Hüttenberg

Hüttenberg, Carinthia, market town in the district of St. Veit an der Glan, alt. 786 m, pop. 2,198 (1981: pop. 2,738), area 134.51 km², main town in the upper Görtschitztal valley, at the confluence of the Steierbach and the Mosinzbach streams, forming the River Görtschitz; "Noric iron" has been mined since pre-Roman times (Knappenberg, alt. 1,064 m, siderite and limonite). Formerly second-largest iron ore deposit in Austria after the Styrian deposits, mining was discontinued in 1978, caused economic decline of the area and considerable decrease in population. Festival hall, show mine in the Knappenberg gallery (700 m long), mining museum, display of mineralogical collection, demonstration and research gallery, Heft open-air museum (2 blast furnaces, neo-Gothic ironworks around 1857, trail), H.-Harrer museum, Hüttenberg geological centre (training centre), Hüttenberg power station; popular destination for day trips. First documented mention 1266, from the 10^th  century until 1805 owned by the Archdiocese of Salzburg; late-Gothic parish church (15^th  century) with additions from the 19^th  century in Gothic style, post-Classicist high altar (1845) and Baroque Trinity group, Roman epitaphs on the west façade; Lölling late-Gothic parish church with Baroque high altar (1705); Silberberg Gothic-Baroque parish church; Romanesque parish church in St. Johann am Pressen, castle with Baroque alterations (Gothic core 16^th -17^th  centuries) and Süßenstein Fortress (16^th  century). Every 3 years the so-called "Laubhüttenfest" festival, a miners´ festival with the traditional "Reiftanz" dance is held. Mineral finds in the vicinity.

Literature: F. Münichsdorfer, Geschichte des Hüttenberger Erzberges, 1870; F. Ucik and G. Niedermayr, H. in Kärnten, 1991; Grubenhunt und Ofensau, exhibition catalogue, 2 vols., Hüttenberg 1995.