Ampass
Encyclopedia
Ampass is a municipality in the Innsbruck-Land District, Tyrol
(Austria
) situated at an altitude of 651 m, has an area of 7.9 km2 and 1644 inhabitants as January 2011.
to Matrei am Brenner
, currently Landesstraße
L 38 (Ellbögener Straße). Ampass is connected directly to Innsbruck
, which is 8 km far, with the road L 283 (Ampasser Straße). On the outskirts of the village is located the Taxerhof lake
, surrounded by a reed and a wet area, suitable to host herons and wagtails.
or to La Tène Culture
. The Romans built a military road, which connected Hall in Tirol with Matrei am Brenner through Igls, Sistrans
, Lans and Ampass. The only remaining evidence of the roman period is a granite milestone
1.9 m high that is still in its original place, this was taken as a reference, in 1254, to delimit the boundary between the parishes of Wilten and Ampass. Ampass suffered in the seventh century, as the entire Tyrol, the invasion of Bavarii
of which skeletal traces remain. In 1056 the Emperor Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
, who succeeded at the age of six years to the death of his father Henry III, built a chapel, opened by the Bishop of Brixen Altwin and later elevated to "Royal Chapel".
In 1145 Ampass is mentioned for the first time in the documents as "Ambanes", a name derived from the Celtic meaning "between two rivers", at that time was under the jurisdiction of the Court of Sonnenburg. In 1313 it was elevated to municipality with its own fiscal autonomy and in that year 22 families were on the payroll as taxpayers. With the intensification of trade direct to the south, in 1552, the ancient Roman road has been renovated and enlarged. In 1634 the village was struck by the plague which decimated the population. In memory of the plague, along the road, on the hill "Sonnenbühel", was erected a votive stele known as "Viertelsäule"; it has become the Ampass emblem and it’s the most famous Gothic stele in Tyrol.
During the Tyrolean rebellion there were several fights in the municipality, the insurgents were led by Josef Speckbacher, the Count Victor Dankl and Kaspar Sautner native of Ampass. Following the victory over the Bavarians and the French Ampass passed under the District Court of Hall in Tirol. Between 1840 and early 1900 the population, due to industrial expansion of Innsbruck, declined because people preferred to migrate to the city that offered better job opportunities. The "Viertelsäule" was damaged by unknown assailants in 1876, was restored and put back in its place; then it was restored in 1906 and in 1997 by Johannes Stephan Schlögl.
In the last years Ampass grew bigger in agriculture and residential communities.
built a chapel inaugurated by the Bishop of Brixen Altwin, high due to "Royal Chapel". In 1426 a new church was built in Gothic style dedicated to "St. John the Baptist" and in 1546 the church had gone to ruin because of the destruction of war and in 1567 was destroyed by fire. In 1574 the building was restored and reopened for worship, but an earthquake in 1698 destroyed it. The church was rebuilt in 1744 and was restored in Baroque style.
St. Vitus
A church dedicated to "Saint Vitus" was built, in 1429, by carters who transported salt. In 1521 the church was rebuilt on the old foundations, and behind the altar are still visible the traces of the intercessions of the carters. Following the church restoration, were found frescoes with the insignia of Charles V, Holy Roman Empire, Aragon, Sicily, Hungary and Bohemia.
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
(Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) situated at an altitude of 651 m, has an area of 7.9 km2 and 1644 inhabitants as January 2011.
Geography
Ampass is located on a terrace on the southern side of the Inn Valley, on an old salt road, from Hall in TirolHall in Tirol
Hall in Tirol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 12,700 .-History:...
to Matrei am Brenner
Matrei am Brenner
Matrei am Brenner is a small municipality in the southern part of the District Innsbruck-Land and is located approximately 17 km south of Innsbruck. Matrei has always been an important station for commerce. The village has 902 inhabitants , at 992 m...
, currently Landesstraße
Landesstraße
Landesstraßen are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district...
L 38 (Ellbögener Straße). Ampass is connected directly to Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, which is 8 km far, with the road L 283 (Ampasser Straße). On the outskirts of the village is located the Taxerhof lake
Taxerhof Lake
The small Taxerhof Lake is located on a height of 827 meters approx. 2 km southern above the village of Ampass in the district Innsbruck Land, Tyrol, Austria....
, surrounded by a reed and a wet area, suitable to host herons and wagtails.
Origin
Ampass is likely to be inhabited in the fifteenth century BC as a result of a funerary urn, found on the hill, dating back to that period. A greater number of finds, such as arrowheads, bronze pins and beads, which have been found, dating back to the Hallstatt cultureHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
or to La Tène Culture
La Tène culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where a rich cache of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857....
. The Romans built a military road, which connected Hall in Tirol with Matrei am Brenner through Igls, Sistrans
Sistrans
Sistrans is a community in the district of Innsbruck-Land and lies 4km southeast above the capital on the highlands. In the core one can still see rustic character but nowadays the village looks like a big dwelling. The high number of dentists is incident for Sistrans....
, Lans and Ampass. The only remaining evidence of the roman period is a granite milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
1.9 m high that is still in its original place, this was taken as a reference, in 1254, to delimit the boundary between the parishes of Wilten and Ampass. Ampass suffered in the seventh century, as the entire Tyrol, the invasion of Bavarii
Bavarii
The Bavarii were a Germanic tribe whose name emerged late in Teutonic tribal times. The full name originally was the Germanic *baio-warioz. This name has been handed down as Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bioras, latinised Bavarii, Baioarii. or Bavarii, Bavarians, Bajuwaren, Bajuvarii, Bajuwaren and Baiern....
of which skeletal traces remain. In 1056 the Emperor Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
, who succeeded at the age of six years to the death of his father Henry III, built a chapel, opened by the Bishop of Brixen Altwin and later elevated to "Royal Chapel".
In 1145 Ampass is mentioned for the first time in the documents as "Ambanes", a name derived from the Celtic meaning "between two rivers", at that time was under the jurisdiction of the Court of Sonnenburg. In 1313 it was elevated to municipality with its own fiscal autonomy and in that year 22 families were on the payroll as taxpayers. With the intensification of trade direct to the south, in 1552, the ancient Roman road has been renovated and enlarged. In 1634 the village was struck by the plague which decimated the population. In memory of the plague, along the road, on the hill "Sonnenbühel", was erected a votive stele known as "Viertelsäule"; it has become the Ampass emblem and it’s the most famous Gothic stele in Tyrol.
During the Tyrolean rebellion there were several fights in the municipality, the insurgents were led by Josef Speckbacher, the Count Victor Dankl and Kaspar Sautner native of Ampass. Following the victory over the Bavarians and the French Ampass passed under the District Court of Hall in Tirol. Between 1840 and early 1900 the population, due to industrial expansion of Innsbruck, declined because people preferred to migrate to the city that offered better job opportunities. The "Viertelsäule" was damaged by unknown assailants in 1876, was restored and put back in its place; then it was restored in 1906 and in 1997 by Johannes Stephan Schlögl.
In the last years Ampass grew bigger in agriculture and residential communities.
Arms-of-coats
The emblem is green a pale silver, on which is painted the "Viertelsäule", the symbol of Ampass, erected in memory of the plague. The two vert partitions reprents the green meadows which surround the village and the silver pale symbolizes the "salt road". The coat was granted on January 22, 1974.St. John the Baptist’s Parish
In 1056 the Emperor Henry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
built a chapel inaugurated by the Bishop of Brixen Altwin, high due to "Royal Chapel". In 1426 a new church was built in Gothic style dedicated to "St. John the Baptist" and in 1546 the church had gone to ruin because of the destruction of war and in 1567 was destroyed by fire. In 1574 the building was restored and reopened for worship, but an earthquake in 1698 destroyed it. The church was rebuilt in 1744 and was restored in Baroque style.