Schröcken
Encyclopedia
Schröcken is an alpine town located in the district of Bregenz
Bregenz (district)
The Bezirk Bregenz is an administrative district in Vorarlberg, Austria. It comprises the Bregenzerwald region, the Leiblach valley, and the Austrian part of Lake Constance....

, Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...

, 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...

.

Geography

Schröcken is located in the western province of Austria, Vorarlberg, Bregenz in the district south-south-east of the Bodensee. It is in the Austrian Alps and is at an altitude of 1,269 meters. 12.4% of the area are forested, 39.4% of the Alpine area.

History

The area around Schröcken was first populated around 1300 by German-speaking people known as the Walser
Walser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...

, who came to Austria in from the Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...

 highlands located in the southern part of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. The town was made part of a regional administrative area called Tannberg in 1806.

The town is located near the border between Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Austria, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. From 1805 to 1814, the town was under the jurisdiction of the Free State of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...

. The town was also part of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Empire, and later to the administrative zone of Vorarlberg, Austria.
From 1945 to 1955, Schröcken was part of the French occupation zone in Austria.

Politics

The political administrative body consists of a 9 member council and a Mayor, and belongs to the political district of Bregenz.

Cultural attractions

Church of Our Lady Assumption
The first church of Schröcken was built in 1639. The church increased its membership from 1726 to 1732, but the building was destroyed by fire in 1863. A rebuilding effort took place between 1864 to 1867 and the church was re-consecrated. The Church is surrounded by a walled cemetery

Chapel of the Annunciation
18th century neo-Gothic chapel consecrated in 1779.

Economy

In 2003 there were 16 industrial businesses with 141 employees and 2 apprentices.

Tourism is the main economic enterprise with an emphasis on outdoor activities including, skiing, hiking, and other mountain sports.

Transportation

There is public transportation provided by Wälderbus 40 or 42 between Schoppernau
Schoppernau
Schoppernau is a town in eastern Vorarlberg, Austria in the Bregenz district. Most of the town is 852 m above sea level.-References:...

 and Warth
Warth, Vorarlberg
Warth is a municipality in the district of Bregenz in Vorarlberg in Austria....

 / Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg is a mountain village and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, in western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In terms of both geography and history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district...

. The road-Bregenzerwald Bundesstraße 200 is a curvaceous switchback common to the Alps.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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