Hartberg

Hartberg (Austrian German: [ˈhartbɛrɡ]) is a city in Styria, Austria and the district seat of Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District. As of January 1st 2024, it has a population of 6,713 in an area of 21.58 km². About 68 km up the A2 Autobahn is the large Styrian capital of Graz.

Hartberg
Municipality
Town hall and the Church of Saint Martin
Coat of arms
Hartberg Location within Austria Show map of Austria Hartberg Location within Styria Show map of Styria
Coordinates: 47°16′50″N 15°58′12″E
Country	Austria
State	Styria
District	Hartberg-Fürstenfeld
Government
• Mayor	Marcus Martschitsch (ÖVP)
Area [1]
• Total	21.53 km2 (8.31 sq mi)
Elevation	359 m (1,178 ft)
Population  (2018-01-01)[2]
• Total	6,650
• Density	310/km2 (800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	8230
Area code	+43 3332
Vehicle registration	HF
Website	www.hartberg.at

This town has a long and rich history. A settlement was located here in the Neolithic ages. One of the most important, prehistoric settlements of Styria developed on "Ringkogel" in the 3rd century BC. A massive protective wall surrounded it. Only two towers remain of the 7-8 metre high and 1500 metre long wall. (Schölbinger Tower and Reck Tower). The first mention of Hartberg as a city was in a 1286 document. During the 15th century it was conquered by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. A huge fire destroyed the town up to a few houses, but the population has been continually on the rise since then.

A massive protective wall surrounded it. In 1122 margrave Leopold I of Styria founded "Hartberg". Hartberg was even a central village in Styria for a certain time. The first written reference to Hartberg as "civitas" was in 1286.