Hardegg, Niederösterreich, Stadt

Hardegg, Lower Austria, town in the district of Hollabrunn, alt. 290 m, pop. 1,652 (1981: pop. 1,904), area 93.37 km², once Austria´s smallest town, situated on the River Thaya at the border to the Czech Republic, in the northern Waldviertel region. - Customs office and customs authority department. Hardegg is situated between the nature reserves of Thayatal I (1989, 350 hectares) and Thayatal II (1992, 400 hectares). Discussions are currently in progress on the creation of a cross-border national park by uniting the Thayatal reserves with a nature reserve (6,300 hectares) situated on the other side of the River Thaya in the Czech Republic. Summer tourism, popular destination for day-trips, agriculture. - First documented mention 1145, documented mention as town 1290. Medieval fortification around the castle and the parish largely preserved; Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque parish church; Romanesque charnel house (around 1150-1160); Hardegg Fortress: main structure from the 10^th  century, oldest preserved wall parts 11^th century, extensions in the 12^th century, after 1754 ruins; historicist reconstruction as Khevenhüller crypt and Maximilian memorial 1878-1905; 1945 destroyed, Maximilian of Mexico museum, Khevenhüller collection and items of local history and culture.

Literature: Österr. Städtebuch, vol. IV, part 2, Die Städte Niederösterreichs, 1976; W. Krause and W. Enzenhofer (ed.), Hardegg 700 Jahre Stadt, 1990.