Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt, city, capital of Kärnten Bundesland (federal state), southern Austria. It lies along the Glan River in a basin east of Wörther Lake and north of the Karawanken Mountains. Founded in the 12th century and chartered in 1279, it passed to the Habsburgs in 1335. As it was largely destroyed in a fire in 1514, most of its notable buildings date from the 16th century and have lines influenced by Italian architects who had been called in to build fortifications. The city has been the capital of the federal state of Kärnten since 1518 and the seat of the prince-bishops of Gurk since 1787. Notable landmarks are the Dragon Fountain (1590) in the New Square, the 17th-century town hall, the Cathedral (1578–91), the parish church, and the Landhaus (1574–90), where the Diet of Kärnten still sits. The city is the site of the state museum, with folklore, Alpine, and natural-history annexes; the Diocesan Museum; and a state art gallery. Klagenfurt University was founded in 1970. The city is a communications and tourist centre, has metal, food, and chemical industries, and manufactures plastic materials, leather goods, tobacco, wood products, and electrical apparatus. The public sector employs a considerable portion of the population. Pop. (2006) 92,231.