Rechnitz
Encyclopedia
Rechnitz is a municipality in Burgenland
in the Oberwart
district in Austria
with a population of 3,133.
and Szombathely
. The highest mountain in Burgenland (German: Geschriebenstein, Hungarian: Írott-kő
) and the most eastern foothills of the Alps
are partially located within the municipality.
, as was the entire state of Burgenland
. Ever since 1898 the Hungarian name Rohonc had to be used, due to the policies of the Budapest
government. In 1919, after the end of World War I
, Burgenland was awarded to Austria through the treaties of St. Germain
and Trianon
. Since 1921, the village has been a part of the Austrian state of Burgenland.
On the night of 24–25 March 1945, some 200 Hungarian Jews were murdered near Rechnitz, by a group of local notables who had gathered for a party at the castle of the Countess of Batthyany, born Margit Thyssen-Bornemisza. At some point during the evening guns were handed out. The 200 Jewish laborers were killed, and afterwards the guests returned to the castle to continue the party. After the war the massacre was covered up. Residents boycotted an official investigation; one witness was murdered, and other witnesses died under suspicious circumstances.
Sources differ as to the evidence. Some say that at the end of the 1960s, some of the bodies of the victims were found, quite by accident — 18 corpses were exhumed and moved to a Jewish cemetery in Graz. For a brief time, researchers reconstructed the story, tried to find evidence. Then the trail died for another 30 years, finally revived by a documentary film Stecken, Stab und Stangl, by Erne/Heinrich, a book by David R.L. Litchfield, and the play Rechnitz (der Würgeengel) by Elfriede Jelinek. , the bodies of the remaining victims have still not been found. The incident echoed the nearby Deutsch Schützen massacre
.
; the deputy mayor is Alois Karacsony of the Austrian People's Party
. Reinhard Tangl is the chief officer.
The distribution of seats (23 in all) in the municipal council is as follows: Social Democratic Party of Austria
13, Austrian People's Party
8, and Freedom Party of Austria
2.
by Gusztáv Batthyány
, a Hungarian count, together with his entire library.
city of Alzey
since 1981.
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
in the Oberwart
Oberwart
Oberwart or Felsőőr is a town in Burgenland in southeast Austria on the banks of the Pinka River, and the capital of the district of the same name...
district in 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...
with a population of 3,133.
Geography
The municipality is located in southern Burgenland, on the border with Hungary, near BozsokBozsok
Bozsok is a village in Vas County, Hungary. It is mentioned in some records from the 13th century. It is near the remains of some Roman water pipes. It lies at the foot of the Kőszeg Mountains on the border with Austria, having Rechnitz on the other side. One of the attractions of Bozsok is Sibrik...
and Szombathely
Szombathely
Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria...
. The highest mountain in Burgenland (German: Geschriebenstein, Hungarian: Írott-kő
Írott-ko
Írott-kő or Geschriebenstein is the highest mountain of the Kőszeg Mountains range, located on the border between Austria and Hungary. Its height is 884 m according to Austrian sources, whereas Hungarian references mostly mention 883 m. It is the highest mountain of Western Hungary and of...
) and the most eastern foothills of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
are partially located within the municipality.
History
Until 1920/21, the village was a part of HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, as was the entire state of Burgenland
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
. Ever since 1898 the Hungarian name Rohonc had to be used, due to the policies of the Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
government. In 1919, after the end of 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...
, Burgenland was awarded to Austria through the treaties of St. Germain
Treaty of Saint-Germain
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the new Republic of Austria on the other...
and Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
. Since 1921, the village has been a part of the Austrian state of Burgenland.
On the night of 24–25 March 1945, some 200 Hungarian Jews were murdered near Rechnitz, by a group of local notables who had gathered for a party at the castle of the Countess of Batthyany, born Margit Thyssen-Bornemisza. At some point during the evening guns were handed out. The 200 Jewish laborers were killed, and afterwards the guests returned to the castle to continue the party. After the war the massacre was covered up. Residents boycotted an official investigation; one witness was murdered, and other witnesses died under suspicious circumstances.
Sources differ as to the evidence. Some say that at the end of the 1960s, some of the bodies of the victims were found, quite by accident — 18 corpses were exhumed and moved to a Jewish cemetery in Graz. For a brief time, researchers reconstructed the story, tried to find evidence. Then the trail died for another 30 years, finally revived by a documentary film Stecken, Stab und Stangl, by Erne/Heinrich, a book by David R.L. Litchfield, and the play Rechnitz (der Würgeengel) by Elfriede Jelinek. , the bodies of the remaining victims have still not been found. The incident echoed the nearby Deutsch Schützen massacre
Deutsch Schützen massacre
The Deutsch Schützen massacre was a 1945 mass killing of approximately 60 Jewish forced laborers in Deutsch Schützen-Eisenberg.-Incident and aftermath:The incident occurred on 29 March 1945....
.
Politics
The mayor of Rechnitz is Engelbert Kenyeri of the Social Democratic Party of AustriaSocial 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...
; the deputy mayor is Alois Karacsony of the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
. Reinhard Tangl is the chief officer.
The distribution of seats (23 in all) in the municipal council is as follows: Social Democratic Party of Austria
Social 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...
13, Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
8, and Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
2.
Rohonc Codex
A historical codex written in an unknown script and language was held in Rechnitz until 1838, when it was donated to the Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
by Gusztáv Batthyány
Gusztáv Batthyány
Gusztáv, 5th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann was a Hungarian nobleman who bred horses in England where he was commonly known as Count Batthyány....
, a Hungarian count, together with his entire library.
Sister Cities
Rechnitz has been a twin city of the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
city of Alzey
Alzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
since 1981.
People
- Karl Josef BatthyányKarl Josef BatthyányCount Karl Josef Batthyány of Németújvár was a Hungarian-Austrian general and field marshal. He served as ban of Croatia from 1743 to 1756.Károly József Batthyány was born 1697 as a son of the Hungarian count Ádám Batthyány...
- Christian Kolonovits, musician
- Gustav PickGustav PickGustav Pick , born in Rechnitz , was a musician and composer of Viennese songs. He created one of the most popular Wienerlieder, the Fiakerlied. The first time it was sung by the famous actor Alexander Girardi.- External links :...
, composer