Gosau
Encyclopedia
Gosau is a municipality in the district of Gmunden
in Upper Austria
, Austria
.
region. The center of the town is at an elevation of 767 (2,516'). 58.9 % of the municipality is forested.
At the southern end of Gosau there is a road leading to the Vorderer Gosausee, a lake with a scenic view of the Dachstein
.
Gosau is one of the few Lutheran communities in Austria with about 71% of the population being Lutheran.
in Salzburg
. Timber production for the salt mine in Hallstatt
was a major industry. In 1490 the town became part of the Principality above the Enns River. The area was repeatedly occupied by the French during the Napoleonic wars
. When the Republic of Austria was formed in 1918, Gosau became part of the federal state of Upper Austria. In 1938 the area was annexed by the German Reich along with the rest of Austria, and Gosau became part of the "Gau Oberdonau," only to be returned to Upper Austria when the Republic of Austria was reconstituted in 1945.
.
Gmunden (district)
Bezirk Gmunden is a district of the state ofUpper Austria in Austria.- Municipalities :Towns are indicated in boldface; market towns in italics; suburbs, hamlets and other subdivisions of a municipality are indicated in small characters.*Altmünster*Bad Goisern*Bad...
in Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Location and General Information
Gosau is situated along the Gosaubach stream in the SalzkammergutSalzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
region. The center of the town is at an elevation of 767 (2,516'). 58.9 % of the municipality is forested.
At the southern end of Gosau there is a road leading to the Vorderer Gosausee, a lake with a scenic view of the Dachstein
Hoher Dachstein
Hoher Dachstein is a strongly karstic Austrian mountain, and the second highest mountain in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is situated at the border of Upper Austria and Styria in central Austria, and is the highest point in each of those states...
.
Gosau is one of the few Lutheran communities in Austria with about 71% of the population being Lutheran.
History
The valley around Gosau was settled in the 13th century by monks from St. Peter's AbbeySt. Peter's Archabbey, Salzburg
St Peter's Archabbey, otherwise St Peter's Abbey in Salzburg is a Benedictine monastery in Austria. It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking area, if not in fact the oldest.-History:...
in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. Timber production for the salt mine in Hallstatt
Hallstatt
Hallstatt, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See . At the 2001 census it had 946 inhabitants...
was a major industry. In 1490 the town became part of the Principality above the Enns River. The area was repeatedly occupied by the French during the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. When the Republic of Austria was formed in 1918, Gosau became part of the federal state of Upper Austria. In 1938 the area was annexed by the German Reich along with the rest of Austria, and Gosau became part of the "Gau Oberdonau," only to be returned to Upper Austria when the Republic of Austria was reconstituted in 1945.
Economy
In the past timber production and salt mining in neighboring Hallstatt have historically been the major industries in Gosau. Today, tourism is the main source of income, although raising livestock, mainly cattle, is also an important economic activity.Politics
Gosau is governed by a 25-member 'Gemeinderat' (council) and Mayor Gerhard Gamsjäger of the SPÖSocial Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
.