Wörgl
Wörgl (German pronunciation: [ˈvœrɡəl]) is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the Kufstein district. It is 20 km (12 mi) from the international border with Bavaria, Germany.
Wörgl | |
|---|---|
 Wörgl seen from the east (Grattenbergl) | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location within Kufstein district | |
  Wörgl Location within Austria | |
| Coordinates: 47°29′N 12°04′E | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Tyrol |
| District | Kufstein |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Michael Riedhart |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19.74 km2 (7.62 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 511 m (1,677 ft) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[2] | |
| • Total | 13,811 |
| • Density | 700/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 6300-6302 |
| Area code | 043-5332 |
| Vehicle registration | KU |
| Website | www.woergl.at |
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1869 | 1,080 | — |
| 1880 | 1,485 | +37.5% |
| 1890 | 2,319 | +56.2% |
| 1900 | 3,126 | +34.8% |
| 1910 | 4,232 | +35.4% |
| 1923 | 4,155 | −1.8% |
| 1934 | 4,196 | +1.0% |
| 1939 | 4,689 | +11.7% |
| 1951 | 6,247 | +33.2% |
| 1961 | 6,828 | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 7,937 | +16.2% |
| 1981 | 8,598 | +8.3% |
| 1991 | 10,041 | +16.8% |
| 2001 | 10,885 | +8.4% |
| 2011 | 12,645 | +16.2% |
Transport
Wörgl is an important railway junction between the line from Innsbruck to Munich, and the inner-Austrian line to Salzburg. Its railway station has been designated as a Hauptbahnhof (German: main station) since 10 December 2006.
European route E641 connects Wörgl with Salzburg, the routes E45 and E60 (Austrian autobahn A12) pass through Wörgl.
Wörgl railway station in 1900
Wörgl railway station in 1965
History
World War II
Nearby Itter Castle was the site of one of the last European and most unusual battles of World War II. The Battle for Itter Castle was fought on 5 May 1945 by surrendered Wehrmacht troops, the United States Army, Austrian Resistance fighters and former French political prisoners against the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division. The leader of the surrendered Wehrmacht troops, Major Josef Gangl, was killed during the battle and is buried in Wörgl's municipal cemetery. A street in the city is named for Gangl.
Twin towns – sister cities
Albrechtice nad Orlicí, Czech Republic
Suwa, Japan
The Wörgl Experiment
Wörgl was the site of the "Miracle of Wörgl" during the Great Depression. It was started on July 31, 1932, with the issuing of "Certified Compensation Bills", a form of local currency commonly known as Stamp Scrip, or Freigeld. This was an application of the monetary theories of the economist Silvio Gesell by the town's then-mayor, Michael Unterguggenberger.
The experiment resulted in a growth in employment and meant that local government projects such as new houses, a reservoir, a ski jump and a bridge could all be completed, seeming to defy the depression in the rest of the country. Inflation and deflation are also reputed to have been non-existent for the duration of the experiment.
Despite attracting great interest at the time, including from French Premier Edouard Daladier and the economist Irving Fisher,[3] the "experiment" was terminated by Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank on 1 September 1933.[4][5]
British economist John Maynard Keynes also thought that "future economics will learn more from Gesell's ideas than from Marx's".[6]
In 2006, milestones were placed across the town to commemorate this event.[7]
Notable people
- Reinhard Furrer, a German scientist and astronaut, was born in Wörgl.
- Gerhard Berger, a former Formula One driver and former co-owner of Scuderia Toro Rosso, was born in Wörgl.
- Stefan Horngacher, an Olympic ski jumper, was born in Wörgl.
- Hans Peter Haselsteiner, a building tycoon and former deputy chair of the Liberal Forum, was born in Wörgl.
- Richard Kitzbichler, a former Austria national football team player and current assistant manager of Premier League side Southampton F.C., was born in Wörgl.
Gallery
See also
References
- "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- Working for Irving Fischer cato.org Retrieved 18 June 2023
- Boyle, David (2002). The Money Changers: Currency Reform from Aristotle to E-cash. Earthscan. ISBN 978-1-85383-895-8.
- Helleiner, Eric; Helleiner, Faculty of Arts Chair in International Political Economy Professor Eric (2003). The Making of National Money: Territorial Currencies in Historical Perspective. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4049-6.
- Felber, Christian (2010). Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie [Economy for the Common Good] (in German). ISBN 978-3-552-06137-8.
- "Meilensteine - home". meilensteine.woergl.at.
External links
