| Eisenstadt | |
| Settlement Type: | Statutory city |
| Pushpin Map: | Austria Burgenland#Austria |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 270 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Burgenland##Location within Austria |
| Coordinates: | 47.85°N 47°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Burgenland |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Statutory city |
| Parts Style: | para |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Thomas Steiner (ÖVP) |
| Elevation M: | 182 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Registration Plate: | E |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 7000 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 02682 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Budget |
| Blank Info Sec1: | €42.256 million (2021)[1] |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Expenditure |
| Blank Info Sec2: | €42.255 million (2021)[2] |
| Website: | www.eisenstadt.gv.at |
Eisenstadt (pronounced as /de/; label=[[Bavarian language|Austro-Bavarian]]|Eisnstod; Hungarian: Kismarton; Croatian: Željezni grad or Croatian: Željezno; Slovenian: Železno) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Burgenland. With a population of 15,074 (as of 2023), it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot of the Leitha Mountains hill range.
From 1648 to 1921, Kismarton/Eisenstadt was part of the Habsburg Empire's Kingdom of Hungary and the seat of the Hungarian noble family Eszterházy. During this time, the composer Joseph Haydn lived and worked in Eisenstadt as a court musician under the patronage of the Esterházy family. After the cessation of Burgenland to Austria in 1921, the city became the province's capital in 1925. As the state capital of Burgenland, it functions as a center of public administration and services[3] [4] and is the seat of three institutes of higher education.
Eisenstadt lies on a plain leading down to the river Wulka, at the southern foot of the Leitha Mountains, about 12km (07miles) from the Hungarian border.
Eisenstadt is divided into three districts (Ortsteile):
Furthermore, Eisenstadt is divided into five Katastralgemeinden:
Other informal areas of the city include Wiesäcker and Lobäcker, which lie south of the Eisbach, a tributary of the Wulka. The city is surrounded by the district (Bezirk) of Eisenstadt-Umgebung.
The city previously included the districts (Ortsteile) of Eisenstadt-Stadt, Eisenstadt-Oberberg, Eisenstadt-Unterberg, and Eisenstadt-Schloßgrund (Kismartonváralja).
The city's name means "Iron City" and was first recorded in 1118 as Castrum ferrum, referring to the history of iron mining and iron trade in the area. The first written mention of the town is from 1264 as "minor Mortin", matching the Hungarian name, Kismarton, which recalls Martin of Tours, the patron saint of the main church.
Archeological finds prove that the Eisenstadt area was already settled in the Hallstatt period. Celts and Romans settled somewhat later. During the Migration Period, the area was settled by different Germanic tribes and the Huns. Around 800, during the reign of Charlemagne, settlement by the Bavarii began. The territory became part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th century.
The fortress built on the original earth works was destroyed by the troops of Margrave Leopold III of Austria. In 1241, it was destroyed by the Mongol invaders. In 1373, the town came into the possession of the Kanizsai family, who rebuilt the walls surrounding the town and built a fortress at the site of the present day castle between 1388 and 1392. In 1388, Eisenstadt was given the right to hold markets by Emperor Sigismund.
From 1440 Archduke Albert VI of Austria held the town as collateral for a loan. In 1451, Matthias Corvinus ceded it to Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor in return for the Holy Crown of Hungary. Matthias Corvinus reconquered it by force in 1482, but Maximilian I acquired it again in 1490. It remained under Habsburg rule until 1622; however, the Ottoman Empire briefly conquered Kismarton in 1529 and 1532 during their advances on the city of Vienna (see Ottoman wars in Europe). It was destroyed by fire in 1589.
In 1648, it passed under the rule of the Esterházy family. These Hungarian princes permanently changed the face of the city due to their extensive construction, especially on their castle, Schloss Esterházy. During this period, the city was captured by the army of Imre Thököly in 1683, and it saw the defeat of the rebel kuruc army of Sándor Károlyi by the Habsburgs in 1704. It was again destroyed by fire in 1776.
The appointment of Joseph Haydn as the prince's Hofkapellmeister (court orchestra director, composing and performing music) began the great artistic period in the city's history. In 1809, Eisenstadt was occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars; in 1897, it was joined to the railway network.
Until the end of World War I, it was the seat of Kismarton district in Sopron county in the Kingdom of Hungary. Without plebiscite, the city and the entire Hungarian territory of Burgenland (with the exception of the city of Sopron and 11 other villages in which referendums were held) was annexed to Austria by the Saint-Germain and Treaties of Trianon in 1921. Since 30 April 1925, Eisenstadt has been the seat of the Burgenland state government and thus the state capital. During World War II, Eisenstadt was heavily bombarded. On 2 April 1945, it was captured by Soviet troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Vienna Offensive, and the city remained under Soviet occupation until 1955. In 1960, it became the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Eisenstadt.
The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Thomas Steiner (ÖVP).
The district council is composed as follows :
The total annual city budget of Eisenstadt in 2021 is €42.256.600 with total expenditure of €42.255.800.[5]
Eisenstadt is the seat of the university of applied sciences FH Burgenland,[7] the college of education PH Burgenland,[8] and the music school Joseph-Haydn-Privathochschule Burgenland.[9]
Eisenstadt formerly hosted a Joseph Haydn festival, the Haydn Festspiele, a viniculture festival, the Fest der 1000 Weine, and a tournament of the World Athletics Continental Tour, the Austrian Open.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Austria.
Eisenstadt is twinned with:
Colmar, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France
Manassas, Virginia, United States
Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Sanuki, Japan Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Sopron, HungarySee main article: Eisenstadt (surname), Asch (disambiguation) and Ash (surname). Eisenstadt (also Ajzenstat, Eisenstaedter, Asch, etc.), a Jewish surname, derives from this city.[15] Some people with this surname or its variants include: