Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and the second-largest in the federal state of

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carin ...

. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 61,887. Together with other Alpine towns Villach engages in the

Alpine Town of the Year The Alpine Town of the Year award is given to towns which have made exceptional efforts for the realization of the Alpine Convention and for sustainable development. The ''Alpine Towns of the Year'' are members of the international association of ...

Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. In 1997, Villach was the first town to be awarded Alpine Town of the Year.

Geography

Villach Innenstadt Hauptplatz mit Pranger NO-Ansicht 30012011 666

Villach is a statutory city, on the Drau River near its confluence with the Gail tributary, at the western rim of the

Klagenfurt Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...

basin. The municipal area stretches from the slopes of the Gailtal Alps (Mt. Dobratsch) down to Lake Ossiach in the northeast. The Villach city limits comprise the following districts and villages: }) * Dobrova (''Dobrova'') * Drautschen (''Dravče'') * Drobollach am Faaker See (''Drobolje ob Baškem jezeru'') * Duel (''Dole'') * Egg am Faaker See (''Brdo ob Baškem jezeru'') * Goritschach (''Goriče'') * Graschitz (''Krošče'') * Gratschach (''Grače pri Šentrupertu'') * Greuth (''Rute pri Beljaku'') * Gritschach (''Griče'') * Großsattel (''Sedlo'') * Großvassach (''Velike Laze pri Beljaku'') * Heiligen Gestade * Heiligengeist (''Sveti Duh'') * Kleinsattel (''Malo Sedlo'') * Kleinvassach (''Male Laze pri Beljaku'') * Kratschach (''Hrašče pri Mariji na Zilji'') * Kumitz * Landskron (''Vajškra'') * Maria Gail (''Marija na Zilji'') * Mittewald ober dem Faaker See (''Na Dobrovi'') * Mittewald ob Villach * Neufellach (''Nova Bela'') * Neulandskron (''Nova Vajškra'') * Obere Fellach (''Gornja Bela'') * Oberfederaun (''Gornji Vetrov'') * Oberschütt (''Rogaje pod Dobračem'') * Oberwollanig , valign="top" , * Pogöriach (''Pogorje'') * Prossowitsch (''Prosoviče'') * Rennstein * Serai (''Seraje'') * St. Andrä * St. Georgen * St. Leonhard * St. Magdalen * St. Michael * St. Niklas an der Drau (''Miklavž na Dravi'') * St. Ruprecht * St. Ulrich * Tschinowitsch (''Činoviče'') * Turdanitsch (''Trdaniče pri Mariji na Zilji'') * Untere Fellach (''Spodnja Bela'') * Unterfederaun (''Pod Vetrovom'') * Unterschütt (''Zabuče pri Brnci'') * Unterwollanig * Urlaken * Villach-Auen (''Log pri Beljaku'') * Villach-Innere Stadt (''Beljak - Mesto'') * Villach-Lind (''Beljak - Lipa'') * Villach-Seebach-Wasenboden * Villach-St. Agathen und Perau * Villach-St. Martin * Villach-Völkendorf * Villach-Warmbad-Judendorf (''Beljaške Toplice'') * Weißenbach * Zauchen (''Suha pri Vernberku'') In 1905 a part of the municipal area St. Martin was incorporated. In 1973 the city area was further enlarged through the incorporation of Landskron, Maria Gail and Fellach.

Climate

Villach has a cool summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

( Köppen ''Dfb'').

History

The oldest human traces found in Villach date back to the late

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

. Many

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

artifacts have been discovered in the city and its vicinity, as it was near an important

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

(today called ''Römerweg'') leading from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

into the

Noricum Noricum () is the Latin name for the Celtic kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. In the first century AD, it became a province of the Roman Empire. Its borders were the Danube to the nor ...

province established in 15 BC. At the time, a

mansio In the Roman Empire, a ''mansio'' (from the Latin word ''mansus,'' the perfect passive participle of ''manere'' "to remain" or "to stay") was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or ''via'', maintained by the central government for the use ...

named ''Sanctium'' was probably located at the

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

in the present-day Warmbad quarter south of the city centre. After the

Migration Period The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roma ...

and the

Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps The settlement of the Eastern Alps region by early Slavs took place during the 6th to 8th centuries. It is part of the southward expansion of the early Slavs which would result in the characterization of the South Slavic group, and would ultimate ...

about 600 AD, the area became part of the

Carantania Carantania, also known as Carentania ( sl, Karantanija, german: Karantanien, in Old Slavic '), was a Slavic principality that emerged in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern ...

principality. When about 740 Prince Boruth enlisted the aid of Duke Odilo of Bavaria against the invading Avars, he had to accept Bavarian overlordship. An 878 deed of donation, issued by the Carolingian ruler Carloman of Bavaria, mentioned a bridge (''ad pontem Uillach'') near the royal court of Treffen, in what is today Villach. In 979 Emperor

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy ...

enfeoffed Bishop Albuin of

Brixen Brixen (, ; it, Bressanone ; lld, Porsenù or ) is a town in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Geography First mentioned in 901, Brixen is the third largest city and oldest town in the province, and the artistic an ...

with the Villach manor. After his death, King Henry II in 1007 ceded the settlement to the newly established Bishopric of Bamberg. The bishops also held the adjacent estates along the strategically important route to Italy up to Pontafel, which they retained until 1759 while the surrounding

Carinthian Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carint ...

ducal lands passed to the Austrian

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

in 1335.

Villach received

market rights A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small r ...

in 1060, though it was not mentioned as a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in records until about 1240. The parish church dedicated to St. James was first documented in 1136. Emperor Frederick II conferred the citizens the right to hold an annual fair on the feast of 25 July (''Jakobitag'') in 1222. The 1348 Friuli earthquake devastated large parts of the town; another devastating earthquake occurred in 1690. There were also several fires in Villach, which destroyed many buildings. The first documented mayor took office in the 16th century. From 1526 onwards, many citizens turned

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

and the Villach parish became a centre of the new faith within the Carinthian estates, which entailed harsh

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

measures by the ecclesiastical rulers. From about 1600, numerous residents were forced to leave the town, precipitating an economic decline. In 1759 the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

formally purchased the Bamberg territories in Carinthia for a price of one million

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purc ...

s. Villach was incorporated into the "hereditary lands" of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

and became the administrative seat of a Carinthian district. During the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

, the city was occupied by

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

troops and became part of the short-lived Illyrian Provinces from 1809, until it was re-conquered by the forces of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central- Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

in 1813 and incorporated into the Austrian

Kingdom of Illyria The Kingdom of Illyria was a crown land of the Austrian Empire from 1816 to 1849, the successor state of the Napoleonic Illyrian Provinces, which were reconquered by Austria in the War of the Sixth Coalition. It was established according to th ...

by 1816. The city's economy was decisively promoted by a western branch of the Southern Railway line, which finally reached Villach in 1864, providing growth and expansion. By 1880, the town had a population of 6,104. In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Villach near the Italian front was the seat of the 10th Army command of the Austro-Hungarian Army. The town obtained statutory city status during the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relative ...

on 1 January 1932. After the Austrian ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germa ...

'' to

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

in 1938, the mayor of Villach was Oskar Kraus, an enthusiastic

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

. On 9 November 1938 Villach was a site of the nationwide '' Kristallnacht'' pogroms with violent attacks on the

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

population. A memorial for the 1919 border conflict that led to the Carinthian Plebiscite caused controversy when it was inaugurated in 2002, as Kraus, who had not been especially prominent in the conflict, was the only person named. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, allied forces bombed Villach 37 times. About 42,500 bombs killed 300 people and damaged 85% of the buildings. Nevertheless, the city quickly recovered. Today, Villach is a bustling city with commerce and recreation, yet it retains its historic background.

Population

Politics

Villach - Blick von der Stadtparrkirche auf den Rathausplatz

Municipal council

The municipal council (''Gemeinderat'') consists of 45 members, with the mayor as president, and following the 2015 elections:Wahlstatistiken – Stadt Villach
/ref> * Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ): 23 seats * Austrian People's Party (ÖVP): 10 seats * Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ): 7 seats *

Austrian Green Party Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example ...

: 3 seats * Verantwortung Erde: 1 seat * NEOS: 1 seat

City government

The city government of Villach (Stadtsenat) consists of seven members. It is chaired by the mayor, who is directly elected by the people. The other members—two vice-mayors and four town councillors—are appointed by the municipal council, with party affiliations according to the election results. *''Mayor'' Günther Albel, SPÖ *''First vice-mayor'' Mag. Dr. Petra Oberrauner, SPÖ *''Second vice-mayor'' Mag. Gerda Sandriesser, SPÖ *''Councillor'' Mag. Peter F. Weidinger, ÖVP *''Councillor'' Erwin Baumann, FPÖ *''Councillor'' Mag. Harald Sobe, SPÖ *''Councillor'' Katharina Spanring, ÖVP In the March 2015 elections, Günther Albel was elected with 55.46 per cent of the votes cast.Wahlergebnisse 2015

Twin towns—sister cities

Villach is twinned with: *

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castl ...

, Germany *

Udine Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...

, Italy * Suresnes, France

Festivals

There are several

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

s throughout the year: *The carnival in Villach (which starts on November 11 and ends on March 4) *The arts and crafts festival (with self made goods) *''Villacher Fasching'' or '' Mardi Gras'' *The streets-art festival (displays performances of artists and singers) *The "''Villacher Kirchtag''" (a festival spanning a whole week in summer and ends on August's first Saturday.) *Performances on a floating stage on the ''Drau River''

Notable citizens

Guido Burgstaller - AUT-ROM-freundschaftsspiel - 2012-06-05

* Anton Janežič, (1828 in St. Jakob im Rosental – 1869) Carinthian Slovene linguist, philologist, author, and literary historian. *

Oskar Potiorek Oskar Potiorek (20 November 1853 – 17 December 1933) was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army, who served as Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1911 to 1914. He was a passenger in the car carrying Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austr ...

(1853 in Bad Bleiberg – 1933) Austro-Hungarian Army officer, Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo from 1911 to 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated there *

Anton Ghon Anton Ghon (1 January 1866 – 23 April 1936) was an Austrian pathologist and bacteriologist. He is best known for his research on tuberculosis (Ghon's complex). Biography Ghon was born on January 1, 1866, in Villach. From 1884 to 1890, Ghon ...

(1866 in Villach – 1936) Austrian

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...

viz

Ghon focus A Ghon focus is a primary lesion usually subpleural, often in the mid to lower zones, caused by ''Mycobacterium'' bacilli (tuberculosis) developed in the lung of a nonimmune host (usually a child). It is named for Anton Ghon (1866–1936), an Au ...

and Ghon's complex * Hans Kurath (1891 in Villach – 1992) American linguist of Austrian origin, emigrated to the US in 1907 *

Carl-Heinz Birnbacher Carl-Heinz Birnbacher (26 May 1910 – 5 December 1991) was an admiral in the German Navy, West German Navy. During World War II, he served in the Kriegsmarine and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Awards ...

(1910 in Villach – 1991) German naval officer of Austrian origin, Vice admiral of the German Navy *

Albert Bach Albert Bach (November 29, 1910 – July 22, 2003) was an Austrian Nazi, soldier, at last in the rank of a Generalmajor, and skier. In 1936 he was also leader of the national Olympic military patrol team, which finished fourth at the 1936 Win ...

(1910 in Treffen – 2003) Austrian soldier, Generalmajor, and skier, competed at the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

. * Hubert Petschnigg (1913 – 1997) Austrian architect, born in Klagenfurt, went to school in Villach. *

Heidemarie Hatheyer Heidemarie Hatheyer (8 April 1918 – 11 May 1990) was an Austrian film actress. She appeared in 43 films between 1938 and 1988. Selected filmography *'' The Mountain Calls'' (1938) * ''Frau Sixta'' (1938) * '' The Vulture Wally'' (1940) * ...

(1918 in Villach – 1990) Austrian film actress, appearing in 43 films between 1938 and 1988 *

Paul Watzlawick Paul Watzlawick (July 25, 1921 – March 31, 2007) was an Austrian-American family therapist, psychologist, communication theorist, and philosopher. A theoretician in communication theory and radical constructivism, he commented in the fields ...

(1921 in Villach – 2007) Austrian-American therapist, psychologist, communications theorist and philosopher. * Kurt Diemberger (born 1932), mountaineer and author * Bruno Gironcoli (1936 in Villach – 2010) Austrian modern artist *

Heidelinde Weis Heidelinde Weis (born 17 September 1940 in Villach, Carinthia) is an Austrian actress. Selected filmography * '' I'm Marrying the Director'' (1960) * '' Dead Woman from Beverly Hills'' (1964) * ''Condemned to Sin'' (1964) * '' Don't Tell Me Any ...

(born 1940) Austrian actress *

Hermann Knoflacher Hermann Knoflacher (born 21 September 1940 in Villach) is an Austrian civil engineer. He was the head of the Institute for Transport Planning and Technology at the Vienna University of Technology. Life and teachings Knoflacher completed degrees ...

(born 1940 in Villach) Austrian

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

. * Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (born 1944 in Villach), former

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...

Group *

George Zebrowski George Zebrowski (born December 28, 1945) is an American science fiction writer and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives with author Pamela ...

(born 1945 in Villach) American science fiction author and editor * Zoltan J. Acs (born 1947 in Villach) American economist and Professor of Management at The

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 milli ...

Felix Tretter Felix Tretter (born in 1949 in Villach, Austria) is an Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist. From 1992 to 2014 he was head of the addiction department of the Isar-Amper-Klinikum München-Ost, formerly known as ''Bezirkskrankenhaus Haar'', Bav ...

(born 1949 in Villach) Austrian psychologist, psychiatrist and cybernetician *

Werner Kofler Werner Kofler (23 July 1947 – 8 December 2011) was an Austrian novelist was born in Villach, Austria, and died in Vienna. Life Werner Kofler was the son of a merchant. He broke off his teacher training at the teacher training college in Kla ...

(1947 in Villach – 2011) Austrian

postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...

novelist * Gerald Kargl (born 1953 in Villach) Austrian film director most famous for directing the 1983 film Angst *

Wolfgang Ilgenfritz Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (10 January 1957; Villach, Austria – 18 January 2013; Villach) was an Austrian politician and most notably a non-attached Member of the European Parliament. He served for one parliamentary term (20 July 1999 – 19 July 2004 ...

(1957 in Villach – 2013) Austrian politician and notably a

non-attached Non-Inscrits (; abbreviated NI; also non-attached members, abbreviated NA) are Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who do not belong to one of the recognised political groups. These MEPs may be members of a national party, or of a Europe ...

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

Gernot Rumpold Gernot Rumpold (born September 11, 1957) is an Austrian politician, best known for his association with Jörg Haider. Rumpold was born in Villach, Carinthia, and attended schools in Pinkafeld, apprenticing as an electrician. From the 1970s, he ...

(born 1957 in Villach) Austrian politician, associate of Jörg Haider *

Peter Löscher Peter Löscher (born 17 September 1957 in Villach, Austria) is an Austrian manager who was the CEO of Siemens from 2007 until 2013. As of 2017, Löscher remains as the only CEO to be hired from outside the conglomerate in the 170-year history ...

(born 1957 in Villach) Austrian businessman with

Merck & Co Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and is named for Merck Group, founded in Germany in 1668, of whom it was once the American arm. The company does business as Merck Sharp ...

now CEO of

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', ''E ...

since 2007 *

Michael Martin Kofler Michael Martin Kofler (born 9 April 1966) is an Austrian flutist. Since 1987 he has been solo flutist with the Munich Philharmonic. Training Born in Villach, Kofler received his first flute lessons at the age of ten. Later he was a young stude ...

(born 1966), classical flautist * Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek (born 1969 in Villach) Austrian politician of the

Alexander Kaimbacher Alexander Kaimbacher (born 26 December 1969) is an Austrian opera, operetta, oratorio, Lied and concert tenor. Life Born in Villach, Kaimbacher studied music, theatre studies and German at the University of Vienna, as well as acting and singin ...

(born 1969), Austrian operatic tenor * Florian Hufsky (1986 in Villach – 2009) Austrian new media artist, board member of the

Pirate Party of Austria The Pirate Party of Austria (german: Piratenpartei Österreichs, PIRAT) is a political party in Austria and part of the global Pirate Party movement which advocates what has come to be known as Pirate politics. It is mostly known for opposing th ...

Sport

Ernst Melchior Ernst Melchior (26 June 1920 – 5 August 1978) was an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Melchior was born in Villach. He played seven years for Austrian club Austria Wien before moving to France whe ...

(1920 in Villach – 1978) Austrian football player for

Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria ( German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the mo ...

, FC Rouen and

FC Nantes Football Club de Nantes (; Gallo: ''Naunnt''), commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes (), is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, as ...

Hanns Brandstätter Hanns Brandstätter (born 4 June 1949) is an Austrian fencer. He competed in at the 1972, 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an intern ...

(born 1949 in Villach) Austrian fencer. He competed in at the 72, 76, and

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

* Johann "Hans" Lindner (born 1959 in Tragail) hammer thrower

and bobsledder in

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games ( Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки иг� ...

Alfred Groyer Alfred Groyer (born 8 January 1959 in Villach) is an Austrian former ski jumper who competed from 1978 to 1984. He finished seventh in the individual normal hill event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a vil ...

(born 1959) Austrian former ski jumper who competed from 1978 to 1984 and in the

1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...

Alex Antonitsch Alexander Antonitsch (born 8 February 1966) is a former tennis player from Austria, who turned professional in 1988. Antonitsch won one singles title (1990, Seoul) and four doubles titles during his career. The right-hander reached his highest s ...

(born 1966 in Villach) former tennis player from Austria, turned professional in 1988 *

Bärbel Jungmeier Bärbel Jungmeier (born 8 July 1975) is a road cyclist and mountain bike rider from Austria. She represented her nation at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Women's cross-country. She also competed at the 2006 UCI Road World Championships 6 ( ...

(born 1975 in Villach) road cyclist and mountain bike rider competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics *

Gerhard Unterluggauer Gerhard Unterluggauer (born August 15, 1976) is an Austrian former professional ice hockey defenceman who Captained EC VSV in the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). He participated at the 2011 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Austria men's ...

(born 1976 in Villach) Austrian former professional ice hockey defenceman *

Roland Kollmann Roland Kollmann (born 8 October 1976) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for Grazer AK until January 2012 when he moved to Carinthia (his "home province") and played for "SVG Bleiburg" (4th divisio ...

(born 1976 in Villach) retired Austrian football for

Grazer AK Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletiksport Klub (in Austria the abbreviation GAK is more common), is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria (''Steiermark''). The football section used to be on ...

Daniel Mesotitsch Daniel Mesotitsch (born 22 May 1976) is an Austrian former biathlete. Career Mesotitsch originally competed in cross-country skiing. However, in 1997 he was injured in a car crash and took up shooting during his recovery when he was unable to un ...

(born 1976 in Villach) Austrian biathlete * Friedrich Pinter (born 1978 in Villach) Austrian former biathlete * Martin Koch (born 1982 in Villach) Austrian former ski jumper *

Michael Grabner Michael-René Grabner (born 5 October 1987) is an Austrian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. Grabner grew up playing for the local team in Villach, EC VSV. He moved to North America at the age of 17 an ...

, (born 1987 in Villach) Austrian professional ice hockey player for

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

Marc Sand Marc Sand (born 23 January 1988 in Rosegg, Carinthia) is an Austrian footballer, who plays for SK Austria Klagenfurt. Club career Sand made his professional debut for Second Division FC Kärnten in the 2005/2006 season and moved to VfL Bochum i ...

(born 1988 in Rosegg) Austrian footballer, who plays for SK Austria Klagenfurt * Michael Raffl (born 1988 in Villach) Austrian professional ice hockey left winger for Dallas Stars of

Guido Burgstaller Guido Burgstaller (; born 29 April 1989) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Rapid Wien. Club career Cardiff City On 23 May 2014, Burgstaller joined Cardiff City on a three-year deal as Ole Gunnar Solskjær's sec ...

(born 1989 in Villach) Austrian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Rapid Wien * Anna Gasser (born 1991 in Villach) Austrian snowboarder, two-time Olympic gold medalist in Big Air (

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

and 2022) *

Marco Schwarz Marco Schwarz (born 16 August 1995) is an Austrian FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer. He focuses on the technical events of Slalom skiing, slalom and giant slalom, as well as the Alpine skiing combined, combined ...

(born 1995 in Villach) Austrian World Cup alpine ski racer *

Christopher Höher Christopher Höher (born 19 May 1997) is an Austrian racing driver. Career Formula 3 Höher began his career in racing in 2011 in a Dallara 302 Opel Spiess for Franz Wöss Racing at the Austria Formula 3 Cup at the age of 13 years. His car ...

(born 1997 in Villach) Austrian racing driver

References

External links

*
Villach - Official website
(English version)
Kowatsch
- Villach Bus System official site
Official website of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences - FH Kärnten
{{Authority control Districts of Carinthia (state) Cities and towns in Carinthia (state)