Eisenstadt (German pronunciation:[ˈaɪzn̩ʃtat]ⓘ;
Austro-Bavarian: Eisnstod;
Hungarian: Kismarton;
Croatian: Željezni grad or Željezno;
Slovene: Železno) is the capital city of the
Austrian state of
Burgenland. With a population of 15,074 (as of 2023), it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot of the
Leitha Mountains hill range.
From 1648 to 1921, Kismarton/Eisenstadt was part of the
Habsburg Empire's
Kingdom of Hungary and the seat of the
Hungarian noble familyEszterházy. During this time, the composer
Joseph Haydn lived and worked in Eisenstadt as a court musician under the
patronage of the Esterházy family. After the cessation of Burgenland to Austria in 1921, the city became the province's capital in 1925. As the state capital of Burgenland, it functions as a center of public administration and services[5][6] and is the seat of three institutes of higher education.
Geography
Eisenstadt lies on a plain leading down to the river
Wulka, at the southern foot of the
Leitha Mountains, about 12 kilometres (7 miles) from the
Hungarian border.
Subdivisions
Eisenstadt is divided into three districts (Ortsteile):
Eisenstadt-Stadt (Eisenstadt proper)
Kleinhöflein im Burgenland (
Hungarian: Kishöflány;
Croatian: Mala Holovajna) – a town that lies to the west of Eisenstadt proper
Oberberg, or Oberberg-Eisenstadt (
Hungarian: Felsőkismartonhegy;
Croatian: Željezno Brig) – the northern area of Eisenstadt starting beyond the Jewish quarter
Unterberg, or Unterberg-Eisenstadt (Alsókismartonhegy; Željezno Donji Brig) – the southern area of Eisenstadt starting beyond the Kalvarienbergplatz & the Ruster Straße and including the Jewish quarter
Kleinhöflein im Burgenland
St. Georgen am Leithagebirge
Other informal areas of the city include Wiesäcker and Lobäcker, which lie south of the Eisbach, a tributary of the Wulka. The city is surrounded by the
district (Bezirk) of
Eisenstadt-Umgebung.
The city previously included the districts (Ortsteile) of Eisenstadt-Stadt, Eisenstadt-Oberberg, Eisenstadt-Unterberg, and Eisenstadt-Schloßgrund (Kismartonváralja).
The city's name means "Iron City" and was first recorded in 1118 as Castrum ferrum, referring to the history of iron mining and iron trade in the area. The first written mention of the town is from 1264 as "minor Mortin", matching the
Hungarian name, Kismarton, which recalls
Martin of Tours, the patron saint of the main church.
History
Archeological finds prove that the Eisenstadt area was already settled in the
Hallstatt period.
Celts and
Romans settled somewhat later. During the
Migration Period, the area was settled by different
Germanic tribes and the
Huns. Around 800, during the reign of
Charlemagne, settlement by the
Bavarii began. The territory became part of the
Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th century.
The fortress built on the original earth works was destroyed by the troops of Margrave
Leopold III of
Austria. In 1241, it was destroyed by the
Mongol invaders. In 1373, the town came into the possession of the
Kanizsai family, who rebuilt the walls surrounding the town and built a fortress at the site of the present day castle between 1388 and 1392. In 1388, Eisenstadt was given the right to hold markets by
Emperor Sigismund.
In 1648, it passed under the rule of the
Esterházy family. These
Hungarian princes permanently changed the face of the city due to their extensive construction, especially on their castle,
Schloss Esterházy. During this period, the city was captured by the army of
Imre Thököly in 1683, and it saw the defeat of the rebel
kuruc army of
Sándor Károlyi by the
Habsburgs in 1704. It was again destroyed by fire in 1776.
The appointment of
Joseph Haydn as the prince's Hofkapellmeister (court orchestra director, composing and performing music) began the great artistic period in the city's history. In 1809, Eisenstadt was occupied by
French troops during the
Napoleonic Wars; in 1897, it was joined to the railway network.
Until the end of
World War I, it was the seat of Kismarton district in Sopron county in the
Kingdom of Hungary. Without plebiscite, the city and the entire Hungarian territory of Burgenland (with the exception of the city of
Sopron and 11 other villages in which referendums were held) was annexed to Austria by the
Saint-Germain and
Treaties of Trianon in 1921. Since 30 April 1925, Eisenstadt has been the seat of the Burgenland state government and thus the state capital. During
World War II, Eisenstadt was heavily bombarded. On 2 April 1945, it was captured by
Soviet troops of the
3rd Ukrainian Front in the course of the
Vienna Offensive, and the city remained under Soviet occupation until 1955. In 1960, it became the see of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Eisenstadt.
Eisenstadt formerly hosted a
Joseph Haydn festival, the Haydn Festspiele, a viniculture festival, the Fest der 1000 Weine, and a tournament of the
World Athletics Continental Tour, the Austrian Open.
Eisenstadt(also Ajzenstat, Eisenstaedter, Asch, etc.), a
Jewish surname, derives from this city.[24] Some people with this surname or its variants include:
Alfred Eisenstaedt {1898–1995), an American photographer and photojournalist.
Meir Eisenstadt (ca. 1670 in Poznań – 1744 in Eisenstadt) author of rabbinic literature.