Krems an der Donau

Krems an der Donau () is a town of 23,992 inhabitants in Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria. It is the fifth-largest city of Lower Austria and is approximately west of Vienna. Krems is a city with its own statute (or '' Statutarstadt''), and therefore it is both a municipality and a district.

Geography

Krems is located at the confluence of the Krems and Danube Rivers at the eastern end of Wachau valley, in the southern Waldviertel.

Krems borders the following municipalities: Stratzing, Langenlois, Rohrendorf bei Krems, Gedersdorf, Traismauer, Nußdorf ob der Traisen, Paudorf, Furth bei Göttweig, Mautern an der Donau, Dürnstein, and Senftenberg.

History

Krems was first mentioned in 995 in a certificate of Otto III, but settlement was apparent even before then. For example, a child's grave, over 27,000 years old, was found here. This is the oldest grave found in Austria.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, Chremis, as it was then called, was almost as large as Vienna.

At the end of the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops captured Krems in 1645 during their invasion of Lower Austria. The city was recaptured by Imperial troops under Hans Christoph von Puchheim and Johann Wilhelm von Hunolstein on 5 May 1646.

Krems is the primary producer of Marillenschnaps, an apricot brandy. It is also the hometown of Martin Johann Schmidt, called "Kremserschmidt", the leading painter, draughtsman and etcher of the Austrian late Baroque.

City division

* Innenstadt ''(Inner City)''
* Weinzierl
* Mitterau
* Stein
* Egelsee
* Rehberg
* Am Steindl
* Gneixendorf
* Lerchenfeld
* Krems-Süd ''(South Krems)''

Population development

# Quelle der Daten: Homepage der Stadt Krems und Statistik Austria
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bar:1900 from:start till:21022 text:"21.022"
bar:1910 from:start till:22388 text:"22.388"
bar:1923 from:start till:22205 text:"22.205"
bar:1934 from:start till:23140 text:"23.140"
bar:1951 from:start till:22410 text:"22.410"
bar:1961 from:start till:23097 text:"23.097"
bar:1971 from:start till:23520 text:"23.520"
bar:1981 from:start till:23076 text:"23.076"
bar:1991 from:start till:22783 text:"22.783"
bar:2001 from:start till:23713 text:"23.713"
bar:2011 from:start till:24003 text:"24.014"

The population (with principal residence status) in the agglomeration was about 50,000 at the end of 2010.

Climate

Main sights

Old town

* Bürgerspitalkirche
* Dominikanerkirche
* Dreifaltigkeitssäule
* Göglhaus
* Gozzoburg
* Großes Sgraffitohaus
* Pfarrkirche St. Veit
* Piaristenkirche
* Pulverturm
* Rathaus
* Simandlbrunnen
* Steiner Tor: The gate, erected in 1480, is the second remaining medieval gate

Outside the Old Town

* Frauenbergkirche
* Göttweigerhofkapelle
* Großer Passauerhof
* Karikaturmuseum Krems
* Kloster Und
* Kremser Tor
* Kunsthalle Krems
* Forum Frohner
* Landesgalerie Niederösterreich
* Linzer Tor
* Mauthaus
* Minoritenkirche
* Pfarrkirche Hl. Nikolaus
* Salzstadl
* University Krems

Transport

The city's main railway station is a junction of the Franz-Josefs Railway to Vienna, the Kremser Railway to St. Pölten, the Donauufer Railway to Spitz and the regional railway to Horn. It is at the intersection of the Stockerauer Speedway S5 and the Kremser Speedway S33, and is traversed by the Danube Road B3, the Retzer Road B35, the Kremser Road B37 and the Langenloiser Road B218. Krems is a junction of the ''Wieselbus'' bus lines, which provides radial connections between Sankt Pölten and the different regions of Lower Austria.

Main Roads
* Stockerauer Schnellstraße (S5) from Krems to Vienna
* Kremser Schnellstraße (S33) from Krems to St. Pölten
* Donau Straße (B3) from Krems to Linz
* Aggsteiner Straße (B33) from Krems to Melk
** Aggsteiner Straße (B33a) from Krems to Mautern an der Donau
* Retzer Straße (B35) from Krems to Retz
* Kremser Straße (B37) from Krems to Rastenfeld
** Kremser Straße (B37a) from Krems to Traismauer
* Langenloiser Straße (B218) from Krems to Langenlois

Railroad
* Franz-Josefs-Bahn from Krems to Vienna
* Kremser Bahn from Krems to St. Pölten
* Donauuferbahn from Krems to Spitz
* Kamptalbahn from Krems to Sigmundsherberg

Air traffic
* Gneixendorf airfield is a small general aviation airport.

In the city

A network of four bus lines operates at regular intervals within the city.
Every summer, a tourist train connects the ancient parts of the city with museums, the central railway station and the passenger ship terminal of Krems.

Politics

Municipal council

The municipal council consists of 40 members and since the municipal elections in 2017 it consists of the following parties:

* 19 Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) – the mayor and the first vice mayor
* 8 Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) – the second vice mayor
* 5 Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)
* 2 KLS
* 1 Austrian Green Party
* 1 PROKS

Municipal elections in Krems were held, at the same time as the Austrian legislative election, 2017 on 15 October 2017.

City's senate

The city's senate consists of 10 members:
* SPÖ: 5 members
* ÖVP: 4 members
* FPÖ: 1 members

Public facilities

Educational facilities

* BHAK/BHAS Krems
* Bundesgymnasium Piaristen
* Bundesgymnasium Rechte Kremszeile
* Bundesreal- and Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium (BORG) Krems Heinemannstraße
* Bundesrealgymnasium Krems Ringstraße
* Danube Private University
* University for Continuing Education Krems
* Adult education centre
* HLA/HLW Krems
* HLF Krems
* HTBL Krems
* IMC Fachhochschule Krems (University of Applied Sciences)
* Karl Landsteiner Privatuniversität für Gesundheitswissenschaften
* Oberstufenrealgymnasium Englische Fräulein
* School of education

Prison

* Justizanstalt Stein is a prison housing some of Austria's worst offenders.

Leisure and sports sites

Swimming is available at Kremser Strandbad (indoor swimming pool) and outdoor.
* Football – Kremser SC
* Ice hockey – KEV Eagles
* Miniature golf
* Rugby Club Krems
* Skatepark
* Team handball – Union Handballklub Krems
* Union Badminton Krems

Personalities linked to Krems an der Donau

* Matthias Abele (1616–1677), town clerk and writer of the 17th century.
* Josef Bayer (1882–1931), director of Natural History Museum in Vienna, one of the discoverers of the Venus of Willendorf
* Josef Maria Eder (1855–1944), photochemist and pioneer of Picture
* Julius Ernest Wilhelm Fučík (1872–1916) composer and conductor; 1891-1894 military musician in Krems (1st Commitment)
* Wilhelm Gause (1853–1916), painter
* Gregor Hradetzky, (1909–1984), canoeist and organ builder
* Wolfgang Kummer (1935–2007), physicist
* Maria Anna Laager (1788–1866), mother of the composer and pianist Franz Liszt
* Ulrike Lunacek (born 1957), journalist and politician
* Margaret of Babenberg (1204–1266), Queen of Bohemia and Duchess of Austria wife of Heinrich (HRR) (VII.) and Premysl Otakar II, lived in Krems;
* Jakob Oswald of Mayreck (1669–1745), businessman and mayor, in which he has set up house lived Kochel
* Josef Meller (1874–1963), university professor of ophthalmology
* Eduard Melly (born 1814), numismatist

* Wilhelm Miklas (1872–1956), politician (CS) and the third President of the 1st Republic
* Vinzenz Eduard Milde (1777–1853), Dean of Krems and Archbishop of Vienna, pastor of Krems and head of the philosophical educational institution
* Peter B. Neubauer (1913–2008), child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
* Johann Nordmann (1820–1887), journalist and poet
* Rudolf Redlinghofer (1900–1940), Nazi victims, was beheaded on January 11, 1940 in Berlin-Plötzensee
* Ludwig Ritter von Köchel (1800–1877), musicologist, writer and composer
* Johann Georg Schmidt (Wiener Schmidt) (1685–1748), painter, died in Krems;
* Martin Johann Schmidt (1718–1801), called "Kremser Schmidt", the most outstanding painters of the Austrian Rococo
* Franz Schneider (1812–1897), physician and chemist
* Marko Stankovic, (born 1986), football player
* Robert Streibel, (born 1959), historian
* Michael Wutky (1739–1822), painter
* Cameron Ugbodu (born 2000), visual artist

Twin towns

Krems is twinned with the following cities:
* Ribe, Denmark, since 1971
* Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, since 1971
* Beaune, Côte-d'Or, France, since 1973
* Passau, Bavaria, Germany, since 1974
* Kroměříž, Czech Republic, since 1994
* Grapevine, Texas, United States, since 1999

References

External links

Pictures of Krems and information in English language

Video of a street walk through the Old Town of Krems an der DonauLower Austria official webpage

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Populated places on the Danube
Cities and towns in Lower Austria
World Heritage Sites in Austria