Graz () is the capital of the Austrian federal state of

Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...

and the second-largest city in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, after

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 including secondary residence). In 2023, the population of the Graz larger urban zone (LUZ) stood at 660,238. Graz is known as a city of higher education, with four colleges and four universities. Combined, the city is home to more than 60,000 students. Its historic centre ('' Altstadt'') is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. In 1999, the city's historic centre was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

list of

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s and in 2010 the designation was expanded to include Eggenberg Palace () on the western edge of the city. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003 and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008. In addition, the city is recognized as a " Design City" by

's Creative Cities Network.

Etymology

The name of the city, Graz, formerly spelled Gratz and also formerly known as Grätz, most likely derives from Slavic 'small castle'. Some archaeological finds point to the erection of a small castle by Alpine Slavic people, who settled in the region after the barbarian invasions drove out the original Celts, as well as the Romans. In Slovene, still means 'small castle', a hypocoristic derivative of Proto-West-South Slavic ''*gradьcъ'', which descends via liquid metathesis from Common Slavic ''*gardьcъ'' and via the Slavic third palatalization from

Proto-Slavic Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the unattested, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately from the 2nd millennium BC through the 6th ...

''*gardiku'', originally denoting 'small town, settlement'. The name thus follows the common South Slavic pattern for naming settlements '' grad''. Despite the Slavic root of the name, however, the city of Graz was founded by Bavarian settlers who arrived shortly after the Slavs, with which they intermixed. The city's name first appears in records in 1128; a record of ''Grez'' from 1091 is disputed.

History

The oldest settlement on the ground of the modern city of Graz dates back to the Copper Age. However, no historical continuity exists of a settlement before the Middle Ages. The city was originally called "Bayrischgraz" or "Bavarian Graz" (i.e. German Graz) by the German founders to distinguish it from the elder "Windischgraz" or "Slovenian Graz". Bavarian Graz, however, soon eclipsed its Slovenian counterpart and henceforth Graz always referred to the German one. During the 12th century, dukes under Babenberg rule made the town into an important commercial center. Later, Graz came under the rule of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

s and, in 1281, gained special privileges from King Rudolph I. In the 14th century, Graz became the city of residence of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs. The royalty lived in the Schlossberg castle and from there ruled

Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...

, most of today's Slovenia, and parts of Italy ( Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca,

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

). In the 16th century, the city's design and planning were primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings representative of this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell'Allio, and used by the local rulers as a governmental headquarters. The University of Graz was founded by Archduke Karl II in 1585, it is the city's oldest university. For most of its existence, it was controlled by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, and was closed in 1782 by Joseph II in an attempt to gain state control over educational institutions. Joseph II transformed it into a lyceum where civil servants and medical personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-established as a university by Emperor Franz I, and was named 'Karl-Franzens Universität' or 'Charles-Francis University' in English. More than 30,000 students are currently enrolled at this university. Astronomer

Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best know ...

lived in Graz for a short period beginning in 1594. He worked as district mathematician and taught at the Lutheran school, but still found time to study astronomy. He left Graz for

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

in 1600 when

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

s were banned from the city.

Ludwig Boltzmann Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann ( ; ; 20 February 1844 – 5 September 1906) was an Austrian mathematician and Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist. His greatest achievements were the development of statistical mechanics and the statistical ex ...

was Professor for Mathematical Physics from 1869 to 1890. During that time,

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla (;"Tesla"
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; 10 July 1856 – 7 ...

studied electrical engineering at the

Polytechnic A polytechnic is an educational institution that primarily focuses on vocational education, applied sciences, and career pathways. They are sometimes referred to as ''institutes of technology'', ''vocational institutes'', or ''universities of app ...

in 1875. Nobel laureate Otto Loewi taught at the University of Graz from 1909 until 1938. Ivo Andrić, the 1961 Nobel Prize for Literature laureate obtained his doctorate at the University of Graz.

Erwin Schrödinger Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger ( ; ; 12 August 1887 – 4 January 1961), sometimes written as or , was an Austrian-Irish theoretical physicist who developed fundamental results in quantum field theory, quantum theory. In particul ...

was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936. Graz is centrally located within today's '' Bundesland'' (state) of

, or ''Steiermark'' in German. ''Mark'' is an old German word indicating a large area of land used as a defensive border, in which the peasantry is taught how to organize and fight in the case of an invasion. With a strategic location at the head of the open and fertile Mur valley, Graz was historically a target of invaders, such as the Hungarians under

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...

in 1481, and the

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...

in 1529 and 1532. Apart from the Riegersburg Castle, the Schlossberg was the only fortification in the region that never fell to the Ottoman Turks. Graz is home to the region's provincial armory, which is the world's largest historical collection of late medieval and Renaissance weaponry. It has been preserved since 1551, and displays over 30,000 items. From the earlier part of the 15th century, Graz was the residence of the younger branch of the Habsburgs, which succeeded to the imperial throne in 1619 in the person of Emperor Ferdinand II, who moved the capital to Vienna. New fortifications were built on the Schlossberg at the end of the 16th century.

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's army occupied Graz in 1797 and, in 1809 the city withstood another assault by the French army. During this attack, the commanding officer in the fortress was ordered to defend it with about 900 men against Napoleon's army of about 3,000. He successfully defended the Schlossberg against eight attacks, but they were forced to give up after the Grande Armée occupied Vienna and the Emperor ordered to surrender. Following the defeat of Austria by Napoleonic forces at the Battle of Wagram in 1809, the fortifications were demolished using explosives, as stipulated in the Peace of Schönbrunn of the same year. The belltower (Glockenturm) and the civic clock tower (''Uhrturm''), which is a leading tourist attraction and serves as a symbol for Graz, were spared after the citizens of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation. Archduke Karl II of Inner Austria had 20,000

books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in returning Styria to the authority of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz in what is now the Stadtmuseum (city museum). On 2 April 1945, while the heaviest Allied bomb raid of Graz occurred, the Gestapo and Waffen-SS committed a massacre against resistance fighters, Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers, and POWs at the SS barracks at Graz-Wetzelsdorf.

Geography

Graz is situated on both sides of the river Mur in southeast Austria. It is about southwest of Vienna (''Wien''). The nearest larger urban centre is

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

(''Marburg'') in Slovenia, which is about to the south. Graz is the capital of Styria and the largest city in the federal state, a green and heavily forested region on the eastern edge of the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

. It is located in the Graz Basin and surrounded by mountains and hills to the north, east and west. The city centre sits at an elevation of , the highest point is Plabutsch mountain with at the western border. The mountain Schöckl is just a few kilometres to the north and surmounts the city by .

Climate

Graz has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(''Cfb''), but due to the 0 °C isotherm, the same occurs in a borderline

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 cold ...

(''Dfb'') according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

. Wladimir Köppen himself was in town and conducted studies to see how the climate of the past influenced the Continental Drift theory. Due to its position southeast of the

, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly winds that bring weather fronts in from the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...

to northwestern and central Europe. The weather in Graz is thus influenced by the Mediterranean, and it has more hours of sunshine per year than Vienna or Salzburg and also less wind or rain. Graz lies in a basin that is only open to the south, causing the climate to be warmer than would be expected at that latitude. Plants are found in Graz that normally grow much further south. * average temperatures: Graz Airport / Karl-Franzens University * average rainfall: with on average 92 days of rain (Karl Franzens University) * average hours of sunshine: 1,989 (Karl Franzens University)

Neighbouring municipalities

These towns and villages border Graz: * to the north: Gratkorn, Stattegg, Weinitzen * to the east: Kainbach bei Graz, Hart bei Graz, Raaba * to the south: Gössendorf, Feldkirchen bei Graz, Seiersberg * to the west: Attendorf, Thal, Judendorf-Straßengel

Districts

Graz is divided into 17 municipal districts (): Karte Graz Stadtbezirke

Demographics

As of 1 January 2025, the city has a total population of 306,068 (with primary residence status or Hauptwohnsitz), out of which are 215,785 (71%) with Austrian citizenship, 43,338 (14%) with EU citizenship, and 46,945 (15%) non-EU nationals.

Slovene minority

Graz, being the capital of the then multiethnic Duchy of Styria, was also a centre of Slovene culture, especially from the establishment of the University of Graz in 1586 until the establishment of the

University of Ljubljana The University of Ljubljana (, , ), abbreviated UL, is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. It has approximately 38,000 enrolled students. The university has 23 faculties and three art academies with approximately 4,000 teaching and re ...

in 1919. In 1574, the was published in Graz, and in 1592, Hieronymus Megiser published in Graz the book '' Dictionarium quatuor linguarum'', the first multilingual dictionary of Slovene. In the 19th century the student associations in Graz were a crucible of Slovene nationalism and some Slovene students there were more nationally aware than other Slovenes. This led to fierce anti-Slovene efforts by the German supermajority in Graz before and during World War II. Slovenes only ever constituted a tiny minority in the city. This is also why Peter Kozler did not include it in his map. Nowadays, some Slovenian Styrians study and some have found employment there, whiles being formerly unemployed in Slovenia. A symposium on the relation of Graz and the Slovenes was held in Graz in 2010, at the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the first and oldest chair of Slovene. It was established at the Lyzeum of Graz in July 1811 on the initiative of . A collection of lectures on the topic was published. The Slovenian Post commemorated the anniversary with a stamp.

Sights

For the year that Graz was Cultural Capital of Europe, new structures were erected. The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (German: Kunsthaus) was designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier and is situated next to the Mur river. The Island in the Mur is a floating platform made of steel. It was designed by American architect

Vito Acconci Vito Acconci (, ; January 24, 1940 – April 27, 2017) was an American performance art, performance, video and installation artist, whose diverse practice eventually included sculpture, architectural design, and landscape design. His performan ...

and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.

Historic city centre

Graz Am Eisernen Tor und Herrengasse-4615

The historic centre was added to the UNESCO

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the historic centre consists of over 1,000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to contemporary. The most important sights in the historic centre are: * Town Hall (Rathaus). * The Castle Hill (German: Schlossberg), a hill dominating the historic centre ( high), site of a demolished fortress, with views over Graz. * The Clock Tower (Uhrturm) is a symbol of Graz, at the top of the Castle Hill. * The New Gallery (Neue Galerie), a museum of art. * The Castle Hill funicular (Schlossbergbahn), a funicular railway on the Castle Hill's slope. * The seat of Styria's provincial parliament (Landhaus), a palace in Lombardic style. It is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria and was built by Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio between 1557 and 1565. * The Armoury (Landeszeughaus) is the largest of its kind in the world. * The Opera House (Opernhaus), the principal venue for opera, ballet, and operetta performances. It is the 2nd largest opera house in Austria. * The Theatre (Schauspielhaus), Graz's principal theatre for productions of plays. * The

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

(Dom), a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there were many frescos on the outer walls; today, only a few remain, like the ''Landplagenbild'' ("picture of plagues") painted in 1485, presumably by Thomas von Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks, all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz. * The mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the cathedral, the most important building of

Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

in Graz. It includes both the grave where Ferdinand II and his wife are buried, and a church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. * The City Park (Stadtpark), located in the middle of the city centre during the Habsburg monarchy. It was designed by German architect Johannes Schirgie von Premstätten-Tobelbad. During the COVID-19 pandemic eccentric parties were celebrated which were later dissolved by the police. The responsible, Jonas Fabio Cristo Pinter, an Italian club owner, was arrested and the partying stopped. The City Park (Stadtpark) should not be confused with a similarly named shopping centre in Graz, called Citypark. * The Castle (Burg), with a Gothic double-helix staircase, built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor Frederick III, because the old castle on the Castle Hill was too small and uncomfortable. The Castle remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves as residence for the Styrian government. * The Painted House (Gemaltes Haus) in Herrengasse 3. It is completely covered with frescos (painted in 1742 by Johann Mayer). * The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) * The Island in the Mur (Murinsel), an artificial island in the Mur river. * Buildings, inner courtyards (e. g. Early Renaissance courtyard of the ''Former House of Teutonic Knights'' in Sporgasse 22) and roofscape of the old town.

Outside the historic city centre

* Eggenberg Palace (Schloss Eggenberg) a baroque palace on the western edge of Graz with State rooms and museum. In 2010 it was added to the existing World Heritage site of the historic centre of Graz. * The Mariatrost Basilica (Basilika Mariatrost) a late Baroque church, on the eastern edge of Graz. * The Jesus's Heart Church (Herz-Jesu-Kirche) is the largest church in Graz with the third highest spire in Austria, built in Gothic Revival style by Daniel Schmidbauer (Austrian politician and doctor). * The Calvary Hill (Kalvarienberg) in the Gösting area of Graz with a 17th-century calvary and church. * The Graz University Hospital is the largest hospital in Graz and one of the largest hospitals in

. It is the largest Jugendstil building complex in Austria and was built between 1904 and 1912. It is run by the federal state Styria and is one of the most renowned hospitals in Austria and Central Europe. * The Gösting Ruin (Ruine Gösting), a ruin of a hilltop castle on the city's northwestern edge, and Plabutsch/Fürstenstand, behind Eggenberg Palace, with a hilltop restaurant and viewing tower, as well as Buchkogel/Kronprinz-Rudolf-Warte are viewpoints for vistas of the city.

Greater Graz area

* Österreichisches Freilichtmuseum Stübing, an open-air museum containing old farmhouses/farm buildings from all over Austria reassembled in historic setting. * Lurgrotte, the most extensive cave system in Austria. * Lipizzanergestüt Piber, Lipizzaner stud at

Piber The Piber Federal Stud (''Bundesgestüt Piber'') is a stud farm dedicated to the breeding of Lipizzan horses, located at the village of Piber, near the town of Köflach in western Styria, Austria. It was founded in 1798, began breeding Lipizza ...

where the famous horses are bred. * The Steirische Weinstraße is a wine-growing region south of Graz, also known as the "Styrian Tuscany". * Thermenregion, spa region east of Graz. * Riegersburg Castle, a mighty fortress that was never taken. It was a bastion against Turkish invasions

Politics

For much of its post-war history Graz was a stronghold of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), but since the late 1990s the party has lost most of its support on a local level. It was overtaken by the

Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...

(ÖVP) in 2003, which remained the largest party in the city council (''Gemeinderat'') until 2021. With the decline of the SPÖ, the

Communist Party of Austria The Communist Party of Austria (, KPÖ) is a communist party in Austria. Established in 1918 as the Communist Party of Republic of German-Austria, German-Austria (KPDÖ), it is one of the world's oldest Communist party, communist parties. The KP� ...

(KPÖ) has become highly popular in Graz, despite its negligible presence on a national level. The party placed third with 20.8% of votes in the 2003 local election, which has been attributed to the popularity of local leader Ernest Kaltenegger. It fell to 11.2% in 2008, and recovered under new leader Elke Kahr, becoming the second most popular party in Graz with 19.9% in 2012 and 20.3% in 2017. The KPÖ's popularity in Graz allowed them to enter the Styrian provincial parliament in the 2005 election, marking their first appearance in an Austrian provincial parliament in 35 years; they have retained their seats in the subsequent 2010, 2015, and 2019 elections. The 2021 municipal election saw a collapse in the ÖVP's popularity, allowing the KPÖ, once again led by Elke Kahr, to become the largest party with 29% of votes. She was subsequently elected mayor in November, leading a coalition with the Greens and SPÖ. The most recent city council election was held on 26 September 2021, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Lead candidate ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- ! ! +/- , - , , align=left,

(KPÖ) , align=left, Elke Kahr , 34,283 , 28.84 , 8.50 , 15 , 5 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left,

(ÖVP) , align=left, Siegfried Nagl , 30,797 , 25.91 , 11.88 , 13 , 6 , 2 , 1 , - , , align=left, The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE) , align=left, Judith Schwentner , 20,593 , 17.32 , 6.81 , 9 , 4 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) , align=left, Mario Eustacchio , 12,612 , 10.61 , 5.25 , 5 , 3 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) , align=left, Michael Ehmann , 11,325 , 9.53 , 0.52 , 4 , 1 , 0 , ±0 , - , , align=left, NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS) , align=left, Philipp Pointner , 6,447 , 5.42 , 1.48 , 2 , 1 , 0 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Others , align=left, – , 2,825 , 2.37 , – , 0 , ±0 , 0 , ±0 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 1,807 ! ! ! ! ! ! , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 120,689 ! 100.00 ! ! 48 ! ±0 ! 7 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 223,512 ! 54.00 ! 3.39 ! ! ! ! , - , colspan=10, Source
Stadt Graz

Culture

During 2003 Graz held the title of "

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

" and was one of the

"Cities of Design" in 2011.

Museums

The most important museums in Graz are: * Eggenberg Palace (Schloss Eggenberg) with the Old Gallery (Alte Galerie) (paintings and sculptures from the Romanesque to the end of the Baroque period), Coin Collection,

Lapidarium A lapidarium is a place where stone (Latin: ) monuments and fragments of archaeological interest are exhibited. They can include stone epigraphy, epigraphs; statues; architectural elements such as columns, cornices, and acroterions; bas relief ...

(Roman stonework collection), Archaeological Museum (featuring the Cult Wagon of Strettweg) a special exhibitions area and the 90,000 m² romantic landscape gardens. * Museum in the Palace (Museum im Palais): museum of Styrian cultural history from the Middle Ages to the present. * New Gallery (Neue Galerie): visual arts from the 19th and 20th centuries. * Natural History Museum: exhibition of botany, mineralogy and zoology. * Graz City Museum (Stadtmuseum Graz) * Museum of Contemporary Art (Kunsthaus) * City Park Forum (Forum Stadtpark): museum of contemporary art. * Camera Austria: museum of contemporary photography. * Armoury (Landeszeughaus): medieval armoury comprising 32,000 pieces of armour and weaponry, largest of its kind in the world. * Folklore Museum (Volkskundemuseum): museum of

folk culture Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as tales, myths, legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also includes mat ...

and

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

. * Diocesan Museum (Diözesanmuseum): museum of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. * Artists House (Künstlerhaus): exhibition hall of contemporary visual arts. * Literature House (Literaturhaus): museum of contemporary

German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...

. * Museum of Perception (Museum der Wahrnehmung): museum of the senses, samadhi bath. * Children's Museum Frida & Fred (Kindermuseum Frida & Fred): museum for children. * Tram Museum: 40 historic

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

s, the oldest dating from 1873. * Kriminalmuseum: museum of criminology. * Aviation Museum (Luftfahrtmuseum): situated at Graz Airport. * Hanns Schell Collection: key and lock museum, largest of its kind in the world. * Austrian Sculpture Park: seven hectares of contemporary sculpture. * Botanical Garden of Graz: three architecturally interesting glass houses plus gardens.

Architecture

The city centre and the adjacent districts are characterized by the historic residential buildings and churches. In the outer districts buildings are predominantly of the architectural styles from the second half of the 20th century. In 1965 the Graz School (''Grazer Schule'') was founded. Several buildings around the universities are of this style, e.g. the green houses by Volker Giencke and the ''RESOWI'' Centre by Günther Domenig. Before Graz became European Capital of Culture in 2003, several new projects were realized, such as the ''Stadthalle'' - a multifunctional space for e.g. conventions and concerts -, the Children's Museum (''Kindermuseum''), the ''Helmut-List-Halle'', the Museum of Contemporary Art (''Kunsthaus'') and the Island in the Mur (''Murinsel''). * Tallest buildings Graz Herz Jesu 3

Buildings in Graz which are at least 50m tall:

Sports

SK Sturm Graz is the main football club of the city, with Four Austrian championships, 5 Austrian Cup wins and 4 participations in the Champions League (where they were 1st in the first group stage in 2000/01 and therefore got promoted to the round of 16 as the first Austrian club ever). Grazer AK also won an Austrian championship, but went into administration in 2007 and was excluded from the professional league system. In ice hockey, ATSE Graz was the Austrian Hockey League champion in 1975 and 1978. EC Graz was runner-up in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94. Graz 99ers has played in the first division since 2000. UBSC Raiffeisen Graz plays in the Austrian Basketball League. Graz Giants play in the Austrian Football League (American Football). The city bid for the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

in 1995, but lost the election to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Styriarte

Graz hosts the annual festival of classical music Styriarte, founded in 1985 to tie conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt closer to his hometown. Events have been held at different venues in Graz and in the surrounding region.

Dialect

Referred to as ''Steirisch'' by locals, Graz belongs to the

Austro-Bavarian Bavarian (; ), alternately Austro-Bavarian, is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the south-east of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. Prior to 1945, Bavaria ...

region of dialects, more specifically a mix of Central Bavarian in the western part of

and Southern Bavarian in the eastern part. The Grazer ORF, the Graz subsidiary of Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, launched an initiative in 2008 called ''Scho wieda Steirisch g'redt'' to highlight the numerous dialects of Graz and Styria in general and to cultivate the pride many Styrians hold for their local culture. Two reasons for a melding of these dialects with

Standard German Standard High German (SHG), less precisely Standard German or High German (, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the umbrella term for the standard language, standardized varieties of the German language, which are used in formal contexts and for commun ...

: the influence of television and radio bringing Standard German into the home and the industrialization causing the disappearance of the single farmer since the farming communities are seen as the true keepers of dialect speaking.

Transport

An extensive

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing the Graz tram network, which has six lines. Four lines pass through the underground tram stop at the central train station (Hauptbahnhof) and on to the city centre before branching out. Furthermore, there are eight night-time bus routes, although these run only at weekends and on evenings preceding public holidays. The Castle Hill funicular (Schlossbergbahn), and the Castle Hill lift (Schlossberg lift), a vertical lift, link the city centre to the Castle Hill (Schlossberg). From the central train station ( Hauptbahnhof), regional trains link to most of Styria. Direct trains run to most major cities nearby including

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

and

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

and

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, as well as

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, and

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Trains for Vienna leave every hour. In recent years many railway stations within the city limits and in the suburbs have been rebuilt or modernised and are now part of the Styria S-Bahn, a commuter train service connecting the city with its suburban area and towns nearby. Graz Airport is located about south of the city centre and is accessible by bus, railway, taxi and car. Direct destinations include Berlin,

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Zurich. In 2021 a two-line metro system was proposed for Graz, which would make Graz the second Austrian city with a rapid transit system after Vienna.

Health

In Graz there are seven hospitals, several private hospitals and sanatoriums, as well as 44 pharmacies. The ''University Hospital Graz'' (LKH-Universitäts-Klinikum Graz) is located in eastern Graz and has 1,556 beds and 7,190 employees. The ''Regional Hospital Graz II'' (LKH Graz II) has two sites in Graz. The western site (LKH Graz II Standort West) is located in Eggenberg and has 280 beds and about 500 employees, the southern site (LKH Graz II Standort Süd) specializes in neurology and psychiatry and is located in Straßgang with 880 beds and 1,100 employees. The ''AUVA Accident Hospital'' (Unfallkrankenhaus der AUVA) is in Eggenberg and has 180 beds and a total of 444 employees. The Albert Schweitzer Clinic in the western part of the city is a geriatric hospital with 304 beds, the Hospital of St. John of God (Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder) has two sites in Graz, one in Lend with 225 beds and one in Eggenberg with 260 beds. The Hospital of the Order of Saint Elizabeth (Krankenhaus der Elisabethinen) in Gries has 182 beds. There are several private clinics as well: the Privatklinik Kastanienhof, the Privatklinik Leech, the Privatklinik der Kreuzschwestern, the Sanatorium St. Leonhard, the Sanatorium Hansa and the Privatklinik Graz-Ragnitz. EMS in Graz is provided solely by the Austrian Red Cross. Perpetually two emergency doctor's cars (''NEF – Notarzteinsatzfahrzeug''), two NAWs (''Notarztwagen'' – ambulances staffed with a physician in addition to regular personnel) and about 30 RTWs (''Rettungswagen'' – regular ambulances) are on standby. Furthermore, several non-emergency ambulances (''KTW – Krankentransportwagen'') and a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) are operated by the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

to transport non-emergency patients to and between hospitals. In addition to the Red Cross, the Labourers'-Samaritan-Alliance (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs), the Austrian organisation of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps (Malteser Hospitaldienst Austria) and the Green Cross (''Grünes Kreuz'') operate ambulances (''KTW'') for non-emergency patient transport. In addition to the cars, there's also the C12 air ambulance helicopter stationed at Graz airport, staffed with an emergency physician in addition to regular personnel.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Graz Denkmal Staedtefreundschaft DSCN0584

Graz is twinned with: * Montclair,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States, since 1950 *

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, England, United Kingdom, since 1957 *

Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...

, Netherlands, since 1964 *

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the ...

, Germany, since 1968 *

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

, Norway, since 1968Trondheims offisielle nettsted – Vennskapsbyer
*

Pula Pula, also known as Pola, is the largest city in Istria County, west Croatia, and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the Istria, Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, wi ...

, Croatia, since 1972 *

, Italy, since 1973 *

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

, Romania, since 1982 *

, Slovenia, since 1987 *

Pécs Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...

, Hungary, since 1989 *

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

, Croatia, since 1994 *

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

, Slovenia, since 2001 *

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia, since 2001 (On-Hold, since March 2022) ;Other forms of cooperation and city friendship similar to the twin city programmes: *

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...

, Serbia *

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Notable residents

The following are some past and present notable residents of Graz. * Oktavia Aigner-Rollett (1877–1959), prominent physician *

Peter Handke Peter Handke (; born 6 December 1942) is an Austrians, Austrian novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has ...

(born 1942),

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

* Johann Nestroy (1801-1862), playwright and actor * Ferdinand II (1578–1637), Holy Roman Emperor *

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...

(1573–1598), Queen of Poland and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

* Ferdinand III (1608-1657), Holy Roman Emperor * Béla Babai (1914–1997), Romani American musician * Wladimir Köppen (1846-1940), geographer, meteorologist, climatologist and botanist * Wolfgang Bauer (1941–2005), Austrian writer *

Infanta Blanca of Spain Infante (, ; grammatical gender, f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Crown of Aragon, Aragon, Crown of Castil ...

(1868–1949), claimant to the throne of Spain * Karl Böhm (1894–1981), Austrian conductor *

(1844–1906), physicist, university Professor * Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840–1902), psychiatrist * Constance of Austria (1588–1631), Queen of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

* Ulrich Ellison, singer/songwriter * Archduke John of Austria (1782–1859), field marshall, imperial regent and modernizer *

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassination in Sarajevo was the ...

(1863–1914), heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. * Olaf Fjord (1897–1945), actor, film director and producer * Princess Gina of Liechtenstein (1921–1989), Princess of Liechtenstein from 1943 to 1989 * Peter Rosegger (1843–1918), writer and poet * Carl Julius Haidvogel (1891–1974), writer *

Gregor Hammerl Gregor Hammerl (8 June 1942 – 1 November 2023) was an Austrian politician who was President of the Federal Council of Austria in 2012. Life and career Gregor Hammerl was born on 8 April 1942. From 1986 to 1987, Hammerl was an organization off ...

(1942–2023), President of the Federal Council * Nicolaus Harnoncourt (1929–2016), raised in Graz, conductor of classical works on period instruments * Christian Herdtrich (1625–1684), Austrian Jesuit missionary to the

Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. * Victor Franz Hess (1883–1964),

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

-winning physicist * Hans Hollmann (1933–2022), theatre director and actor *

(1571–1630), a German astronomer, astrologer, natural philosopher and mathematics teacher at a local seminary. * Helmut Kollars (born 1968), writer and illustrator * Otto Loewi (1873–1961),

-winning physiologist * Archduchess Gregoria Maximiliana of Austria (1581–1597) * Hans Michael Maitzen (born 1943), astronomer * Marisa Mell (1939–1992), actress born and raised in Graz * Franziska Meissner-Diemer (1841–1919), journalist and writer * August Meyszner (1886–1947), SS officer executed for war crimes * August Musger (1868–1929), invented slow motion cinema means * Olga Neuwirth (born 1968), contemporary Austrian composer * Lili Novy (1885–1958),

n lyric poet * Marie Pachler (1794–1855), Austrian pianist * Johann Puch (1862–1914), a Slovene inventor and mechanic * Adam Rainer (1899–1950), only documented person to have been both one of the shortest and one of tallest people. * Anton Rintelen (1876–1946), cabinet minister and

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

conspirator * Eduard Roschmann (1908–1977), Nazi SS Riga ghetto commandant * Josef Schleich (1902–1949), farmer, helped liberate Jews in WWII * Hermann Schloffer (1868–1937), surgeon * Andreas Schnider (born 1959), theologian, academic teacher, author, publisher, consultant and politician, (ÖVP) *

(1887–1961), Nobel Prize–winning physicist in quantum theory, Chancellor of Graz University in 1936 * Werner Schwab (1958–1994), playwright and visual artist *

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

(born 1947), former

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the practice of Resistance training, progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's skeletal muscle, muscles via muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to a ...

champion, actor and former governor of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

; born and raised in farming village Thal, from Graz. * Brit Stakston (born 1961), writer, public speaker and media strategist * Friedrich St. Florian (born 1932), Austrian-American architect * Robert Stolz (1880–1975), Austrian composer and conductor *

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla (;"Tesla"
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; 10 July 1856 – 7 ...

(1856–1943), a Serbian-American inventor, who studied electrical engineering in Graz * Hertha Töpper (1924–2020), opera and concert

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

* Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg (1568–1634), Austrian statesman and early "prime minister" during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. *

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (20 July 1656 – 5 April 1723) was an Austrian architect, sculptor, engraver, and architectural historian whose Baroque architecture profoundly influenced and shaped the tastes of the Habsburg Empire. His inf ...

(1656–1723), architect of the Baroque period. * Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (1774–1856), Austrian orientalist, historian and diplomat. * Ernestine von Kirchsberg (1857–1924), landscape painter * Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836–1895), writer and journalist, studied in Graz; the term masochism is derived from his name * Roman von Ungern-Sternberg (1886–1921), prominent figure in the Russian

White movement The White movement,. The old spelling was retained by the Whites to differentiate from the Reds. also known as the Whites, was one of the main factions of the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. It was led mainly by the Right-wing politics, right- ...

and dictator of

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

in 1921 * Franz Voves (born 1953), Austrian politician (SPÖ), State governor of

for 10 years, icehockey player

Sport

* Bernd Brückler (born 1981), professional ice hockey player * Hans Dobida (1929–2025), Austrian former ice hockey player * Elisabeth Eberl (born 1988), Olympic javelin thrower * Michael Gspurning (born 1981), goalkeeper for FC Schalke 04 * Manfred Hoeberl (born 1964), powerlifter and strongman * Helmut Marko (born 1943), former racing driver * Emanuel Pogatetz (born 1983), footballer, played 446 games * Jochen Rindt (1942–1970), first Austrian

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

champion raised in Graz by his grandmother * Gert Schnider (born 1979),

Abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

champion * Markus Schopp (born 1974), former footballer, played 364 games * Thomas Tebbich (born 1975), decathlete and pole vaulter * Thomas Vanek (born 1984),

Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player, raised in Graz * Otto Wanz (1943–2017), former professional wrestler who held AWA World Heavyweight Championship