Ossiach

Ossiach, Carinthia, municipality in the district of Feldkirchen, alt. 510 m, pop. 703, area 17.40 km², summer tourism (430,530 overnight stays in 1992), bathing resort on the south-eastern shore of Lake Ossiach; wharf. - Breeding farm of the Chamber of Agriculture, Forestry School, recreation home for blind war veterans, summer toboggan course, Carinthischer Sommer Festival (every July/August), Carinthia Gallery (in the abbey). - Former Benedictine abbey (the oldest in Carinthia, founded before 1028, closed 1783) 3-aisled, late Gothic colonnade basilica, (originally Romanesque, altered 1737-1744), grave of the Polish King Boleslav II (with relief of a horse dating back to Roman times) at the northern exterior wall, interior walls altered in the Baroque style with coloured stucco and frescoes (J. F. Fromiller), high altar (late 17^th century) with enthroned Madonna, late Gothic winged altarpiece (around 1505) with wood carvings by the St. Veit Atelier in the baptistery; Fürstensaal hall (partly demolished in 1816) with frescoes by J. F. Fromiller (around 1739/40, including life-size representations of 14 Habsburg rulers).

Literature: I. Bodo, Geschichte des Benediktinerstiftes Ossiach, doctoral thesis, Vienna 1967.