Murau

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title: "Murau" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-murau-district"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murau" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameMurau
settlement_typeMunicipality
image_skylineMurau - Ortsansicht.JPG
image_captionEast view of Murau
image_shieldAUT Murau COA.svg
shield_size80x110px
pushpin_mapAustria
pushpin_mapsize270
pushpin_map_captionLocation within Austria
map_captionLocation within Muraua district
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameAustria
subdivision_type1State
subdivision_name1Styria
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Murau
parts_stylepara
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameThomas Kalcher
leader_party
area_footnotes
area_total_km2
elevation_m829
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_total
population_density_km2auto
timezoneCET
timezone_DSTCEST
utc_offset+1
utc_offset_DST+2
registration_plateMU
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code8850
area_code_typeArea code
area_code03532
websitemurau.steiermark.at
::

| name = Murau | native_name = | settlement_type = Municipality | image_skyline = Murau - Ortsansicht.JPG | imagesize = | image_caption = East view of Murau | image_shield = AUT Murau COA.svg | shield_size = 80x110px | shield_link = | pushpin_map = Austria | pushpin_mapsize = 270 | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Austria | image_map = | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = Location within Muraua district | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Austria | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Styria | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Murau | parts_type = | parts_style = para | p1 = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Thomas Kalcher | leader_party = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | elevation_m = 829 | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_m = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_urban = | population_metro = | population_note = | population_density_km2 = auto | established_title = | established_date = | timezone = CET | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset = +1 | utc_offset_DST = +2 | registration_plate = MU | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 8850 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 03532 | website = murau.steiermark.at | footnotes = Murau () is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Styria. It is the administrative seat of Murau District.

Geography

The historic town is located in mountainous Upper Styria in the valley of the Mur river between the Lower Tauern range and the Gurktal Alps. The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Laßnitz-Lambrecht, Murau proper and Sankt Egidi, as well as the former independent municipalities of Laßnitz bei Murau, Stolzalpe and Triebendorf which were incorporated in the course of a 2015 administrative reform. Murau currently has a population of 3,688.

The town's economy largely depends on tourism, especially in the nearby Kreischberg ski resort. It is also known for its brewing tradition (Murauer Bier) documented since the 15th century. Murau station is a stop on the narrow-gauge Mur Valley Railway (Murtalbahn), running along the Mur river from Unzmarkt up to Mauterndorf in Salzburg.

Climate

Murau has a humid continental climate with cold winters and warm summers (Köppen:Dfb). | location = Murau, averages 1991-2020 | single line = Y | metric first = Y | source = Climate-data.org | Jan high C = -1.1 | Feb high C = 0.3 | Mar high C = 4.3 | Apr high C = 9.4 | May high C = 14.4 | Jun high C = 18.2 | Jul high C = 19.8 | Aug high C = 19.3 | Sep high C = 14.8 | Oct high C = 10.4 | Nov high C = 4.5 | Dec high C = 0.2 | year high C = 9.5 | Jan mean C = -5.5 | Feb mean C = -4.1 | Mar mean C = -0.1 | Apr mean C = 4.7 | May mean C = 9.5 | Jun mean C = 13.4 | Jul mean C = 14.9 | Aug mean C = 14.6 | Sep mean C = 10.3 | Oct mean C = 5.9 | Nov mean C = 0.9 | Dec mean C = -3.9 | year mean C = | Jan low C = -9.7 | Feb low C = -8.3 | Mar low C = -4.4 | Apr low C = -0.3 | May low C = 4.3 | Jun low C = 7.9 | Jul low C = 9.5 | Aug low C = 9.6 | Sep low C = 5.9 | Oct low C = 2.0 | Nov low C = -2.2 | Dec low C = -7.5 | year low C = | Jan rain mm = 43 | Feb rain mm = 46 | Mar rain mm = 64 | Apr rain mm = 79 | May rain mm = 109 | Jun rain mm = 128 | Jul rain mm = 127 | Aug rain mm = 128 | Sep rain mm = 100 | Oct rain mm = 89 | Nov rain mm = 83 | Dec rain mm = 56 | year rain mm = 1052 | Jan rain days = 7 | Feb rain days = 7 | Mar rain days = 8 | Apr rain days = 11 | May rain days = 13 | Jun rain days = 13 | Jul rain days = 13 | Aug rain days = 12 | Sep rain days = 9 | Oct rain days = 8 | Nov rain days = 8 | Dec rain days = 7 | year rain days = | Jan humidity = 80 | Feb humidity = 79 | Mar humidity = 78 | Apr humidity = 75 | May humidity = 77 | Jun humidity = 76 | Jul humidity = 77 | Aug humidity = 79 | Sep humidity = 82 | Oct humidity = 84 | Nov humidity = 84 | Dec humidity = 79 | year humidity = | Jand sun = 4.7 | Febd sun = 4.9 | Mard sun = 6.1 | Aprd sun = 7.5 | Mayd sun = 8.6 | Jund sun = 10.2 | Juld sun = 10.3 | Augd sun = 8.5 | Sepd sun = 6.1 | Octd sun = 4.8 | Novd sun = 3.8 | Decd sun = 4.5 | yeard sun =

History

The area was already settled in the Bronze Age through the Roman Era. Based on an entry in the Tabula Peutingeriana the ancient city of Noreia, capital of the Celtic kingdom Noricum, was thought to be near Murau in the late 18th and the 19th century. However, no archaeological evidence has been found so far. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Murau_Styria.jpg" caption="Murau Castle and St Matthew's parish church"] ::

Murowe itself, centre of the Styrian estates in the Mur valley held by the noble Liechtenstein family, was first mentioned in a 1250 deed. The famous minnesinger Ulrich von Liechtenstein (d. 1275) from nearby Frauenburg had a castle erected at Murau which was again demolished when the Bohemian king Ottokar II occupied the Styrian lands upon his victory at Kressenbrunn in 1260. Ulrich had to cede his estates to the king and was temporarily arrested in Moravia.

The Liechtenstein estates were restored, when Ottokar was defeated in the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld. Ulrich's son Otto had the Gothic parish church of St Matthew's with its characteristic crossing tower built from 1284, it was consecrated by the Lavant bishop in 1296. The Murau citizens were vested with town privileges in 1298, whereafter the town was fortified and significantly enlarged.

From 1480 to 1490, the town was occupied by the Hungarian forces of King Matthias Corvinus. The Liechtensteins held Murau until the late 16th century. From 1623 onwards, it was a possession of the House of Schwarzenberg who had Murau Castle rebuilt in its present Renaissance style. The present owner is Karel Schwarzenberg.

During World War II a camp of the Wehrmacht armed forces was located here, in which captured British prisoners of war were held enthralled. At the end of the war in May 1945, local groups of resistance fighters freed eight remaining POWs and successfully led the approaching Red Army forces to believe that the town was already occupied by the British.

Population

|align=left |1869|1293 |1880|1409 |1890|1377 |1900|1679 |1910|1807 |1923|1990 |1934|2117 |1939|2279 |1951|2838 |1961|2794 |1971|2711 |1981|2622 |1991|2443 |2001|2331 |2011|2096

Events

thumb|upright=1.25|[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]] by William Shakespeare performed in Murau, 2014 The Murtalbahn steam train is a historic part of the town, as well as one of its tourist attractions. Murau is also known for its annual Samson parades on August 15.

Since 2002, the annual festival Shakespeare in Styria presents productions of Shakespeare plays in the town's Festival Hall, in the Courtyard of the Murau Castle as well as at the Domenig Pavillon in the park of the town. The festival was founded in 2002 by British born theatre manager Nicholas Allen and Austrian writer Rudolph J. Wojta. Each year it presents another play performed by young actors and actresses from all over Europe directed by experienced British directors. In the early years of the festivals performances were in English. Since 2013 productions are performed in German and directed by Nicholas Allen and US-American sword-master Roberta Brown. Since the summer of 2016, the festival has been based at St. Lambrecht Abbey, some 14 kilometres from Murau and no performance have taken place in Murau.

Politics

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Rathaus_entzerrt.jpg" caption="Town hall"] ::

Seats in the town's assembly (Stadtrat) as of 2015 local elections:

Twin towns — sister cities

Murau is twinned with:

Notable people

References

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

cities-and-towns-in-murau-district