little bittern,
grey heron
The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more norther ...
and
great crested grebe
The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship displa ...
.
Renewable energy
The town is also known for its renewable energy projects. During the 1980s, Peter Vadasz, a local councillor, and Reinhard Koch, a technical engineer, created an energy transition strategy for the town by using local wood as an energy source.
In 1992, Vadasz was elected mayor of Güssing and worked towards this energy transition. This transition was not only devised for public buildings in the town, but for the whole district as well. In order to achieve this goal, public buildings were insulated and
biomass
Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...
heat plants were built. More recently, an anaerobic digestion plant was built. Local authorities have claimed this has led to full energy
self-sufficiency
Self-sustainability and self-sufficiency are overlapping states of being in which a person, being, or system needs little or no help from, or interaction with others. Self-sufficiency entails the self being enough (to fulfill needs), and a sel ...
in the district, yet this is disputed by others, who claim that transportation of goods and fuel still relies upon fossil fuels.
Energy in Güssing is heavily reliant on wood, which has led to concerns about energy security.
International Relations
Güssing is twinned with:
*
Nijlen,
Image:Ruine der Festung Güssing.jpg, Güssing Castle
Image:Güssing CarolusClusius 50385.JPG, An homage to Carolus Clusius, a resident of the town
Image:Holzvergaser_Güssing.jpg, Wood gasifier (commercial operation)
Image:FT_kolonne.jpg, Fischer-Tropsch diesel production from gasified wood (Pilot)
Image:Biogasspeicher.jpg, Biogas plant Strem
Image:Bhkwgasmotor.jpg, Biogas fuelled engine Biogas plant Strem
Neighbourhoods
The neighbourhoods that make up the town area include (with the population as of January 2021 in brackets):
* Glasing (123) with the Glasing mountains
* Güssing (Kernstadt) (2725) with Langzeil, Ludwigshof and Rosenberg
* Krottendorf (212)
* Sankt Nikolaus (193)
* Steingraben (182)
* Urbersdorf (230)
Culture
*The main attraction of the district is Güssing castle. Built on a volcanic cone, the castle is known for its exhibition "400 years of art", the gothic castle chapel (with a
neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
, wooden carved high altar, an old chest organ and a
baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
side altar. The castle also contains a museum and a restaurant.
* A
romanesque parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
dates back to the 1200s, with a cemetery nearby.
*The town contains a
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
monastery, which was built at the same time as a
bastion
A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
of the town wall and a monastic church, the Visitation of Mary church. Built in 1863, the monastery contains a range of
renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
architectural elements. The monastery is also noted for a
paramental shrine in the
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is us ...
and the library with many unique works from the age of Protestantism. Under the monastery is the crypt of the family
Batthyány
The House of Batthyány () is an ancient and distinguished Hungarian noble magnate family. The Head of the family bears the title Prince (Fürst) of Batthyány-Strattmann, while other members of this family bear the title Count/Countess ( Graf ...
, which is the second largest of its kind in Austria, with a state coffin by K. Moll. There is also a shrine depicting the
beatification
Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...
of
László Batthyány-Strattmann.
* There is a two-storey, castle like
arcade in the town.
* In the east of the town is the family home of the
Drašković family. This is a
classicist
Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...
style mansion with
empire style
The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 duri ...
furniture and a gothic winged altar from 1450 in the house chapel.
Regular events
*Musical Güssing: The cultural association hosts several events each year. In late January a carnival show takes place in the heart of Güssing. Every September a well-known musical show is performed, in which amateurs and professionals work together. The actor and singer
Florian Resetarits
Florian may refer to:
People
* Florian (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* Florian (Marcus Annius Florianus), Roman emperor in 276 AD
* Saint Florian (250 – c. 304 AD), patron saint of Po ...
(de) began his career in these musicals.
*Castle performances: For the last 500 years, Güssing has been a cultural centre, with the theatre being of particular significance. The castle performances are a highlight of the summer programme. The actor
Frank Hoffmann was the most recent director of the Güssing summer programme, as part of which performances take place at Güssing castle. The Güssing castle association hosts theatre performances for adults and children on the fairground at the foot of the castle.
Sport
The town has a football club, SV Güssing, which play in the
Landesliga Burgenland, the fourth division of Austrian football.
The town is home to a basketball club,
UBC Güssing Knights.
Notable people
*
Batthyány
The House of Batthyány () is an ancient and distinguished Hungarian noble magnate family. The Head of the family bears the title Prince (Fürst) of Batthyány-Strattmann, while other members of this family bear the title Count/Countess ( Graf ...
-
Strattmann Strattmann is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Theodor von Strattman (1637–1696), an Austrian statesman
* Countess Eleonore Batthyány-Strattmann (1672–1741), a Viennese Court lady
* Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1803–18 ...
family
**
Ferenc Batthyány () (1497, Buda - 1566)
(hu)
**
Ignaz Batthyány (1741–1798),
Bishop of Transylvania (de)
**
Gusztáv, 5th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1803–1883), owner and breeder of race-horses
**
Prince Edmund Batthyany-Strattmann (1826–1914)
** Prince
László Batthyány-Strattmann (1870,
Dunakiliti - 1931), doctor and blessed of the Roman Catholic Church
*
István Beythe (1532–1612), bishop, botanist
(hu)
*
Julia Dujmovits (born 1987), snowboarder
*
Ferenc Faludi (, 1704–1779)
(de)
*
Samuel Steinherz, ''errorly
"Steinberg"'' (1857–1942), Jewish historian born here
[, Stein''berg'']
*
Josef Reichl (1860–1924)
*
Carolus Clusius
Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius (19 February 1526 – 4 April 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists.
Life
C ...
(1526-1609)
*
Jenő Nagy (1898–1944)
(hu)
*
Otto Kery (1923–2006), director, editor, actor
(de)
*
Peter Vadasz (born 1944), City Mayor
*
Reinhard Koch Reinhard is a German, Austrian, Danish, and to a lesser extent Norwegian and Swedish surname (from Germanic ''ragin'', counsel, and ''hart'', strong), and a spelling variant of Reinhardt.
Persons with the given name
* Reinhard of Blankenburg (afte ...
(born 1959), together with Vadas the "creator" of energy-independent Güssing
*
Josef Trinkl (1951–2004), politician
(de)
*
Heinz Janisch
Heinz Janisch is an Austrian radio journalist and writer. In 2024, he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing.
Janisch was born in 1960 in Güssing, Burgenland. He graduated from high school in 1978 and sub ...
(born 1960), author
*
Ägidius Zsifkovics (born 1963), theologian, Bishop of
Eisenstadt
Eisenstadt (; ; ; or ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Austria, 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 o ...
*
Sabine James
The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divided into ...
circus-artist, harpist, performer, theatre-director (Burgspiele Güssing)
*
Martin Stranzl (born 1980), football player
*
Michael Miksits (born 1981), football player
(de)
*
Peter Traxler
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
(born 1946), ''
Kabarettist''
*
Csákányi László (1921-1992), színész, schauspieler (hu)
See also
*
Wildpoldsried
*
100% renewable energy
100% renewable energy is the goal of the use renewable resources for all energy. 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues, as well as ec ...
References
* DI
Dean Marcelja (ECRE AG) &
Geraldine Faulkner (Sustainable Solutions), 2008
External links
Official Website of GüssingBiomass gasification power plant Güssing
Biogas plant Strem
Official Website of the Batthyany FamilyOfficial Website of the Foundation of the castle of Guessing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gussing
Batthyány family
Cities and towns in Güssing District
Siebengemeinden
Renewable energy
Ramsar sites in Austria