Zwettl

Zwettl (Central Bavarian: Zwedl, Czech: Světlá) is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.

Zwettl Zwedl
Old Town Hall
Coat of arms
Zwettl Location within Austria
Coordinates: 48°36′12″N 15°10′08″E
Country	Austria
State	Lower Austria
District	Zwettl
Government
• Mayor	Franz Mold (ÖVP)
Area [1]
• Total	256.31 km^2 (98.96 sq mi)
Elevation	520 m (1,710 ft)
Population  (2018-01-01)[2]
• Total	10,908
• Density	43/km^2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	3910
Area code	02822
Vehicle registration	ZT
Website	www.zwettl.gv.at

History

Railway Viaduct over Zwettl and the Kamp river

The name originates from Slavic "svetla" meaning "glade". Although the etymology suggests an early population of Slavic people no archeological evidence has been found yet.[3] Zwettl was founded by the knights of Kuenring and was first mentioned in a monastery record in 1139. It was granted town privileges on December 28, 1200. Today, the Cistercian convent in Zwettl houses the only remaining manuscript of the life of the beguine mystic Agnes Blannbekin.

Geography

Zwettl has a total area of 98.9 square miles (256.7 km²). The town is found in the middle of Waldviertel at the confluence of the Kamp and Zwettl rivers. After Vienna and Wolfsberg in Carinthia, it is the third largest municipality in Austria by area.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	12,643	—
1880	13,121	+3.8%
1890	12,961	−1.2%
1900	13,617	+5.1%
1910	13,585	−0.2%
1923	12,946	−4.7%
1934	12,746	−1.5%
1939	12,806	+0.5%
1951	12,862	+0.4%
1961	11,374	−11.6%
1971	11,677	+2.7%
1981	11,479	−1.7%
1991	11,427	−0.5%
2001	11,630	+1.8%
2011	11,272	−3.1%

People

• (Johann) Michael von Puchberg (1741–1822), promoter and estate administrators of Mozart, merchant, philanthropist, born here
• Georg Ritter von Schönerer, (1842-1921), died here
• Hugo Jury, (1887-1945), physician and National Socialist politician, lived here
• Benno Mengele (1898–1971), electrical engineer, born here
• Walter Nowotny, (1920-1944), Luftwaffe officer, lived here
• Peter Härtling, (born 1933), writer and poet, lived here
• Josef Haslinger (born 1955), writer, born here (de)
• Christoph Jank (born 1973), footballer
• Florian Metz, (born 1985), footballer, born here
• Andreas Haider-Maurer (born 1987), tennis player
• Andreas Onea (born 1992), Paralympic swimmer, born here

References

1. "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
2. "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
3. "Der Name Zwettl" (in German). Municipal council of Zwettl. Retrieved 2009-02-18.

External links

• Zwettl Town website (in German)
• Facts about Zwettl provided by the Austrian Statistical Central Office (in German)