Lesachtal
Encyclopedia
The Lesachtal is a valley in the Austria
n state of Carinthia
. It is the uppermost part of the valley formed by the Gail River, and stretches from the border between East Tyrol
and Carinthia to Kötschach-Mauthen (alt. 705 m).
In East Tyrol the valley dug by the Gail River is called the Tilliach valley. The Lesachtal valley borders the Lienzer Dolomite mountains and the Gailtal Alps to the north, and the Karnisch Alps to the south. Most settlements and paths are over 300 meters above the bottom of the valley.
The Lesachtal valley is located in the administrative district of Hermagor. The municipality of Lesachtal (area 19.62 km², pop. 1,665) comprises the villages of Liesing, Maria Luggau, and Sankt Lorenzen im Lesachtal.
The Landgericht Lesach (District Court of Lesach) was conferred to Burg Pittersberg in 1380 and was since then only an office of this Herrschaft. It belonged to the Counts of the County of Gorizia
and, after their decease, to the Landesfürsten and, finally, together with Goldenstein, to the Grafschaft Ortenburg
.
With the creation of the municipalities (Ortsgemeinden) in 1850, the three municipalities Luggau, St. Lorenzen and Liesing were constituted. The localities (Katastralgemeinden) Kornach and Strajach merged with the municipality of Mauthen, but obtained in 1882 independent status as the municipality of Unterlesach. Ten years later the two localities Birnbaum and St. Jakob became independent municipalities too.
With the Carinthian local government reform in 1973, the eastern municipality St. Jakob merged with Kötschach-Mauthen
, while the four western municipalities were merged into the present municipality of Lesachtal.
During World War I
the frontline between Austria-Hungary
and Italy
was located on the ridge of the Carnic Alps
. Many old positions and fortifications bear witness to the War in the mountains (see: War of the Mountains 1915–1918).
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...
n state of Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
. It is the uppermost part of the valley formed by the Gail River, and stretches from the border between East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol, or East Tirol , is an exclave of the Austrian state of Tyrol, sharing no border with the main North Tyrol part of the state. It corresponds with the administrative district of Lienz....
and Carinthia to Kötschach-Mauthen (alt. 705 m).
In East Tyrol the valley dug by the Gail River is called the Tilliach valley. The Lesachtal valley borders the Lienzer Dolomite mountains and the Gailtal Alps to the north, and the Karnisch Alps to the south. Most settlements and paths are over 300 meters above the bottom of the valley.
The Lesachtal valley is located in the administrative district of Hermagor. The municipality of Lesachtal (area 19.62 km², pop. 1,665) comprises the villages of Liesing, Maria Luggau, and Sankt Lorenzen im Lesachtal.
History
The Lesachtal was inhabited by Slavs in 600 AD. Later it was one of the first Carinthian valleys to be Germanised.The Landgericht Lesach (District Court of Lesach) was conferred to Burg Pittersberg in 1380 and was since then only an office of this Herrschaft. It belonged to the Counts of the County of Gorizia
County of Gorizia
The County of Görz was a county based around the town of Gorizia in the present-day Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy.Count Meinhard, descendant of the Bavarian Meinhardiner noble family with possessions around Lienz in Tyrol, is mentioned as early as 1107...
and, after their decease, to the Landesfürsten and, finally, together with Goldenstein, to the Grafschaft Ortenburg
Grafschaft Ortenburg
The Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
.
With the creation of the municipalities (Ortsgemeinden) in 1850, the three municipalities Luggau, St. Lorenzen and Liesing were constituted. The localities (Katastralgemeinden) Kornach and Strajach merged with the municipality of Mauthen, but obtained in 1882 independent status as the municipality of Unterlesach. Ten years later the two localities Birnbaum and St. Jakob became independent municipalities too.
With the Carinthian local government reform in 1973, the eastern municipality St. Jakob merged with Kötschach-Mauthen
Kötschach-Mauthen
Kötschach-Mauthen is a municipality in the district of Hermagor in Carinthia in Austria.-Geography:The municipality lies 34 km in the west of Hermagor at the transition of the upper Gailtal into Lesachtal...
, while the four western municipalities were merged into the present municipality of Lesachtal.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the frontline between Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
was located on the ridge of the Carnic Alps
Carnic Alps
The Carnic Alps are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in East Tyrol, Carinthia, South Tyrol and Friuli . They extend from east to west for about between the Gail River, a tributary of the Drava and the Tagliamento, forming the border between Austria and Italy.They are named after the Roman...
. Many old positions and fortifications bear witness to the War in the mountains (see: War of the Mountains 1915–1918).