Feldkirchen in Kärnten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Feldkirchen in Kärnten
Coat of arms
Feldkirchen in Kärnten Location in Austria
Country	Austria
State	Carinthia
District	Feldkirchen
Area
• Total	77.5 km2 (29.9 sq mi)
Elevation	554 m (1,818 ft)
Population  (2018-01-01)
• Total	14,198
• Density	183.20/km2 (474.5/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	9560
Website	www.feldkirchen.at

A view of Feldkirchen.

Feldkirchen in Kärnten is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is also the main town of the Feldkirchen district. The town is made up of several smaller areas called Katastralgemeinden. These include Fasching, Feldkirchen, Glanhofen, and Waiern. The name Feldkirchen means "the church in the fields."

The Hauptplatz (Main Square) in Feldkirchen.

A view of the Kirchgasse street.

Exploring Feldkirchen's Geography

Where is Feldkirchen Located?

Feldkirchen is found on the northern edge of the Klagenfurt Basin. It sits where several main roads meet. These roads connect Feldkirchen to other towns like Friesach, Villach, and Klagenfurt.

Rivers and Lakes in Feldkirchen

Two rivers flow through Feldkirchen: the Glan river and the smaller Tiebel. The Tiebel river is the main water source for Lake Ossiach.

There are also three beautiful lakes close to Feldkirchen:

• The Lake of Flatschach (Flatschacher See)
• The Lake of Dietrichstein (Dietrichsteiner See)
• The Lake of Maltschach (Maltschacher See)

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  Lake of Flatschach

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  Lake of Dietrichstein

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  Lake of Maltschach

Towns Near Feldkirchen

Feldkirchen is surrounded by several other towns. These include Himmelberg, Steuerberg, Sankt Urban, Steindorf, Glanegg, Ossiach, Velden, Techelsberg, and Moosburg.

A Look at Feldkirchen's History

Early Beginnings

Feldkirchen might have started as a resting place called Beliandrum. This place was along an old Roman road. This road connected two important Roman towns, Teurnia and Virunum. A Roman tombstone from the 2nd century can still be seen in the walls of the Saint Michael church.

First Mentions and Important Buildings

The town was first mentioned in a document in 888. It was called Ueldchiricha, meaning "Church in the Fields." The Maria im Dorn parish church is one of the oldest holy buildings in Carinthia. It is a Romanesque basilica with parts from the Carolingian period.

Feldkirchen was once owned by the Eppenstein noble family. In 1166, it was given to the Diocese of Bamberg, a church group. The bishops built the Amthof, which was once the local government office. Today, the Amthof is used for cultural events and has a small museum.

Becoming a Town

In 1759, Maria Theresa of Austria bought Feldkirchen. The village of Markstein, south of the town, was once a checkpoint. It marked the border between the Austrian Empire and a French-controlled area called the Illyrian Provinces. You can still see an old customs station and a border stone there. Feldkirchen officially became a town in 1930.

Who Lives in Feldkirchen?

According to a census in 2001, Feldkirchen had 14,030 people living there. Most people, about 77.1%, belong to the Roman Catholic Church. About 12.0% are Protestant, and smaller groups belong to the Orthodox Church or are Muslim. About 2.0% of the people do not follow any religion.

Places to See in Feldkirchen

Feldkirchen has several interesting places to visit:

• Catholic parish church Maria im Dorn
• Catholic church St. Michael
• Catholic church St. Martin
• Catholic church St. Ulrich
• Amthof (the old administrative building)
• Antoniusheim

Gallery

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  The Parish church Maria im Dorn

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  The Amthof building

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  The Luager Cross

Feldkirchen's International Friends

Feldkirchen in Kärnten has "twin towns" or "sister cities." This means they have a special friendship and often share culture and ideas.

Twin Towns

Feldkirchen in Kärnten is twinned with:

• Bamberg, Germany, since 1993
• Ahrensburg, Germany, since 1998

Famous People from Feldkirchen

Many interesting people have come from Feldkirchen:

Wolfgang Knaller, a famous football player.

• Otto Maria Polley (1910–1984), a writer.
• Wolfgang Neumann (born 1945), an Austrian opera singer known as a heldentenor.
• Herbert Gantschacher (born 1956), a director, producer, and writer.
• Claudia Arpa (born 1967), a politician who was the President of Austria's Federal Council.

Sport Stars

• Wolfgang Knaller (born 1961), an Austrian football goalkeeper who played over 420 games.
• Klaus Rohseano (born 1969), a retired Austrian football player who played over 310 games.
• Siegfried Grabner (born 1975), a snowboarder who won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Feldkirchen in Kärnten para niños