Pinkafeld

Pinkafeld, Burgenland, town in the district of Oberwart, alt. 399 m, pop. 5,010, area 27.43 km², in the upper Pinka Valley, near the Styrian border. - Turba barracks, outpatient clinic, convent of the Sisters of Mercy (with nursing home), Protestant old people's home, sports centre, SOS children's village, upper secondary school of engineering, vocational school of commerce and social work, vocational school, Fachhochschule, district heating plant, transformer station, power plant (in Gfangen); 2,462 employees (1991); metal-working industry with zinc coating shop, manufacture of synthetic and building materials, building contractors; trade, around 150 businesses; fruit growing in the environs. - Documented mention of settlement in 860, given market town rights in 1397, chartered in 1937. - Catholic parish church (1773/74); Protestant parish church (consecrated in 1785); Chapel of St. Joseph (around 1730); column dedicated to the Virgin Mary (before 1757); old town hall (17^th century, today museum) with pillory; former Batthyány Palace (17^th century, rebuilt in 1949-1952, today vocational school); southwest of Pinkafeld, Calvary Chapel (1748). Noric-Pannonian tumuli in the vicinity.

Literature: J. K. Homma and H. Prickler, Pinkafeld, 1960; idem and J. Seedoch, Geschichte der Stadt Pinkafeld, 1987; Österreichisches Städtebuch, vol. II, Burgenland, 1970; F. Kugler, Geschichte der Stadt Pinkafeld mit Berücksichtigung der römisch-katholischen Pfarre, 1974; G. Reingrabner, Evangelisch in Pinkafeld, 1983.