Wels (;

Central Bavarian Central or Middle Bavarian form a subgroup of Bavarian dialects in large parts of Austria and the German state of Bavaria along the Danube river, on the northern side of the Eastern Alps. They are spoken in the ' Old Bavarian' regions of Upper ...

: ''Wös'') is a city in

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

, on the

Traun River Traun () is a river in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its source is in the Totes Gebirge mountain range in Styria. It flows through the Salzkammergut area and the lakes Hallstätter See and Traunsee. The Traun is a right tributary of the Da ...

near

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Wels-Land Bezirk Wels-Land is a district of the state of Upper Austria in Austria. Municipalities Towns (''Städte'') are indicated in boldface; market towns (''Marktgemeinden'') in ''italics''; suburbs, hamlets and other subdivisions of a municipality a ...

, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the eighth largest city in Austria.

Geography

Wels is in the

Hausruckviertel The Hausruckviertel is one of the four traditional "quarters" () of the Austrian province of Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and th ...

at an elevation of . From north to south, it extends over , from west to east over . 3.4% of the area is covered with forest, 23.5% is used for agriculture. The town comprises the following boroughs: Aichberg, Au, Berg, Brandln, Dickerldorf, Doppelgraben, Eben, Gaßl, Höllwiesen, Hölzl, Kirchham, Laahen, Lichtenegg, Mitterlaab, Nöham, Niederthan, Oberhaid, Oberhart, Oberlaab, Oberthan, Pernau, Puchberg, Roithen, Rosenau, Schafwiesen, Stadlhof, Trausenegg, Unterleithen, Waidhausen, Wels, Wimpassing, Wispl.

History

Prehistoric

The area of Wels has been settled since the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

era (between 3500 and 1700 B.C.E.), as evidenced by archaeological finds of simple tools, especially from around the banks of the Traun River in what is now the city center. A

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

(after 1700 B.C.E.) cemetery was found in the area of the current airport and dated to the time of the

Urnfield Culture The Urnfield culture () was a late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age culture of Central Europe, often divided into several local cultures within a broader Urnfield tradition. The name comes from the custom of cremation, cremating the dead and placin ...

(1100–750 B.C.E.). It contained 60 graves with such items as bronze jewelry and food. Swords from the

Halstatt Hallstatt () is a small town in the district of Gmunden, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Situated between the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See and the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif, the town lies in the Salzkammergut region ...

Period (750–400 B.C.E.) have been found in the area of Pernau. During the Iron Age

La Tène Culture The La Tène culture (; ) was a Iron Age Europe, European Iron Age culture. It developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BC to the Roman Republic, Roman conquest in the 1st century BC), succeeding the early Iron Age ...

(up to 100 B.C.E.)

Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

inhabited the area, leaving behind gold coins, swords, earthenware and iron brooches. The name "Traun" comes from this time, and it is possible that "Wels" is similarly of Celtic origin. The name "Wels" could be Celtic for "Settlement on the bend of the Traun River".

Roman Era

Wels gained importance in

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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times because of its central location in the province of

Noricum Noricum () is the Latin name for the 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 north, R ...

. Around the year 120, Wels received Roman

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

rights under the name of ''Municipium Ovilava''. The enclosed built-up area by the Traun River was at the present level of Kaiser-Josef-Platz. There were brick houses, a

bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, an arena and an irrigation system of pure mountain water brought from beyond the Traun. Around 215, during the reign of Emperor

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

, it was renamed ''Colonia Aurelia Antoniana Ovilabis'' and given '' Colonia'' status. At this time, the city had around 18,000 inhabitants. Due to the impending threat of the

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic peoples, Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213 CE ...

, the city was surrounded by a city wall that enclosed an area of about 90 hectares and a road was built along the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

Passau Passau (; ) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the ("City of Three Rivers"), as the river Danube is joined by the Inn (river), Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Passau's population is about 50,000, of whom ...

. It is known that six towers with gates were integrated into the walls, controlling entrances from along the western road, towards the Traun, and to the fields beyond the city. As part of his

reforms Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

Emperor

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

made Ovilava the capital city of the province of ''Noricum Ripensis''. It was governed by two ''

duumviri The duumviri (Latin for 'two men'), originally duoviri and also known in English as the duumvirs, were any of various joint magistrates of ancient Rome. Such pairs of Roman magistrates were appointed at various periods of Roman history both in ...

'' who served as municipal judges, two ''

aediles Aedile ( , , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public orde ...

'', who advocated compliance with the laws and market rights, a ''

quaestor A quaestor ( , ; ; "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officia ...

'', who managed the city treasury, and a 100-member city council. Ovilava administered an area enclosed by the

Inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

and Danube, from Lauriacum (Enns) in the east to submitted to

Bad Ischl Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the river Traun in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden ...

in the west. In this area are included the border fortifications,

(Lentia) and

(Boiodurum), as well as numerous settlements in what are now the regions of

and

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 ...

. During the early migration period (3rd, 4th and 5th century), the area around Ovilava was often invaded by the Alamanni,

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

and other Germanic tribes as well as by Attila's army. During the time of the Emperor

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empire. He ...

the province of Noricum was described as “devastated”. By the time of

Odoacer Odoacer ( – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube who deposed the Western Roman child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became the ruler of Italy (476–493). Odoacer' ...

, the first Germanic King of Italy, Noricum was described as “vacant”. From the 4th century onward, it is likely that Wels was again a small and insignificant village for several centuries. File:Römermedaillon Wels.JPG, A medallion from a Roman grave reused in a house in Wels File:Römische Stadtmauer in Wels.jpg, Remnant of the Roman walls of Wels, Schubertstrasse File:Venus von Wels.jpg, The "Venus of Wels"

The economy of Roman Wels

Agriculture and regional trade formed the basis for the economy of Ovilava. While most agriculture was subsistence level, cows and horses were produced in large enough numbers to be exported. The oldest granary in the Eastern Alps has been discovered in Wels, which housed diverse grains such as wheat,

dwarf wheat The Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period during which technology transfer initiatives resulted in a significant increase in crop yields. These changes in agriculture initially emerged in developed countries in th ...

emmer wheat Emmer is a hybrid species of wheat, producing edible seeds that have been used as food since ancient times. The domesticated types are ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''dicoccum'' and ''T. t. ''conv.'' durum''. The wild plant is called ''T. t.'' s ...

, barley and rye. There were additionally significant brick and pottery works as well as mines for construction stone. Due to its situation at an important crossing of several Roman roads, both east-to-west and to the south, archeology reveals a large number of objects manufactured in other areas of the empire, such as

Terra Sigillata Terra sigillata is a term with at least three distinct meanings: as a description of medieval medicinal earth; in archaeology, as a general term for some of the fine red ancient Roman pottery with glossy surface Slip (ceramics), slips made ...

pottery and statuettes (such as the "Venus of Wels") from

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

and

Germania Inferior ''Germania Inferior'' ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed ''Germania Secunda'' in the 4th century AD, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Cl ...

, as well as oyster shells and coins from Italy.

Middle Ages

Wels served as a minor trading centre during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. In 943, the Hungarians were defeated by the Bavarians and Carantanians at the Battle of Wels. In 1222, during the rule of the

Babenberger The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves. Descending from the Popponids and originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria), the Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria from ...

family, Wels again received city rights. A document dating to 1328 provides evidence for Wels' important role as the location of a market. Its endowment with economic privileges, and its advantageous position on several

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

s allowed it to gain an important position in the region.

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Maximilian I died in Wels on January 12, 1519, after having been denied access to

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 ...

by its citizens.

20th century

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a subcamp of

Mauthausen concentration camp Mauthausen was a German Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen, Upper Austria, Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with List of subcamps of Mauthausen, nearly 100 f ...

was located here. On 18 January 1964, Wels became a Statutarstadt of Austria.

Population

Economy

There are about 36,000 people employed in Wels. Of that, about 63% are in the service sector. Wels is known as an important city for shopping and the location of several gymnasiums (academic secondary schools) and higher vocational schools and also of a

vocational college A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational ...

. Furthermore, it is famous for the

Wels Fair Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the eighth largest city in Austria. Geography Wels is in the H ...

, which takes place every year in autumn and spring.

Notable residents

Alois Auer Alois Auer (11 May 1813 – 10 July 1869) was an Austrian printer, inventor and botanical illustrator, most active during the 1840s and 1850s. He produced a number of works in German and other languages, including the first regarding the nature p ...

(1813–1869), printer, inventor and botanical illustrator. * Heinrich Brunner (1840–1915), historian. *

Hugo Gerard Ströhl Hugo Gerard Ströhl (24 September 1851 – 7 December 1919) was an Austrian heraldist. Life Ströhl was born in Wels in Upper Austria. A talented painter, he studied at the School for Applied Arts (" Kunstgewerbeschule des Österreichisc ...

(1851–1919), heraldist *

Carl Rabl Carl Rabl (2 May 1853 in Wels, Austria – 24 December 1917 in Leipzig, GermanyCarl Rabl
at

Julius Wagner-Jauregg Julius Wagner-Jauregg (; 7 March 1857 – 27 September 1940) was an Austrian physician, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1927, and is the first psychiatrist to have done so. His Nobel award was "for his discovery of the therape ...

(1857–1940), physician, winner of

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...

in 1927 * Grete Hinterhofer (1899–1985), classical pianist and composer *

Walter Kolneder Walter Kolneder (1 July 1910 – 30 January 1994) was an Austrian musicologist and violist. Life and career Koldener was born in Wels, Upper Austria. From 1925 to 1935 he studied music with Bernhard Paumgartner (conducting), Theodor Müller ( ...

(1910–1994), musicologist and violist. * Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer (1918–1989), composer, organist and choral conductor. * Thomas Christian David (1925–2006), composer and performer * Werner Kreindl (1927–1992), television actor *

Karl Ridderbusch Karl Ridderbusch (29 May 1932 – 21 June 1997) was a German operatic bass, associated in particular with the music of Wagner. He was recognised as a notable exponent of the role of Hans Sachs. Barry Millington "Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Die", ...

(1932–1997), operatic bass, lived and died locally * Herbert Lindinger (born 1933), graphic artist, exhibition & industrial designer; designs trains and trams *

Lukas David Lukas Florian David (5 June 1934 – 11 October 2021) was an Austrian classical violinist. Life David was born in Wels upper Austria in 1934 as the younger son of the composer and conductor Johann Nepomuk David (1895–1977) and his wife Ber ...

(1934–2021), a classical violinist. * Karin Hannak (born 1940), artist *

Sybil Danning Sybil Danning (born Sybille Johanna Danninger; May 24, 1952) is an Austrian–American former actress, model, and film producer. She is best known for her frequent appearances in B movies during the 1970s and 1980s. Biography Early life Dannin ...

(born 1947), an Austrian–American actress, model, and film producer. * Manfred Buchroithner (born 1950), cartographer, geologist and professor *

Paul Rübig Paul Rübig (born 6 May 1953) is an Austrian politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1996 until 2019. He is a member of the Austrian People's Party, part of the European People's Party. Rübig became a Member of ...

(born 1953), politician (ÖVP), member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

Christoph Ransmayr Christoph Ransmayr (; born 20 March 1954) is an Austrian writer. Life Born in Wels, Upper Austria, Ransmayr grew up in Roitham near Gmunden and the Traunsee. From 1972 to 1978 he studied philosophy and ethnology in Vienna. He worked there as ...

(born 1954), writer * Othmar Commenda (born 1954), retired General of the

Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces () are the combined military forces of Austria. The military consists of 16,000 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 1.0% of national GDP (including pensions) or €3.317 billion (20 ...

worked locally * Thomas Steiner (born 1956), film director *

Franz Welser-Möst Franz Leopold Maria Möst (born 16 August 1960), known professionally as Franz Welser-Möst, is an Austrian conductor. He is currently music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. Biography Franz Leopold Maria Möst was born in Linz, Austria, ...

(born 1960), conductor, grew up locally * Rudolf Anschober (born 1960), Austrian politician * Stefan Sonvilla-Weiss (born 1961), communication scientist and arts and media educator * Götz Spielmann (born 1961), film director and screenwriter * Sabine Derflinger (born 1963), director, writer, producer and dramaturgical consultant * Norbert Trawöger (born 1971), flautist and artistic director * Christoph Wigelbeyer (born 1973), choir director, conductor, singer and music educator.

Sport

* Max Hagmayr (born 1956), retired footballer, played 286 games and 9 for

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 ...

* Christoph Sieber (born 1971), sailor, gold medallist in the Mistral class at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

* Christian Mayrleb (born 1972), footballer, top scorer in the top division; played 584 games and 30 for

* Johannes Wipplinger (born 1978), athlete and bobsledder *

Helge Payer Helge Payer (born 9 August 1979) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for the Austria national team. Club career Payer came through the youth ranks at Rapid Wien to make his professional debut in ...

(born 1979), football goalkeeper, played 271 games and 20 for

* Robert Žulj (born 1992), footballer played over 300 games * Kevin Wimmer (born 1992), football player, played 220 games and 9 for

* Felix Großschartner (born 1993), cyclist * Robert Žulj (born 1992), footballer, played over 300 games * Peter Žulj (born 1993), footballer, played over 300 games and 11 for

* Marcel Sabitzer (born 1994), footballer, played 370 games and 77 for

Shamil Borchashvili Shamil Borchashvili (born 9 June 1995) is an Austrian judoka. He is a first degree black belt. Career He immigrated to Wels, Austria with his family from Chechnya, Russia when he was a child. Borchashvili won the silver medal at the 2021 Ju ...

(born 1995), Austrian judoka; bronze meadllist at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

References

External links

* (in German): http://www.wels.at {{Authority control Cities and towns in Upper Austria