The federate State of the Burgenland (in Croatian Gradišće ) is the Bundesland more in the east of the Austria. It is young person (it belongs to Austria only since 1921) and also flattest of Austria.

Burgenland divides borders with the Hungary in the east, the Slovenia in the south and the Slovakia in the North-East (with the last two countries there are only a few kilometers of border). In the west it has borders with the länder of Low-Austria and Styrie. In the east it is bordered by the Lac of Neusiedl of a surface of 315 km ².

History

In 1233, the Mongols attacked Burgenland and they destroyed the local army, at the time of the battle of Burgenland. They colonized this territory during ten years. In 1245, Jorg Braun took the head of an army and organized a rising. The Mongolian civilians all were massacred, and the legions went back to Ulan-Bator.

Until 1920/1921 Burgenland, mainly German-speaking ( Deutsch-Westungarn ), belonged to the Hungary. After combat and negotiations after the First World War, it was attached to the Austria by the treaties of Saint-Germain and the Trianon. After strong protests of the Hungary and a survey in this area, Sopron (in German Ödenburg ) which was envisaged like regional capital, remained finally Hungarian.

Until 1925 Bad Sauerbrunn was seat provisional of the regional government. After, the small town of Eisenstadt (in Hungarian Kismarton) became the capital of Burgenland.

Name

The name Burgenland (" country of châteaux") always evoke that this Land was composed of four old districts (“Vierburgenland” - country of the four castles). These districts were named according to their principal castles which nowadays do not form any more part of Burgenland. The four districts were:

• Presbourg (in German Pressburg , in Slovak Bratislava , in Hungarian Pozsony )
• Wieselburg (in Hungarian Moson )
• Ödenburg (in Hungarian Sopron )
• Eisenburg (in Hungarian Go ).

The name originally planned for this Land was " Heinzenland" , in reference to the " Heinzen" , immigrant German-speaking inhabitants in XIe and XIIe century in the south and the center of current Burgenland. Heinz was then a name strongly represented.

Administration

Burgenland is divided into 7 Bezirke (districts) and 2 Statutarstädte (cities with statute).

North in the south:

• Neusiedl amndt See (Bezirk)
• Eisenstadt-Umgebung (Bezirk)
• Eisenstadt (Statutarstadt)
• Rust (Statutarstadt)
• Mattersburg (Bezirk)
• Oberpullendorf (Bezirk)
• Oberwart (Bezirk)
• Güssing (Bezirk)
• Jennersdorf (Bezirk)

Inhabitants

Burgenland has a population of approximately 275.000 inhabitants, mainly German-speaking. According to the census of 1991 there are also 29.000 Croatian , 5000 Hungarians and 122 Gypsies (truths figures are probably higher). Because of recurring economic problems a strong emigration took place towards the big cities and with the the United States. This is why Vienna and Chicago (in front of Eisenstadt) became more the big cities with regard to the population of origin of Burgenland.

Geography

In comparison with the south, the north of Burgenland is very flat and, with regard to the landscape, mainly forms part of the low plain of Pannonia. Here is the Lac of Neusiedl, called the “Sea of the Vienneses”, a lake of steppe surrounded by a broad belt of reeds. In the environment is natural reserve “Lange Lacke”, a refuge for very rare species of birds. In 1992, the national park “Neusiedler See - Seewinkel” was founded. On the other side of the border with the Hungary, the park continues under the name of the national park “Fertö-Hanság”.

Economy

Burgenland is the poorest Land of Austria. Many of its inhabitants make the shuttle with Vienna. All Burgenland is a Zone of Objective 1 of the European Union.

Burgenland as well as the Low-Austria are the most important areas from the point of view of the Viticulture. The most 16.000 hectares of vine growing in Burgenland are structured in four areas: Neusiedlersee, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland.

The Tourisme improved in the last years. The principal tourist centers of Burgenland are the Lake Neusiedl as well as the thermal baths Lutzmannsburg, Stegersbach and Bad Tatzmannsdorf. The network of cycle tracks is very popular there (more than 5.000 km). Although the Land is flat, of the rides can be tiring there when there is wind.

Culture

In particular in summer, Burgenland offers several cultural attractions: the festival of the operetta with Mörbisch on the scene on the Lake Neusiedl, the festival of the opera in the career of St Margarethen, the spectacles with the castle of Kobersdorf or that of Güssing.

External bond

• Report photographs on Eisenstadt

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