since 1865; Baroque church dedicated to St. Michael (1635-1677) with impressive high altar (1766), suburban parish church since 1785; former hospital church, altered late-Gothic construction with hospital (12th century); former Coelestinerinnenkirche Church (1676-1681), after the dissolution of the monastery (1792) turned into the town theatre; town hall (1765-1778, after plans of J. G. Hayberger), one of the most beautiful Rococo secular buildings in Austria; Innerberger Stadel (1612), formerly ironmongers' storehouse, now museum of local history and culture with collection of knives, ancient scythe workshop and the Steyrer Kripperl. The town centre is characterised by three-storied late-Gothic town houses with jutting upper floors and arcaded courtyards with façades converted in Baroque or Rococo style. Noteworthy buildings include: Schoenthanhaus and Madlsederhaus with Renaissance courtyard, Gothic "Bummerlhaus" (around 1497), Sternhaus; Dunklhof house with the most beautiful late-Gothic courtyard in Steyr (1520-1525); Messererkreuz cross (Plague Column, 1715); Monuments for J. Werndl (1894) und A. Bruckner (1898) by V. Tilgner; remaining parts of the ancient town fortifications: tower of the fire guards, Schnallentor Gate (1613), Neutor Gate (1573), water tower (constructed as pumping station in order to supply the town with water, 1572); Renaissance castles of Engelhof and Engelsegg. In the southern district of Steyr, pilgrimage church at Christkindl and former monastery at Gleink.

Literature#