Franckviertel

Franckviertel is the name of the smallest district of Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. Located between the city center and the industrial zone, it is bounded by the Westbahn line and the Mühlkreis motorway. Heinrich Franck Söhne’s former coffee substitute factory gave the district the name Central Franckstraße. Known for a military barracks replacing a former glass factory, the area is also known as Glasscherbenviertel, or glass shards district.

Many residential buildings constructed for Linz’s industrial areas during the interwar period helped shape the Franckviertel as they were intended for employees of these areas. Founded in 1883 and operated until 1978, the area is known as the coffee substitute factory owned by Heinrich Franck Söhne. As well as being a major local landmark, the factory generated goods exported to many countries and was a major provider of employment. A glassworks also made the district known under the name Glasscherbenviertel. The glassworks were destroyed in the 1960s to create space for the artillery barracks, which currently includes several military and administrative offices.

The reorganization of Linz led to a decrease in the size of the Franckviertel statistical district in 2014. Franckviertel, the southern part of the district, remained apart from its northern part, which merged into the Kaplanhof district.

Among the many notable buildings found at Franckviertel are:

Events at the state-of-the-art exhibition and congress center Design Center Linz include trade exhibitions, congresses, concerts and cultural festivals. Opened in 1994, the 10,000 square meter Design Center features an unusual glass roof.
The Don-Bosco-Kirche Catholic Church from 1932 is dedicated to the patron saint of young people, Saint John Bosco. The architecture of the church is simple but elegant, with a red brick facade and a green copper dome. The church also houses a kindergarten, youth center and social service center.
The HTL Paul-Hahn-Straße technical secondary school offers courses in the areas of media technology, IT, electronics and engineering. The institution has hired 1,500 students and 150 teachers since its opening in 1969. In addition to a gym, library and cafeteria, the institution has
The Unfallkrankenhaus der AUVA accident hospital is managed by the Austrian Occupational Risk Insurance. Since its opening in 1976, the hospital has had 240 beds and 600 staff members. The hospital’s specialties include trauma surgery, orthopedics, neurology and rehabilitation.
The Fachhochschule Oberösterreich (Campus Linz), a university of applied sciences, awards a range of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work, engineering, management and health sciences. On this campus founded in 1994, there are around 3,000 students and almost 300 staff members. On campus, there are also student residences, a cafeteria and a library.

Residential, commercial and industrial areas coexist in the dynamic and varied Franckviertel district. The many shops and businesses in the neighborhood include:

Sprecher Automation offers smart, industrial and energy network automation solutions. Founded in Franckviertel in 1946, the company has its head office there. Present in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and other countries, the company employs around 500 people.
Stadtteil Central Franckviertel Community Center offers its residents a range of services and events including leisure, advice, training and social events. Opened in 1997, the center employs twelve people. The center also has a library, playground, garden and café.
Comprising chess, football, volleyball and gymnastics, among other teams and divisions, SV Franckviertel Linz is a sports club. The team was founded in 1921 and Franckviertel is its home ground. With around 400 members, the club organizes several competitions and events.

Franckviertel also has a local media outlet called FranckviertelTV, a locally-run television channel offering news, reports and documentaries about the region and its people. Originally housed in the community center studio, the first channel from 2004.