Mattersburg

Mattersburg, Burgenland, town in the district of Mattersburg, alt. 258 m, pop. 5,776, area 28.20 km², situated on the bank of the River Wulka, in the eastern foothills of the Rosaliengebirge Mountains.- District commission, district court, employment services, district office of agriculture, Economic Chamber, local health and social insurance agency, episcopal seminary, day-centre for handicapped persons, counselling centre run by the psychosocial service, counselling service for women, sports hall, Bundesgymnasium and Bundesrealgymnasium secondary schools, Handelsakademie (commercial academy), cultural centre including an adult education centre as well as a small library in which literary readings take place; in 1991 66 % of a total of 2,505 employed persons worked in the service sector, especially in retail stores (clothing stores, food shops), as well as in personal, social and public services. Trade and industry: canning industry, concrete works, tile production, construction industry plus construction-related trades. - First documented mention as "villa Martini" in 1202, later on referred to as Mattersdorf. Before Mattersburg was integrated into Austrian territory in 1921, it had belonged to Hungary. In 1924 the settlement was given the name of Mattersburg; granted town charter in 1926. - Parish church (fortified church built between the 14^th and the 15^th centuries) with a Neo-Gothic high altar and a Baroque interior; formerly residence of the Counts of Mattersburg, whose estate was completely destroyed in 1294. Thus, the counts had the Castle of Forchtenstein, Burgenland erected. The red eagle, which was depicted on the coats of arms of the Mattersdorf-Forchtenstein Family, is now to be found on the provincial flag of Burgenland. Plague Column set up in 1714.

Literature: D. Pados, Studien zur Ortsgeschichte von Mattersburg, doctoral thesis, Vienna, 1963; H. Paul (ed), 50 Jahre Stadtgemeinde Mattersburg, 1976; Österr. Städtebuch, vol. II, Burgenland, 1970.