Graz documented history part I
In the history of Graz, the capital of Styria, first settlements are in the time around 3000 BC.
Stone Age
History is a proven colonization of the area around the Schlossberg since the Copper Age (about 3000 BC). Finds of stone tools in the region of the blind road, which can be dated around 2000 BC, suggest that there might have been a settlement south of the Schlossberg. During the Urn Field Culture multiple fixtures are proven for the Graz area. The various tribes were each other to some extent hostile, but the company began to be politicized and specialize.
Roman
The Grazerfeld was in the Roman Empire a densely populated agricultural landscape, as evidenced by numerous findings. The largest known Roman site in Styria was located in the area of today's airport Graz-Thalerhofstraße and was completely destroyed during its expansion in the 1940s [1] As a continuity from antiquity through regional roads are here but survived. During the Middle Ages as "strata hungarica" was known (from the east, coming from Pannonia, near St. Leonhard in the Grazerfeld leader and further west the Mur crossing), and the Roman road, today's Old post Road, the north-south direction, the Grazerfeld crosses and intersects the strata hungarica am Steinfeld (in the area of today's cleaning house-reasons).
Slavs , Avars ; City Name
In the 6th Century Slavs penetrated as subjects of the Avars in the sparsely populated country and founded the Principality Karantania on the territory of today's Carinthia , Styria and Carniola .Slavs built at this place and later a castle - degree in Old Church Slavonic , Slovene Gradec , small castle , fortified place ' . This is the basis of the toponym , Graz ' from whose former spellings Gratz and up to the 19th Century Graetz were before the writing of the debate has been adjusted. In the Middle Ages the city to distinguish it from Windisch- Graetz in Lower Styria was regularly referred to as the Bavarian- Graetz or Bavarian - Graetz , [2] in the 16th Century then also often Kralove in Steyr (Latin Gratia Styriae or Graecium Styriae ) - today called the city in Slovene Gradec .The Slavs were from the 8th Century Christianized by the Bavarians and Franks and gradually assimilated , the Avars off around the year 800 by Charlemagne .
Incidence and expulsion of Hungary
During the invasions of the Hungarians at the beginning of the 10th Century the Hungarians tried to gain a foothold in the territory of modern Styria. Franconian and Bavarian lords, nobles and clergy were expelled or murdered. Many villages were set on fire and destroyed it. After Otto the Great had the Hungarians finally defeated at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955, the Bavarian colonization of the area continued. To ward off further attacks, the Emperor formed in the peripheral regions of boundary markers, the Marquis were assumed. In Graz area, the Mark on the middle Mur extended.
Eppensteiner , Lambach , Traungau
From 970-1035 the Eppensteiner were the masters of the mark on the middle Mur. As of 1035, the family of the Counts Wels- Lambach took over the Margrave dignity for the Styrian region (including Graz), but the Eppensteiner were allowed to keep their land ownership ( Karantania ) . Only lasted 15 years , the rule of the Wels- Lambach , then this generation was extinguished . The Otakare from the Traungau called Traungau followed them . Their seat was in Steyr. 1122 was a pivotal year for Styria . The Eppensteiner died out and the land was transferred to the Traungau . At this time , however, was the Graz area does not have the Traungau , it was one of the Mur until Sankt Ruprecht an der Raab the high outdoor Bernard of Stübing , a grandson of the Count Palatine Aribo . On the Schlossberg , a Romanesque rule castle was built by his vassals . But the civilian town began to develop ; directly below the new castle , on the territory of today's Freedom Square , the corresponding Grange was founded between the years 1125 and 1130. This had the consequence that own commercial and retail center in the area of today's Sackstraße arose . This alleys market had a length of about 180 meters. Thus, the foundation was laid for Graz to take a central role in the future Styria. The greater importance is also reflected in the fact that it was mentioned more frequently in documents . The systematic colonization of the Graz basin was begun at this time .
First documentary mention
The first mention should be on an undated deed of Margrave Leopold, with whom he some goods at Hartenberg left his ministeriales Rüdiger that should fall after his death at the Stift Rein. This document does not exist in the original, there is only one copy of the 15th Century of it. This document is expected only in the last third of the 12th Century have been written, but the content can be traced to 1128/29. To have write Verbal commitments until much later was at that time quite common. The first certain mention of Graz (as city Graz) dates back to 1140, when Udalrich of Graz, the establishment of the Augustinian Canons-pin to St.Marein at the Feistritzwerke (now Abbey Seckau) by Adalram of Waldeck in a document testifying. Graz is also to Margrave Ottokar III .
Coat of arms of Styria
Regalia , which previously belonged to the king in this area , such as the mountain sovereignty , Jews and coinage , tolls and customs-houses , was Leopold's son , Ottokar III . , Win for the nascent country for themselves. The country jurisdiction was transferred to him. With the assumption of a house coat of arms (Panther) and the name of the Marquis as princeps ( prince) in the years around 1160 , the externals for a completed state's school were satisfied after he had succeeded until 1156, off the heirs of Bernard of Stübing and the entire remove Grazer field of Aribonensippe . In the period around 1160 , the foundation of the second major Grazer market at the bottom of today's main square , but reached up to Landhausgasse then falls . As Ottokar III . 1164 died , everything seemed to indicate that this recovery was short-lived , for he left only a just one year old son , Ottokar IV , his widow Gwendolyn took over the regency for the . But the Styria remained a unit. In 1180 the country was raised by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa even to the Duchy .
The first city wall and coat of arms
To 1233 there are the first records that speak of a surrounding wall of the market. The Graz curtain wall enclosed the settlement area around the market and the immediately adjoining oldest suburbs . They ran from the castle hill to today's Ursuline church , ran along the North and Murseite the Palais Attems and crossed the Murgasse . The Franciscan church including , she moved on to the rear of the eastern row of houses in the district Kälbernen until they turned off to an angle in front of the Albrechtsgasse of the Mur. Now led the wall along the west side of the old Joanneum to today's corner Kalchberggasse / Schmiedgasse and here along the house front Hans -Sachs -Gasse to the playground . The east wall now pulled through the middle of the block east of the Bishop's Square and walked behind the eastern row of houses Färbergasse on. The Sporgasse was crossed below the Stieg church (stairchurch) and the wall retreated to the lower castle in the vicinity of the Clock Tower on. All components necessary for a city outward and legal characteristics of Graz had now collected : a market , its own jurisdiction and an attachment . Also first suburbs began to develop, so an area around the city walls , which was dependent on the city. So Graz received around 1245 also his coat of arms , which was inspired by the Styrian : upright to the right border , silver , gold reinforced , beat in Green on with a golden , three-leaved deciduous crown crowned Panther without horns , out of his belly openings red tongues of flame .