Hallstatt
Hallstatt | |
|---|---|
 The centre of Hallstatt | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Hallstatt Location within Austria | |
| Coordinates:47°33′43″N13°38′56″E/ 47.562°N 13.649°E | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Upper Austria |
| District | Gmunden |
| Government | |
| •Mayor | Alexander Scheutz (SPÖ) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 59.83 km2(23.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 511 m (1,677 ft) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[2] | |
| • Total | 778 |
| • Density | 13/km2(34/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Postal code | 4830 |
| Area code | 06134 |
| Vehicle registration | GM |
| Website | www.hallstatt.at |
Hallstatt(German:[ˈhalʃtat]) is a small town in the district ofGmunden,in theAustrianstate ofUpper Austria.Situated between the southwestern shore ofHallstätter Seeand the steep slopes of theDachsteinmassif, the town lies in theSalzkammergutregion, on the national road linkingSalzburgandGraz.
Hallstatt is known for itsproduction of salt,dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to theHallstatt culture,the archaeological culture linked toProto-Celticand earlyCelticpeople of theEarly Iron Agein Europe, c. 800–450 BC.
Hallstatt is at the core of theHallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscapedeclared as one of theWorld Heritage Sites in AustriabyUNESCOin 1997. It is an area ofovertourism.
History[edit]
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Part of | Hallstatt-Dachstein/SalzkammergutCultural Landscape |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, iv |
| Reference | 806 |
| Inscription | 1997 (21stSession) |
| Area | 28,446.2 ha |
| Buffer zone | 20,013.9 ha |
During theBronze Agesalt production became day-to-day commercial activity in Hallstatt. Salt was produced in large quantities in evidently highly organized arrangements. Specialist workers supported the salt mining operations.[3]Thewealththat was generated is on display in the prehistoric cemeteries in Hallstatt.[4]
In 1846Johann Georg Ramsauerdiscovered a largeprehistoric cemeteryat the Salzberg mines near Hallstatt (47°33′40″N13°38′31″E/ 47.561°N 13.642°E), which he excavated during the second half of the 19th century. Eventually the excavation would yield 1,045 burials, although no settlement has yet been found. This may be covered by the later village, which has long occupied the entire narrow strip between the steep hillsides and the lake.
Some 1,300 burials have been found, including around 2,000 individuals, with women and children but few infants.[5]: 26
The humans that settled Hallstatt exploited thesalt minesin the area from the 8th to 5th centuries BC. The style and decoration of the grave goods found in the cemetery are distinctive. In the mine workings themselves, the salt has preserved many organic materials such as textiles, wood, and leather, and many abandoned artefacts such as shoes, pieces of cloth, and tools and miner's backpacks have survived in good condition.[6]: 88
Hallstatt A–B are part of theBronze AgeUrnfield culture.Phase A sawVillanovaninfluence. In this period, people were cremated and buried in simple graves. In phase B,tumulus(barrow orkurgan) burial becomes common, andcremationpredominates. Little is known about this period in which the typical Celtic elements have not yet distinguished themselves from the earlier Villanova-culture. The "Hallstatt period" proper is restricted to HaC and HaD (8th to 5th centuries BC), corresponding to the earlyEuropean Iron Age.Hallstatt lies in the area where the western and eastern zones of the Hallstatt culture meet, which is reflected in the finds from there.[7]
Hallstatt C is characterized by the first appearance of iron swords. Hallstatt D displays daggers, almost to the exclusion of swords, in the western zone graves ranging from circa 600 to 500 BC.[5]: 40 There are also differences in the pottery andbrooches.Halstatt D has been further divided into the sub-phases D1 to D3 relating only to the western zone.[5]: 40
Major activity at the site appears to have finished about 500 BC, for reasons that are unclear. Many Hallstatt graves were robbed, probably at this time. There was widespread disruption throughout the western Hallstatt zone, and the salt workings had by then become very deep.[5]: 48–49
Much of the material from early excavations was dispersed,[5]: 26
- Finds from the Hallstatt site
-
A bronze vessel with cow and calf, Hallstatt -
A wood and leather carrying pack from the mine -
A bronze container with stand, Hallstatt Ha C -
A textile fragment from the salt mine -
Bronzesitula,800-750 BC
Romans onwards[edit]
Tourists are told that Hallstatt is the site of "the world's oldest pipeline",[8]which was constructed 400 years ago from 13,000 hollowed-out trees.[9]There is so little space for cemeteries that every ten years bones used to be exhumed and removed into anossuary,to make room for new burials.[9]A collection of elaborately decorated skulls with the deceased's name, profession, and date of death inscribed on them is on display at the local chapel.[10]
19th century[edit]
Until the late 19th century, it was only possible to reach Hallstatt by boat or via narrowtrails.The land between the lake and mountains was sparse, and the town itself exhausted every free patch of it. Access between houses on the river bank was by boat or over theupper path,a small corridor passing through attics. The first road to Hallstatt was only built in 1890, along the west shore, partially by rock blasting. Nevertheless, this secluded and inhospitable landscape counts as one of the first places ofhumansettlement due to the rich sources of naturalsalt,which have been mined for thousands of years, originally in the shape of hearts owing to the use ofantlerpicks.[9]
Hallstatt salt mine[edit]
The Hallstatt salt mine is the world's oldest working salt mine. The mine is located within theUpper PermiantoLower TriassicHaselgebirgeFormationof theNorthern Limestone Alps.The Hallstatt salt mine comprises 21 levels and several smaller shafts ranging from 514 metres (1,686 ft) above sea level (Erbstollen level) to an elevation of around 1,267 m (4,157 ft) (Erzherzog Matthias Schurf level).[11][12]
Tourism[edit]
The problems and opportunities of greatly-increased tourism in Hallstatt were covered byThe Washington Postin August 2019.[13]Halstatt's tourism began in the 19th century but greatly increased after it was named aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein 1997.[14]It became popular among East Asian tourists in 2006 when it was featured on a South Korean television show.[15]
Social media images of Hallstatt, captioned "the mostInstagrammabletown in the world, "went viralin Eastern and Southeast Asia.[15]A replica was plannedand then built in Chinain 2011 inHuizhou,Guangdongprovince, Hallstatt'stwin town.[14]In 2013, it was rumored in China to be the model for the movieFrozen's Arendelle village.[14]By 2017, local churches were employingbouncersto prevent services being disrupted by tourists.[14]In 2020, the town had a population of 780, and estimates of 10,000 to nearly 30,000 tourists per day,[15][16]primarily via bus tours which bring tourists briefly into the town for photo opportunities, then quickly move on.[16]
Hallstatt's economy depends on tourism,[14][16]but according to locals the day-visitors drive away tourists who would stay longer.[16]Hallstatt became the prime example ofovertourismin Austria and led to controversies around limiting the number of tourists.[17]The Austrian Public Broadcasting Organization made multiple documentaries about the situation.[18][19]
In 2020, the town focused on "quality" tourism.[14][20][21]From autumn 2020 there are assigned time slots for tour buses to cope with the problem.[22][14]The arrivals will be limited to 54 per day, which is about half of the current number.[23]Buses with an overnight booking in the town will receive preference.[14]
In August 2023, it was reported that locals had protested against overtourism, with the town of just 700 residents being visited by up to 10,000 visitors per day during the high season.[24]
Corpus Christi[edit]
When Hallstatt embellishes its Fuhren, the traditional fjord-shaped lake boats, with fresh beech leaves and flowers, and the entire village dons their Sunday attire, it marks the celebration ofCorpus Christi.This festival commemorates the Real Presence in the Eucharist and is consistently observed on the Thursday followingTrinity Sunday.Due to the limited land space in the small salt village, the procession was relocated to the lake on boats and barges around 400 years ago, primarily to offer a glimpse of the salt mountain, the longstanding workplace of Hallstatt's residents.[25]
Politics[edit]
Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2021 local elections:
- Social Democratic Party of Austria(SPÖ): 7
- BFH (Independent): 4
- Austrian People's Party(ÖVP): 2
Alexander Scheutz (SPÖ) has been mayor of Hallstatt since 2009.
International relations[edit]
Twin towns—sister cities[edit]
Hallstatt istwinnedwith:
Replica[edit]
On 16 June 2011, plans to build a replica in China were first reported.[27]On 2 June 2012, it was reported that Chinese mining companyChina MinmetalsCorporation built a full-scale replica of the entire town inHuizhou,Guangdongprovince.[28]
In 2022, the Chinese town of Hallstatt was the final location of the 12th episode of 1st Korean television seriesMoney Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area.In the episode it was named asKhersonin Ukraine.
Climate[edit]
Hallstatt, like much of Austria (seeClimate of Austria), has ahumid continentalclimate (Dfb) (Cfbif the −3.0 °C (26.6 °F) isotherm is used) with warm, rainy summers and chilly to cold, snowy winters. Precipitation is plentiful year-round, hence thefinDfb,but is at its highest during the three months of summer: Jun-Aug.
Spring is a short (March and April) transition season between cold winters and mild summers. By mid-November, fall has turned to winter and the nighttime low temperature is ~freezing, giving a growing season of April to early November.
| Climate data for Hallstatt | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
13.9 (57.0) |
19.0 (66.2) |
22.3 (72.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.3 (73.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
2.3 (36.1) |
13.3 (56.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.0 (46.4) |
12.9 (55.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
8.1 (46.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.5 (20.3) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
10.2 (50.4) |
11.6 (52.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 86 (3.4) |
86 (3.4) |
89 (3.5) |
110 (4.3) |
125 (4.9) |
172 (6.8) |
177 (7.0) |
153 (6.0) |
104 (4.1) |
91 (3.6) |
96 (3.8) |
104 (4.1) |
1,393 (54.9) |
| Source:[29] | |||||||||||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018".Statistics Austria.Retrieved10 March2019.
- ^"Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018".Statistics Austria.Retrieved9 March2019.
- ^Anthony Harding (2013).Salt in Prehistoric Europe.Sidestone Press. p. 88.ISBN9789088902017.
- ^Paul Freedman, ed. (2007).Food: The History of Taste.University of California Press. p. 57.ISBN9780520254763.
- ^abcdeMegaw, M. Ruth. (2001).Celtic art: from its beginnings to the Book of Kells.Megaw, J. V. S. (Rev. and expanded ed.). New York: Thames & Hudson.ISBN0-500-28265-X.OCLC47790275.
- ^McIntosh, Jane. (2009).Handbook to life in prehistoric Europe.Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-538476-5.OCLC261176933.
- ^Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia.Koch, John T. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. 2006.ISBN1-85109-440-7.OCLC62381207.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link) - ^Neal Bedford, Gemma Pitcher.Austria.Lonely Planet, 2005. Page 56.
- ^abc"Hallstatt's White Gold - Salt".20 May 2023.
- ^Matys, Simon.The Archaeology of Human Bones.Routledge, 1998.ISBN0415166217.Page 108
- ^Schorn, Anja; Neubauer, Franz (2013)."The structure of the Hallstatt evaporite body (Northern 5 Calcareous Alps, Austria): a compressive diapir 6 superposed by strike-slip shear?, in Journal of Structural Geology".ResearchGate.Retrieved15 January2022.
- ^Kern, Anton; Kowarik, Kerstin; Rausch, Andreas; Reschreiter, Hans, eds. (2009).Kingdom of Salt: 7000 years of Hallstatt.Vienna: Natural History Museum. pp. 12–33.ISBN9783903096080.
- ^"Nothing to see here: Popular European destinations want fewer tourists".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.Retrieved2021-06-24.
- ^abcdefgh"Austrian Village That Inspired 'Frozen' Is Dealing With Overtourism".KTLA. 2020-01-09.Retrieved2020-01-13.
- ^abcHutton, Alice (2020-01-05)."Alpine village begs Frozen tourists to stay away".The Sunday Times.ISSN0956-1382.Retrieved2020-01-13.
- ^abcdZu viele Touristen: Hallstatt zieht Notbremse,kurier.at vom 13. Mai 2018
- ^Wenn Touristen Einheimischen auf die Füße treten,derstandard.de vom 29. August 2017
- ^TV-Doku: „Hallstatt süß-sauer “Archived2019-04-04 at theWayback Machine,Sendungs-Homepage auf orf.at, 25. Oktober 2015
- ^„Am Schauplatz: Die Chinesen kommen “Archived2018-09-23 at theWayback Machine,Sendungs-Homepage auf orf.at, 20. Oktober 2018
- ^Street, Francesca (9 January 2020)."The adorable Alpine village of Hallstatt, Austria".CNN.Retrieved2020-01-13.
- ^Street, Francesca (10 January 2020) [9 January 2020]."How the village that inspired 'Frozen' is dealing with overtourism".CNN.Retrieved2020-01-13.
- ^Hallstatt begrenzt Touristenbusse,orf-online Oberösterreich vom 29. Januar 2019
- ^Wie Hallstatt sich gegen die chinesische Touristenflut wehrt,nzz-online vom 23. August 2019
- ^Bell, Bethany (27 August 2023)."Hallstatt: Austrian town protests against mass tourism".BBC News.Retrieved28 August2023.
- ^Fernandez, Angel (24 March 2023)."Corpus Christi en Hallstatt".Turismo Religioso.Travel.Retrieved27 March2024.
- ^Wainwright, Oliver (7 January 2013)."Seeing double: what China's copycat culture means for architecture".The Guardian.London.Retrieved2014-11-15.
- ^"Xeroxed Village: Chinese Secretly Copy Austrian UNESCO Town".Spiegel Online International.16 June 2011.
- ^"Chinese replica of Austrian village unveiled".BBC News.5 June 2012.
- ^"Climate: Hallstatt".Climate-Data.org.Retrieved26 December2017.
External links[edit]
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