History Of Bad Waltersdorf
Roman Period
Roman times saw the area of Bad Waltersdorf already inhabited as a part of the province of Noricum. Along with creating towns, bridges, and highways, the Romans left behind a wealth of relics that bear witness to their civilization and culture. The little Roman museum adjacent to the Bad Waltersdorf parish church houses some of these relics. In addition, the museum has a model of the Roman road system and a recreation of a Roman residence.
The movement of many peoples and tribes following the fall of the Roman Empire caused the Roman town at Bad Waltersdorf to vanish. The area developed as a borderland between several kingdoms and empires, and foes frequently attacked and pillaged it.
Middle Ages
After a protracted time of instability and abandonment, the Bad Waltersdorf area was not inhabited again until around 1125. The area that is now Bad Waltersdorf was purchased and the town was named for the Hochfreier or Noble Walter von der Traisen, a descendent of Aribos II, a nobleman from the Traisen valley in Lower Austria. He also constructed a fortress and home, a castle, on a hill above the town. Later, in 1532, the Turks razed the fortress; now, just its remnants are visible.
First recorded in a document in 1170, Waltersdorf was a property of the Hochfreier family. Given market privileges in 1220, the town developed into a significant hub for regional trade and commerce. Constructed in the twelfth century and enlarged in the fifteenth and sixteenth, the town also boasted a parish church honoring St. Martin. A local landmark, the church is still standing today.
The Hungarians and Turks repeatedly invaded Styria in the next centuries, destroying Bad Waltersdorf. The Hajds and Kuruzs, rebel groups from Hungary that opposed the Habsburgs in the 17th and 18th centuries, also invaded the town. The town was last severely damaged in 1704 when the Kuruzs destroyed most of the homes and slaughtered a large number of the locals.
Modern Era
Up to the 19th century, Bad Waltersdorf remained the biggest town between Hartberg and Fürstenfeld. It served as the seat of an early parish and then a deanery. Up to the 19th century, when it started to progressively transform, the town’s structure was mostly agricultural. Trade and business flourished, and the town welcomed up to four markets annually that drew vendors and patrons from both local and distant areas. In the town were also a savings bank, a fire department, a post office, and a school. In 1928 the town was elevated to the status of market town due to its economic significance and growth.
Bad Waltersdorf residents defended their church and the anti-church measures of the Gauleiter, the Nazi administrator of Styria, even throughout the National Socialist era. Rallying in front of the parish church in 1939, over 200 people opposed the Gauleiter’s effort to outlaw religious processions and emblems. Police scattered the protest, and some of the attendees were detained and sent to detention camps.
Numerous German and Yugoslavian refugees were housed at Bad Waltersdorf during World War II. In 1945 the town again saw the Soviet army advance and the German army withdraw. Several persons were killed and numerous structures were destroyed in the town by a Soviet air strike. The Soviet soldiers captured the village on May 8, 1945, the day the Germans surrendered. August 1, 1945 saw the British take over from the Soviets.
Since they belonged to the Nazi party, the NSDAP, 97 residents of the current municipal area were not allowed to cast ballots in the November 1945 state election. Up to 1955, when Austria restored its sovereignty and neutrality, the town was a part of the British occupation zone.
The road network, which was hardly ever asphalted at the time, grew during the postwar years. The primary school moved to its present site in 1959 from the parish hall. The community has upgraded infrastructure and public services like power, sewerage, and water supply.
Former towns Waltersdorf, Wagerberg, Leitersdorf, and Hohenbrugg merged to become the town of Bad Waltersdorf in 1968. During the next years, the community also constructed an outdoor pool, a kindergarten, a secondary school, and other sports facilities.
Thermal Springs and Health Resort
When the crude oil exploration company OMV began drilling in Bad Waltersdorf in 1975 in the hopes of finding oil, the town underwent significant transformation. At 1150 metres below sea level, they found thermal water with a high mineral content and a temperature of 62°C in place of oil. First, the thermal water was utilized to provide heat: in 1981, Austria installed its first geothermal district heating system, primarily heating schools, an outdoor pool, and a test greenhouse.
Tourism and medical services in the town were also spurred by the thermal water. Opened in 1984, the Heiltherme is a spa and wellness centre with a range of thermal water-based therapies. Numerous tourists and guests to the Heiltherme increased employment and the local economy. In 1987 the municipality also constructed a spa park complete with a playground and pond.
The Styrian provincial administration formally designated the town of Bad Waltersdorf as a health resort on October 11, 1988, and it renamed itself from Waltersdorf. In addition, the community replaced the asphalt with natural stone slabs and the outdated whip lights with contemporary lanterns in the town center. At the town square, the town also built a monument, a fountain, and a sundial.
The thermal springs, spa facilities, surrounding landscape, and town’s historical legacy make Bad Waltersdorf a well-liked tourist and health resort destination these days. The town has around 3,000 residents and 1,500 guest rooms. All year long, it organizes a number of festivals and events. The community is likewise proud of its customs and culture, which include its folk music, clothes, and food. History and modernity, environment and health, tradition and innovation are all combined at Bad Waltersdorf.
