Zell am See Old Town

The old town of Zell am See encompasses the charming historic town center of Zell am See.The old town is home to approximately 3800 residents.

In Zell am See, the term “old town” refers to several areas that have historical buildings, including the town square, Dreifaltigkeitsgasse, Kirchgasse, and Seegasse. The determining factor in this case is a “Geometric floor plan of the Pan market in Zell im Pinzgau” from 1784, or a modified version from around 1850. This plan lists a total of 97 houses, with 54 being made of stone, 35 being wooden houses with stone components, and 8 being purely wooden houses. With the exception of three buildings owned by the era, namely Rosenberg Castle, Fronfeste, and Amtshaus, all the other buildings in the community were owned by its citizens. Out of these, 16 were solely dedicated to agricultural businesses. The stone houses along Dreifaltigkeitsgasse, consisting of six buildings, are arranged in a way that forms the former market square, which is now the town square.

The old town of Zell is home to several significant buildings. These include the parish church of St. Hippolyt, the impressive five-storey Vogtturm, the “Alte Propstei” (now known as the Spängler bank), the former foster home (currently serving as the district administration), and a number of traditional inns. These inns, which have been mentioned in a commercial register as early as 1493, include Steinerwirt, Lebzelter, Alte Post (which, in 1625, expanded to include a brewery and brew house, but was demolished in 1905), Neuwirt (now known as Stadtcafe), Schwaiger (a butcher), Resch (Zum wilden Mann), Abrahamwirt (Grüner Baum), and Auerwirt (now Ristorante Pizzeria Giuseppe).

The historic town of Zell has experienced multiple instances of flooding caused by the Schmittenbach river.The market square experienced flooding in three different years: 1588, 1598, and 1632. In July 1737, the Schmittenbach flooded the center of Zell im Pinzgau, causing significant damage. The resulting debris and mud were only partially cleared, resulting in a gradual slope towards the entrance of the church. As a result, steps were constructed to ensure safe access.There have been devastating storms recorded in various years, including 1759, 1834, and 1884. More recently, in 1966, the town square experienced flooding during a storm.

In 1770, a devastating fire swept through the old town, resulting in the destruction of eight buildings. Among the structures lost were the nursing home, the brewery, the bailiff’s house, and the “Traidkasten.” Additionally, the fire consumed the church “Unsere Liebe Frau im Walde,” although the locals managed to rescue the cherished image of the Madonna in corn dress, affectionately known as the “Woaz-Woman.”The roof and truss of the Hippolyt Church were destroyed by fire, while the vault of the church sustained some damage but managed to survive.Due to the extent of the damage, the Marienkirche was ultimately demolished in 1773. The people of Zell then requested Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo and later Elector Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany to construct a new building to replace the disliked Hippolytkirche.However, due to the lack of financial resources from the prince-archbishop’s treasury, the building project could not be carried out during the electoral era of Salzburg. As a result, the historic building was preserved.To address the cracks caused by the fire, iron brackets were installed as a durable and lasting solution. Additionally, in 1812, a new formwork vault was installed.

In 1905, the old town of Zell underwent a significant structural redesign. This involved the demolition of the Bräustöckl, a building located on the town square. The Bräustöckl was connected to the Bräugasthof by an archway that spanned across the street. During that period, the ensemble was sacrificed to accommodate the growing traffic on Jubilee Street, which was named in honor of Emperor Franz Josef’s 50th anniversary of ascending to the throne on December 2, 1898. Today, Jubilee Street is known as Bahnhofstraße.