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Ebensee am Traunsee
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>With the Traunviertel, Ebensee since 1180 belonged to the <a href="/facts/Duchy_of_Styria/R3d2D6qD">Duchy of Styria</a> held by the <a href="/facts/House_of_Babenberg/aTmf41CE">House of Babenberg</a> from 1192, until in 1254 King <a href="/facts/Ottokar_II_of_Bohemia/0ULLlP94">Ottokar II of Bohemia</a> finally allocated it to his <a href="/facts/Archduchy_of_Austria/WpHKUa55">Austrian duchy</a>. Ebensee itself was first mentioned in a 1447 deed. </p><p>From 1596 on Emperor <a href="/facts/Rudolf_II%2c_Holy_Roman_Emperor/XoKJsYAd">Rudolf II</a> had a <a href="/facts/Salt_evaporation_pond/9jRVuMrk">salt evaporation pond</a> erected near the settlement, supplied with <a href="/facts/Brine/xsN2GcLF">brine</a> being delivered via a 40 km (25 mi) long pipeline from the salt mines around <a href="/facts/Hallstatt/1RtvzbFU">Hallstatt</a>. Ebensee therefore was the primary production centre for salt in Austria. Historically, the site was chosen because of the rich forests, whose wood was used to boil the salt out of the brine. In 1883 the Belgian chemist <a href="/facts/Ernest_Solvay/PYyeXXTt">Ernest Solvay</a> established <a href="/facts/Sodium_carbonate/P6RHvIoK">soda</a> works of the <a href="/facts/Solvay_(company)/SGL28QtK">Solvay</a> company at Ebensee. Although a former industrial center in the larger <a href="/facts/Salzkammergut/43YYYqXf">Salzkammergut</a> region, it has recently fallen on bad fortunes with the closure of some of the larger factories. </p> <h3>Nazi concentration camp</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Ebensee_concentration_camp/81uMbFVM">Ebensee concentration camp</a></p> <p>In 1943, the <a href="/facts/SS/nMNcQEHa">SS</a> established Ebensee concentration camp (codename "Zement") near the town, a planned emergency location for the <a href="/facts/Peenem%25C3%25BCnde/xpCto0Qp">Peenemünde</a> research centre after the RAF <a href="/facts/Bombing_of_Peenem%25C3%25BCnde_in_World_War_II/TutGfqbu">Operation Hydra</a> attack. It was part of the <a href="/facts/Mauthausen-Gusen_concentration_camp/NH2VMcnU">Mauthausen network</a>. Slave laborers were worked to death digging tunnels for armaments storage. The camp was liberated by American soldiers in May 1945. Due to the extremely high death rates, Ebensee is considered one of the most horrific Nazi concentration camps. </p><p>Used as a <a href="/facts/Displaced_Persons_camp/aquynSGg">Displaced Persons camp</a> after the war, the area is today site of a memorial and a museum. </p> <h2 id="population">Population</h2> Historical population<table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>Pop.</th><th>±%</th></tr><tr><th>1951</th><td>10,327</td><td>— </td></tr><tr><th>1991</th><td>8,800</td><td>−14.8%</td></tr><tr><th>2001</th><td>8,451</td><td>−4.0%</td></tr><tr><th>2011</th><td>7,817</td><td>−7.5%</td></tr><tr><th>2021</th><td>7,597</td><td>−2.8%</td></tr><tr><th>2022</th><td>7,515</td><td>−1.1%</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="politics">Politics</h2> <p>Seats in the municipal assembly (<i>Gemeinderat</i>) as of 2021 elections: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Social_Democratic_Party_of_Austria/Kf7bMuyQ">Social Democratic Party of Austria</a> (SPÖ): 16</li> <li><a href="/facts/Austrian_People%2527s_Party/CB4XI01k">Austrian People's Party</a> (ÖVP): 6</li> <li>Citizens' List for Ebensee (BÜFE): 11</li> <li><a href="/facts/Freedom_Party_of_Austria/FIREz0gd">Freedom Party of Austria</a> (FPÖ): 4</li></ul> <h2 id="tourism">Tourism</h2> <p>Ebensee is surrounded by three picturesque lakes, the <a href="/facts/Traunsee/9eay0h7E">Traunsee</a>, the <a href="/facts/Offensee/63Au3RRQ">Offensee</a> and the Langbathsee. The Traunsee is large enough to be used for boating, while the other two lakes are smaller, surrounded by mountains, and used only for bathing; both are protected natural areas. On the shore of the Langbathsee is a 19th-century hunting lodge erected at the behest of Emperor <a href="/facts/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria/EI1tYJGl">Franz Joseph I of Austria</a>. </p><p>Since 1927 an <a href="/facts/Aerial_tramway/TUrkyYGc">aerial tramway</a> built by the <a href="/facts/Bleichert/xHIJbBfB">Bleichert</a> engineering company runs up to the summit of the Feuerkogel mountain. Other tourist attractions include the Gasselhöhle <a href="/facts/Show_cave/9KcAJykd">show cave</a> and a small skiing area with about ten lifts. </p><p>Parts of the 1968 <i><a href="/facts/Where_Eagles_Dare/X1sU0Wbh">Where Eagles Dare</a></i> film were shot in the Ebensee area. </p> <h2 id="climate">Climate</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Feuerkogel/cdbVzJYV">Feuerkogel</a> is a nearby mountain peak with a weather station on it. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="14">Climate data for Feuerkogel: 1618m (1991−2020 normals)</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">Month</th><th scope="col">Jan</th><th scope="col">Feb</th><th scope="col">Mar</th><th scope="col">Apr</th><th scope="col">May</th><th scope="col">Jun</th><th scope="col">Jul</th><th scope="col">Aug</th><th scope="col">Sep</th><th scope="col">Oct</th><th scope="col">Nov</th><th scope="col">Dec</th><th scope="col">Year</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">Record high °C (°F)</th><td>13.4(56.1)</td><td>14.5(58.1)</td><td>14.5(58.1)</td><td>19.4(66.9)</td><td>24.0(75.2)</td><td>26.8(80.2)</td><td>28.0(82.4)</td><td>26.3(79.3)</td><td>23.4(74.1)</td><td>22.7(72.9)</td><td>20.2(68.4)</td><td>15.7(60.3)</td><td>28.0(82.4)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Mean daily maximum °C (°F)</th><td>−0.1(31.8)</td><td>−0.6(30.9)</td><td>1.7(35.1)</td><td>5.8(42.4)</td><td>10.1(50.2)</td><td>14.0(57.2)</td><td>15.4(59.7)</td><td>15.0(59.0)</td><td>11.7(53.1)</td><td>8.5(47.3)</td><td>4.3(39.7)</td><td>0.8(33.4)</td><td>7.2(45.0)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Daily mean °C (°F)</th><td>−2.8(27.0)</td><td>−3.3(26.1)</td><td>−1.0(30.2)</td><td>2.8(37.0)</td><td>7.2(45.0)</td><td>10.7(51.3)</td><td>12.5(54.5)</td><td>12.8(55.0)</td><td>8.8(47.8)</td><td>5.9(42.6)</td><td>1.6(34.9)</td><td>−1.8(28.8)</td><td>4.5(40.0)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Mean daily minimum °C (°F)</th><td>−5.3(22.5)</td><td>−6.4(20.5)</td><td>−3.5(25.7)</td><td>−0.1(31.8)</td><td>3.9(39.0)</td><td>7.4(45.3)</td><td>8.9(48.0)</td><td>9.1(48.4)</td><td>6.0(42.8)</td><td>2.9(37.2)</td><td>−1.2(29.8)</td><td>−4.3(24.3)</td><td>1.5(34.6)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Record low °C (°F)</th><td>−20.2(−4.4)</td><td>−22.7(−8.9)</td><td>−20.6(−5.1)</td><td>−13.9(7.0)</td><td>−6.1(21.0)</td><td>−3.1(26.4)</td><td>0.0(32.0)</td><td>−0.9(30.4)</td><td>−2.9(26.8)</td><td>−12.5(9.5)</td><td>−17.1(1.2)</td><td>−22.6(−8.7)</td><td>−22.7(−8.9)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Average <a href="/facts/Precipitation/uq3nGQc8">precipitation</a> mm (inches)</th><td>138.2(5.44)</td><td>110.9(4.37)</td><td>151.2(5.95)</td><td>105.2(4.14)</td><td>171.6(6.76)</td><td>201.7(7.94)</td><td>230.8(9.09)</td><td>202.8(7.98)</td><td>175.6(6.91)</td><td>130.2(5.13)</td><td>126.3(4.97)</td><td>144.7(5.70)</td><td>1,889.2(74.38)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Average snowfall cm (inches)</th><td>115.5(45.5)</td><td>108.5(42.7)</td><td>118.7(46.7)</td><td>65.6(25.8)</td><td>20.7(8.1)</td><td>1.4(0.6)</td><td>0.0(0.0)</td><td>0.6(0.2)</td><td>9.0(3.5)</td><td>30.5(12.0)</td><td>73.8(29.1)</td><td>109.7(43.2)</td><td>654(257.4)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)</th><td>13.7</td><td>13.5</td><td>15.7</td><td>11.7</td><td>15.3</td><td>16.0</td><td>16.4</td><td>13.6</td><td>13.0</td><td>12.3</td><td>12.6</td><td>14.9</td><td>168.7</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm)</th><td>30.8</td><td>28.3</td><td>30.9</td><td>27.6</td><td>11.4</td><td>0.7</td><td>0.0</td><td>0.1</td><td>2.1</td><td>7.9</td><td>18.1</td><td>28.8</td><td>186.7</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Mean monthly <a href="/facts/Sunshine_duration/wVBusklh">sunshine hours</a></th><td>104.8</td><td>110.6</td><td>141.2</td><td>173.7</td><td>185.4</td><td>176.5</td><td>195.6</td><td>201.7</td><td>155.6</td><td>148.3</td><td>107.4</td><td>95.8</td><td>1,796.6</td></tr><tr><td colspan="14">Source 1: <a href="/facts/Central_Institute_for_Meteorology_and_Geodynamics/rYFwlXjB">Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="14">Source 2: <a href="/facts/NOAA/IvcuqNJg">NOAA</a>(Sun)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="twin-towns--sister-cities">Twin towns – sister cities</h2> <p class="note">See also: <a href="/facts/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Austria/yXFvBmj2">List of twin towns and sister cities in Austria</a></p> <p>Ebensee is <a href="/facts/Sister_city/NVzDyA7v">twinned</a> with:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Italy/tUf0PDYF"></a> <a href="/facts/Prato/pTTa9eE5">Prato</a>, Italy, since 1987</li> <li><a href="/facts/Poland/eXJ7fd0D"></a> <a href="/facts/Zawiercie/K1tIXk34">Zawiercie</a>, Poland, since 2000</li></ul> <h2 id="notable-people">Notable people</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Frederick_Katzer/ItMKha0F">Frederick Katzer</a> (1844–1903), Bishop of Green Bay</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikivoyage has a travel guide for <i>Ebensee</i>. <p> Media related to Ebensee at Wikimedia Commons </p> <ul><li><a href="http://www.ebensee.at">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Klimamittelwerte 1991-2020" (in German). Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics. Retrieved 6 September 2023. <a href="https://www.zamg.ac.at/cms/de/dokumente/klima/dok_klimauebersichten/copy_of_klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.zamg.ac.at/cms/de/dokumente/klima/dok_klimauebersichten/copy_of_klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Feuerkogel" (CSV). ncei.noaa.gov. NOAA. Retrieved 3 March 2024. <a href="https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Austria/CSV/Feuerkogel_11155.csv" target="_blank">https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Austria/CSV/Feuerkogel_11155.csv</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Partnerschaft Prato" (in German). Ebensee. Retrieved 2022-03-21. <a href="https://www.ebensee.at/Pratoverein" target="_blank">https://www.ebensee.at/Pratoverein</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Partnerschaft Zawiercie" (in German). Ebensee am Traunsee. Retrieved 2022-03-21. <a href="https://www.ebensee.at/Unser_Ebensee/Partnerschaft_Zawiercie" target="_blank">https://www.ebensee.at/Unser_Ebensee/Partnerschaft_Zawiercie</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>