Salzburg

Salzburg, city, capital of Salzburg Bundesland (federal state), north-central Austria. It is situated in a level basin on both sides of the Salzach River near the northern foothills of the Alps and the Bavarian (German) border. The historic centre of the city, with its rich mix of art and architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

Salzburg was originally the site of a Celtic settlement and later of the Roman town of Juvavum. About 700 ce the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and the Nonnberg Nunnery were founded there by St. Rupert. Salzburg was made a bishopric by St. Boniface in 739 and was raised to an archbishopric in 798. Its archbishops were acknowledged as princes of the Holy Roman Empire in 1278, and the city became the seat of their powerful ecclesiastical principality. Among the most notable of the prince-archbishops were Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (reigned 1587–1612), who brought Italian Renaissance architecture and styles to the city, notably by offering commissions to the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi for public squares, a cathedral, and other buildings; Markus Sittikus von Hohenems (reigned 1612–19), who continued to rebuild the city with another Italian architect, Santino Solari; Paris, Graf (count) von Lodron (reigned 1619–53), who founded the city’s university (1622); and Leopold Anton von Firmian (reigned 1727–44).

A unique combination of scenic Alpine landscape and architectural richness has led to Salzburg’s reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Because of the building activities of its later archbishops, however, little remains of its medieval architecture, and several buildings were damaged or destroyed by fire in 1818. Its chief glories are the episcopal buildings and the burghers’ houses, displaying an Italian Renaissance and Baroque influence that earned Salzburg the designation of the “German Rome.”

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In the centre of the “older town,” on the left bank of the Salzach, is the Residenzplatz with the archbishop’s residence (1595–1619), a gallery of 16th–19th century European paintings, and a large Baroque fountain (1658–61). Opposite is the Residenz Neugebäude (Residence New Building; 1592–1602); its tower contains clockwork (1873) and carillon (German: Glockenspiel; 1705) that was imported from Antwerp, Belgium. The 35 bells that make up the carillon range in size from 35 pounds (16 kg) to 838 pounds (380 kg) and play many pieces specially composed by Michael Haydn and by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s most famous native son. The cathedral, or Dom, was the first church built in the Italian style on German soil, according to plans elaborated in 1614–28. It was constructed on the site of a previous Romanesque cathedral (1181–1200; damaged by fire 1598) and an earlier, 8th-century basilica.

Near the Mönchsberg (Monks’ Hill), a wooded ridge (elevation 1,617 feet [493 metres]) overlooking the old town, is the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter; most of its buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries, and its church (1130–43) was remodeled in the Rococo style. North of the abbey is the Franciscan Church, with a Romanesque nave (1223), a 15th-century Gothic choir, and Baroque chapels. Crowning Monks’ Hill is the great fortress of Hohensalzburg (1077; extended c. 1500; completed 1681), which served as the archbishops’ residence during the wars of the 15th and 16th centuries. Also on the hill are St. George’s Church (1501) and the Nonnberg Nunnery (founded 712/715; rebuilt 1000–09).

Among landmarks in the “newer town” (on the right bank of the Salzach) are St. Sebastian’s Church (1505–12; enlarged 1749), with the graves of Mozart’s wife and father in the churchyard; the Holy Trinity Church (1694–1702), designed by the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach; and the Mozarteum (1910–14), comprising a music academy, concert halls, and Mozart archives. Mirabell Castle (1606; originally called Altenau) was designed by Scamozzi for the prince-archbishop Raitenau’s mistress, remodeled (1721–27) by the Austrian architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, and reconstructed by Peter von Nobile after the 1818 fire. On the city outskirts are the Capuchin Friary (1599–1602) and the castles of Leopoldskron (1736) and Hellbrunn (1613–19). The university (1623–1810) was reestablished in 1962. The Kollegien, or University Church (1694–1707), is a Baroque masterpiece by Fischer von Erlach.

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A music centre for centuries, Salzburg was the birthplace of Mozart, whose house, No. 9 Getreidegasse, is preserved as a museum. It is also the site of the internationally renowned annual Salzburg Festival. There were music festivals in Salzburg at irregular intervals throughout the 19th century, and in 1917 Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Richard Strauss, and Max Reinhardt founded the Festival Theatre Committee, which mounted a festival at Salzburg on an annual basis. The Salzburg Festival now comprises recitals, concerts of orchestral and chamber music, church music, opera, and drama. The music of Mozart dominates the festival. The Festspielhaus (Festival Theatre), converted from the court stables built into the cliff of Monks’ Hill, consists of the Rock Riding School (1693), an auditorium for open-air performances; two large indoor opera houses (1926, 1960); and the Winter Riding School, used as a reception hall.

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Salzburg suffered relatively little damage during World War II and was the headquarters of the U.S. military forces in Austria from 1945 to 1956. Today Salzburg is the northwestern gateway to Austria and is an important road and rail junction with an international airport at Maxglan. It is one of Austria’s chief tourist resorts and an international conference centre. The city has large breweries; its manufactures include musical instruments, hardware, textiles, and leather. Pop. (2011) 145,270; (2017 est.) 152,367.