Steyregg is a municipality in the district of

Urfahr-Umgebung Bezirk Urfahr-Umgebung () is a Districts of Austria, district of the States of Austria, state of Upper Austria in Austria. It is named after Urfahr, a former city, today a borough of Linz, seat of the district's administration (''Bezirkshauptman ...

in the

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 ...

n state 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 the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

History

The first settlements in the Steyregg area were established during 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 ...

period, as evidenced by archaeological excavations. A settlement in Windegg, dating back to around 6000 BC, was an important cultural and trade center 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 ...

. Another significant site from around 3500 BC is located near the Pulgarn monastery. Tafersheim During the

early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, several villages emerged in strategically advantageous locations along the

, serving as key transshipment points for salt trade between the south and north. The name Taberesheim first appeared in 885, later evolving into variations like Tafersheim and Tabersheim. Initially, the Tafersheim area encompassed settlements on both sides of the

, including St. Peter and Zizlau. A church in Tafersheim, dated to 1111, is regarded as the predecessor of the current parish church in Steyregg. By the 17th century, the name Tafersheim became less common and eventually referred to the Steyregg hospital in the 19th century. After the hospital's demolition in 1936, the name Tafersheim faded from use. Steyregg Construction of a castle in Steyregg likely began around 1150, with the town's name first linked to the castrum Steyrheke. The castle was expanded over time and changed hands frequently. Steyregg gained market status in the 13th century and

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1482, but remained overshadowed by Linz and influenced by nearby agricultural communities. In the late 19th century, the Summerauer railway and a bridge over the Danube spurred modest growth. 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 ...

, the town's population faced hardships due to the nearby Hermann Göring works in

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 ...

, which were bombed by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

. In recent decades, Steyregg became known for its environmental activism against heavy industry emissions. In the early 21st century, Schloss Steyregg was renovated after being vacant for 200 years. In 2007, the town hosted the Water Ski World Championships.

Population

References

Cities and towns in Urfahr-Umgebung District {{UpperAustria-geo-stub