History Of Bad Gleichenberg

Spa town Bad Gleichenberg is situated in the Austrian state of Styria and is well-known for its picturesque surroundings and therapeutic springs. But Bad Gleichenberg’s past extends well beyond its contemporary standing as a health resort. Actually, Bad Gleichenberg has seen the emergence and collapse of several castles, as well as the cultural and political shifts of the Austrian Empire and the Republic of Austria. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic age.

Table Of Contents

1 The Neolithic and Roman Periods
2 The Medieval Castles
3 The Development into a Health Resort
4 The Modern Spa
5 Related Articles
6 Go Next...

The Neolithic and Roman Periods

Bad Gleichenberg has initial signs of habitation from the Neolithic era, around 5,000 years ago. The earliest community in Styria identified to far, archaeologists have unearthed the remnants of a tiny settlement on the Wickenberg hill close to the town center today. The people worked with hammers, stone axes, and clay pots every day while living in wooden dwellings. Probably another factor that drew them to the area was the excellent water quality.

A highly preserved fountain ring discovered in 1845 four meters below the so-called Roman fountain attests to the usage of the Gleichenberg medicinal waters at least since Roman times. Twelve fossilized hazelnuts from the first to third century AD and 74 Roman coins from the fountain ring show that the Romans appreciated the springs for its therapeutic and recreational uses. Furthermore implying that the Romans had a monetary system and trading links with other places are the coins.

The Medieval Castles

From the German verb “gleichen,” which meaning “to resemble” or “to be alike,” comes the name Gleichenberg. This relates to the two castles, Neu-Gleichenberg (New Gleichenberg) and Alt-Gleichenberg (Old Gleichenberg), which were constructed on opposing hills in the vicinity.

The castle administrator Hermann first recorded Alt-Gleichenberg Castle in 1185 as Glichenberch. Built in 1170, it is situated north of the Klausenschlucht, a little canyon dividing the two hills. The local aristocracy lived at the castle and it functioned as a tactical stronghold. The Styrian aristocratic plot against King Ottokar II of Bohemia was put down, nonetheless, in 1268, when his army razed the fortress. The Meixnerstube, a little structure that served as a pub later on, is currently the last remnant of the castle.

The Lords of Walsee, who seized Gleichenberg from the Lords of Wildon in 1292, erected Neu-Gleichenberg Castle in the fourteenth century. The castle stood opposite the ancient castle, south of the Klausenschlucht. The Trauttmansdorff family acquired the castle in 1581, and in the 17th century they converted it into a Renaissance mansion. Many innocent persons were executed during the castle’s multiple witch trials, or crimes magiae, which made it well-known. During the 18th and 19th centuries, fire and conflict badly destroyed the castle; the Stubenberg family eventually purchased it after 1945. But a further fire in 1983 totally destroyed the castle, leaving only remains.

The Development into a Health Resort

Bad Gleichenberg’s contemporary spa town history started in the 19th century at the initiative of Matthias Constantin Capello, Count of Wickenburg (1794–1880). His close friend Prince Metternich, the powerful leader of the Austrian Empire, was also his governor of Styria from 1830 until 1848. He learned about the springs and its therapeutic qualities in 1833 from Graz physician Werlè, who was also Archduke Johann’s brother-in-law. Count Wickenburg chose to make the area broadly available as a health resort after being struck by its picturesque beauty and temperate temperature.

May 10, 1834, saw the foundation stone poured for the Curbad Gleichenberg (Spa Gleichenberg), and he put a great deal of money and work into building the spa’s infrastructure and amenities. In order to house and amuse the visitors, he constructed roads, bridges, hotels, villas, parks, gardens and pavilions. In addition, he started a monastery in 1841 and finished a church in 1845; both were turned over to the Franciscans in 1888. From then, the Franciscans have attended to the spiritual and pastoral needs of both the locals and the spa patrons. Gleichenberg became a separate Franciscan parish in 1940.

Founded during the Austrian Empire’s early 19th-century Biedermeier period, Bad Gleichenberg was part of a flourishing cultural and artistic movement. The elegant, homey, and straightforward Biedermeier style expressed the post-tumultuous Napoleonic wars longing for stability and calm. Since Bad Gleichenberg provided its guests—mostly from the higher strata of society—a calm and elegant environment, it epitomized the Biedermeier ethos. Among the well-known people drawn to the spa town were empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi), poets Adalbert Stifter and Peter Rosegger, and composers Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms.

The spa town prospered and grew even more under the 1848–1916 reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. He gave Bad Gleichenberg several privileges and honors when he was a regular visitor. The prefix “Bad,” which means “bath” or “spa,” was formally granted to the spa town on June 22, 1926, acknowledging its standing as a health retreat.

The Modern Spa

Bad Gleichenberg’s history did not come to an end in the 20th century when the Austrian Empire fell and the Republic of Austria was founded. The two world wars, the economic crises, the social and political upheavals, and the rivalry from other spa resorts were only a few of the obstacles and changes the spa town had to deal. But Bad Gleichenberg also succeeded in being charming and traditional while adapting and innovating.

The Life Medicine Resort of the Kurhaus Bad Gleichenberg, a new spa with a hotel and spa house, opened on May 1, 2008, ushring in a new chapter for the spa town. The new spa integrates the contemporary, scientific components of health and wellness with the historical and natural features of the location. Treatment of skin disorders (psoriasis and neurodermatitis) as well as respiratory tract and airway disorders remains the main emphasis. An innovative method of treating migraines and musculoskeletal system discomfort is the cold chamber. The patient endures – 110 degrees Celsius for around three minutes throughout this treatment in order to get relief from their agony.

Apart from these, the new spa provides a range of other amenities and services like saunas, massages, exercise, beauty, and nutrition. The spa house and hotel provide visitors stylish and comfortable lodging together with a restaurant, bar, library, and meeting room. The 20 acre spa park is a verdant haven where visitors are welcome to unwind and take in the surroundings. Along with sculptures, fountains and monuments, the park has a large number of exotic plants, flowers and trees.