Hallstatt - History

47°34N 13°39E, pop (2000e) 1200. Small market town in the Salzkammergut of Oberösterreich state, N Austria; on the SW shore of Hallstätter See, 50 km/30 mi SE of Salzburg; known for the Hallstatt period, the first phase of the European Iron Age (8th–4th-c BC), characterized by goods from burial tombs nearby; Hallstatt–Dachstein Salzkammergut cultural landscape, a world heritage site; salt mines; lake procession at Corpus Christi.

Hallstatt (47°34′N 13°39′E), Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria.

Contrary to popular belief, Hall is most likely not the old Celtic name for salt (which was *saleinom, the h-anlaut from historical s- being a characteristic of the Brythonic languages but not Continental Celtic).

The village also gave its name to the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture and is part of the World Heritage Site for Cultural Heritage.

History

Until the late 19th century, it was only possible to reach Hallstatt by boat or via narrow trails.

However this secluded and inhospitable landscape nevertheless counts as one of the first places of humans settlement due to the rich sources of natural salt, which have been mined for thousands of years. In 1846 Johann Georg Ramsauer discovered a large prehistoric cemetery close by the current location of Hallstatt. Active trade and thus wealth allowed for the development of a highly-developed culture, which, after findings in the Salzberghochtal, was named Hallstatt culture.

No notable events took place during Roman rule or the early Middle Ages. In 1311, Hallstatt became a market town, a sign that it had not lost its economic value. Today, apart from salt production, which since the 20th century is transported from Hallstatt to Ebensee via a brine pipeline, tourism plays a major factor in the town's economic life.