Obervellach
Encyclopedia
Obervellach is a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau
in Carinthia
in Austria
. It is situated in the valley of the Möll
river, on the southern slope of the Hohe Tauern
mountain range. The municipal area includes the Katastralgemeinde
n of Pfaffenberg, Lassach and Söbriach.
The settlement of Velach was first mentioned in a deed issued by the Bishop Abraham of Freising
(957-994), a Bavarian
missionary among the East Alpine Slavs
in the former principality of Carantania. The name is probably derived from Slavic bela ("white"). The traditional gold
and silver mining
area from the 12th century onwards was a possession of the Meinhardiner counts of Görz, their ministeriales
resided at Falkenstein Castle
high above the valley. After the conflict over the inheritance of Count Ulrich II of Celje, in which the Meinhardiner were defeated by Emperor Frederick III
, the area of Obervellach in 1460 was finally incorporated into the Carinthian
possessions of the House of Habsburg.
Spittal an der Drau (district)
The Bezirk Spittal an der Drau is an administrative district in Carinthia, Austria.Area of the district is 2,763.99 km², population is 81,719 , and population density 30 persons per km². It is Austria's second largest district by area...
in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
in 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...
. It is situated in the valley of the Möll
Moll
- Notable people with the given name :* Moll Davis, an actress and mistress to King Charles II of England- Notable people with the surname :* Albert Moll , founder of modern sexology* Dr. Albert E...
river, on the southern slope of the Hohe Tauern
Hohe Tauern
The Hohe Tauern or High Tauern are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian state of Salzburg with Carinthia and East Tyrol, while a small part in the southwest belongs...
mountain range. The municipal area includes the Katastralgemeinde
Katastralgemeinde
A Katastralgemeinde , a German word , is a cadastral subdivision of municipalities in the nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Gorizia, Trieste, and in Slovenia.A cadastral community records property ownership in a cadastre,...
n of Pfaffenberg, Lassach and Söbriach.
The settlement of Velach was first mentioned in a deed issued by the Bishop Abraham of Freising
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising
The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria, Germany. It is led by the prelature of the Archbishop of Munich, who administers the see from the mother church in Munich, the Frauenkirche, also known as Munich Cathedral...
(957-994), a Bavarian
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
missionary among the East Alpine Slavs
Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps
Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps region was a historic process that took place between the 6th and 9th century AD, having culminated in the final quarter of the 6th century...
in the former principality of Carantania. The name is probably derived from Slavic bela ("white"). The traditional gold
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
and silver mining
Silver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
area from the 12th century onwards was a possession of the Meinhardiner counts of Görz, their ministeriales
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
resided at Falkenstein Castle
Burg Falkenstein (Niederfalkenstein)
Burg Falkenstein is a castle near Obervellach in Carinthia, Austria. Situated on the southern slope of the Hohe Tauern mounain range, the former fortification of Oberfalkenstein today is a ruin, while the inferior barbican of Niederfalkenstein is preserved....
high above the valley. After the conflict over the inheritance of Count Ulrich II of Celje, in which the Meinhardiner were defeated by Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
, the area of Obervellach in 1460 was finally incorporated into the Carinthian
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
possessions of the House of Habsburg.