Liezen

Liezen, Styria, town in the district of Liezen, alt. 664 m, pop. 7,051, area 56.36 km², main town of the Styrian Ennstal valley near the mouth of the River Pyhrnbach, where the road leading over the Pyhrnpaß pass branches off. - District authorities, district court, forestry commission; building authority, job centre, inland revenue office and surveyor´s office, camp of the Federal Armed Forces, Economic Chamber, Chamber of Labour, district Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, regional health insurance office, several advisory centres, public library. Schools: Handelsakademie (commercial academy), Bundesanstalt für Kindergartenpädagogik (kindergarten teacher training institute). Since 1981 central refuse processing plant. Newspaper: "Liezen Bezirksnachrichten". Commuting area with 4,898 employees (1991), including about 62 % in services (mainly in trade: shopping centres, wood shops, do-it-yourself store, etc.), mechanical engineering, plaster plate works (in Weißenbach), some tourism. - Roman post station "Stiriate", documented mention 1074 as "Luecen"; town since 1947; parish church with late Gothic elements, enlarged 1911/12, high altar panel by M. J. Schmidt (1777), Baroque Kalvarienberg church, town hall (1907).

Literature: Österr. Städtebuch, vol. VI, part 3, Die Städte der Steiermark, 1990.