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Innsbruck History, Austria

The well known city of Innsbruck is located in the Tyrol state of Austria, 108 miles from Salzburg and 171 miles from Linz, being also its capital city. This location is famous for its spectacular beauty and also, for hosting annual winter sport competitions, such as ski jumping. Innsbruck is, on top of that, one of the most popular touristic holiday centers.

Historical proof suggests that Innsbruck dates back to the Stone Age, and has been inhabited ever since. The original name of the city was the Latin “Oeni Pontum” which translated means bridge over the Inn. It is known that the Romans built an army station in the 4th in Oenipontum in order to protect the significant commercial route which crossed Verona-Brenner-Augsburg. However, the city began to develop when the Bavarians settled in the Inn valley, in 600.

Innsbruck History-Middle Ages

The dukes and counts of Andechs created a trade base downriver of Hotting in the year 1180 and the first citation of the name “Innsprucke” is from 1187, and the location gained its city status in 1239. Notable to say is the fact that the Andechs raised a fortification in order to defend Innspucke.

In 1248, Innsbruck went under the domination of Tyrol, and became its capital in 1429.The 1500s and the 1600s were the years of maximum growth for the city, when emperor Maximilian the 1st invested into the city, transforming it into a financial, cultural and administrative centre. The monument that illustrates these accomplishments is the “Goldene Dachl”, also known as the Golden Roof, a very popular touristic attraction.

Innsbruck History-Modern Times

The Tyrol side of the Habsburg royal house vanished, but the monarch Maria Theresa helped the city maintain its splendor through the building of Hofburg and Triumphaforte. Important events which took place in this era in Innsbruck history are the construction of the first opera house in the northern Alps, in Innsbruck (year 1620) and the erection of the city`s university (1669).

The location fell under Bavarian domination during the Napoleonic war, in 1805. In 1809, the French and Bavarians attacked Innsbruck, where Andreas Hofer, a Tyrolean hero, was planning of developing his administration. However, it wasn`t until 1815, that the city was reattached to Austria, at the Congress of Vienna.

The two world wars, especially the 2nd, brought huge damage to the city; Innsbruck was hit by twenty-one bombs. Nevertheless, the city bounced back and regained its glamour and attraction.

Innsbruck History-Present Day

Today, Innsbruck has the status of being one of the most famous winter resorts in Europe. It is the annual host of multiple winter sport competition, and the history of sports is being written in Innsbruck every year. In 2012, the city will hold the 1st Winter Youth Olympics.

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