Leoben

This article is about the city in Austria. For the football club, seeDSV Leoben.For theBattlestar Galacticacharacter, seeLeoben Conoy.

Leoben
Municipality
Clockwise from top: Old town by the river Mur, City parish church,SchwammerlturmandMurbrücke,University of Leoben, Main Square with Old City Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Leoben Location within Austria Leoben Leoben (Austria)
Coordinates:47°22′54″N15°05′50″E
Country	Austria
State	Styria
District	Leoben
Government
•Mayor	Kurt Wallner(SPÖ)
Area
• Total	107.77 km2(41.61 sq mi)
Elevation	541 m (1,775 ft)
Population (2018-01-01)
• Total	24,645
• Density	230/km2(590/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	8700
Area code	03842
Vehicle registration	LE
Website	leoben.at,

Leoben(German pronunciation:[leˈoːbn]) is aStyriancity in centralAustria,located on theMur river.With a population in 2023 of about 25,140 it is a local industrial centre and hosts theUniversity of Leoben,which specialises in mining. ThePeace of Leoben,anarmisticebetween Austria and France preliminary to theTreaty of Campo Formio,was signed in Leoben in 1797.

TheJustice Centre Leobenis a prison designed by architect Josef Hohensinn, which was completed in 2005.

Name

Leoben was attested in historical sources asLiupinain AD 904.The name is of Slavic origin, meaning 'beloved', and is derived from the rootljub-'love'.

Geography

Leoben is located in theMurValley, around eight kilometres east ofSankt Michael in Obersteiermarkand 15 kilometres west ofBruck an der Mur.The old town centre was founded in the "Murschleife", ameander.Today Leoben stretches on both sides of the river.

The area of the municipality is around 108 km², of which almost 79% is forested. The lowest point in the town is 515 metres above sea level, the highest point is the summit of the Wetterkogel at 1643 metres above sea level.

Past and present

Leoben is known as the “Gateway to the Styrian Iron Road”. The 13th-century Main Square features the Hackl House with its baroque façade in red and white. The City Parish Church, St. Francis Xavier, built in 1660, comprises a 17th-century interior and is considered one of the most significant Jesuit churches in Austria. Also of note is the Art Nouveau Lutheran church which is at the upper end of the Franz-Josef-Strasse.

The oldest convent for women in Styria isGöss Abbey.Founded in 1020 A.D., it was run by the Benedictine nuns until it was dissolved in 1782 and made the see of short-livedDiocese of Leoben.The early Romanesque crypt is of note as is the 'Gösser Ornat,' which can be seen in Vienna (Museum for Applied Arts). Next to the convent is theGösserbrewery, which includes a brewery museum.

Current cultural events include classical concerts in the Congress Leoben, productions of the Summer Philharmonic in July and performances of local and guest productions in the oldest operating theatre in Austria.

DSV Leobenis anAustrian association footballclub based in Leoben. The club currently play inAustrian 2. Liga,the second tier of Austrian Football. They play at theDonawitz Stadium.

Tradition & avantgarde

Leoben was shaped for centuries by the trade in iron and the research in raw materials carried out at theUniversity of Leoben,which was founded in 1840. Mining traditions still play an important part in city life. Examples are theMiners' Parade,the St. Barbara Celebration or theLedersprung( "Leather Jump" ). The Gösser Kirtag, a street fair, takes place on the Thursday after the first Sunday in October and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Leoben.

Other components of the vigorous cultural life of the "Mining City" include classical concerts in the Congress Leoben, productions of the Summer Philharmonics in July and performances of locally created and guest productions in the oldest still-running theatre in Austria.

• 
  Leoben around 1900.
• 
  View of Leoben in 2009.

Notable people

See also:Category:People from Leoben

• Gabriel GruberSJ, (1740–1805), an Austrian cleric and polymath of Slovenian descent.
• Alma Seidler(1899–1977), Austrian actress, member of theBurgtheaterfor over 50 years
• Friedl Kjellberg(1905—1993), an Austrian-Finnish ceramicist, used the so-called 'rice grain' method ofporcelain-making.
• Hannelore Valencak(1929–2004), an Austrian physicist, novelist, poet and children's writer.
• Egon Kapellari(born 1936),RCbishop
• Wilfried Morawetz(1951-2007), botanist
• Martin Weinek(born 1964), actor and wine producer
• Hannes Arch(1967–2016), an Austrian pilot who competed in theRed Bull Air Race World Championshipfrom 2007 to 2016
• Lisa Eckhart(born 1992), Austrian comedian,poetry slammerand cabaret artist.

Walter Schachner,2009

Sport

• Walter Schachner(born 1957),footballplayer and trainer, played over 460 games and 64 forAustria
• Wolfgang Klapf(born 1978), an Austrian football player who played over 500 games
• Gernot Plassnegger(born 1978), an Austrian football coach and a former player who played over 390 games
• Joachim Standfest(born 1980), a football coach and former player who played over 540 games and 34 forAustria
• Christian Gratzei(born 1981), an Austrian football goalkeeper, played 257 games and 10 forAustria
• Roland Linz(born 1981), football player, played 368 games and 39 forAustria
• Chris Raaber(born 1981),professional wrestler,ring name"Bambikiller"
• Christoph Strasser(born 1982)ultra-distance cycler,rode over 1,000 kms (620 mi) in 24 hours in 2021
• René Schicker(born 1984), an Austrian footballer and head coach, he played over 400 games
• David Sencar(born 1984), an Austrian football coach and former player who played over 450 games.
• Boris Hüttenbrenner(born 1985), a former footballer who played over 370 games

External links

• Media related toLeobenat Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• University of Leoben
• Pictures of Leoben and information in English language