Mauthausen
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| Mauthausen | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Austria |
|---|---|
| State | Upper Austria |
| District | Perg |
| Mayor | Thomas Punkenhofer (SPÖ) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 14 km² (5.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 265 m (869 ft) |
| Population | 4,926 (31 December 2005) |
| - Density | 352 /km² (911 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | PE |
| Postal code | 4310 |
| Area code | 07238 |
| Website | www.mauthausen.at |
Mauthausen is a small market town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is located at about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz, and has a population of 4,850 (2001).
During World War II, it became the site of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex.
[edit] History
The area of Mauthausen has been settled for many centuries, as shown by archaeological discoveries dating back to the Neolithic age. During the time of the Roman Empire, it was at the crossroads of two trade routes.
The end of the 10th century, saw it becoming a toll (Maut in German) station for ships, and the name "Muthusen" for the settlement is first mentioned in 1007
During World War I, a prisoner of war camp existed to the east of Mauthausen. Russian, Serbian, and mostly Italian (at times 40,000 men) soldiers were imprisoned there, around 9000 of whom died in the camp. A war cemetery exists in their memory.
From 1938 to 1945, a concentration camp was set up to the west of the town. Inmates were subjected to barbaric conditions, the most infamous of which was being forced to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from the camp quarry. The steps became known as the "Stairway of Death."
Mauthausen experienced flooding from the Danube in 1954 and 2002.
[edit] Tourism
Places of interest include:
- Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
- 15th century church
- picturesque old town
- 16th century Pragstein Castle
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