Eisenstadt

Eisenstadt

Eisenstadt is the capital city of the Austrian state of Burgenland. It has 16,118 people as of 2025, making it the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria. The city is at the foot of the Leitha Mountains.

From 1648 to 1921, Eisenstadt was part of the Habsburg Empire's Kingdom of Hungary and was home to the Hungarian noble family Eszterházy. During this time, the famous composer Joseph Haydn lived and worked in Eisenstadt as a court musician. After Burgenland became part of Austria in 1921, Eisenstadt became the province's capital in 1925. Today, it is an important center for public administration and has several institutes of higher education.

Geography

Eisenstadt is a city in Austria. It is near the Wulka River at the bottom of the Leitha Mountains. It is about 12 kilometres from the border with Hungary.

The city has three main parts: Eisenstadt-Stadt, Kleinhöflein im Burgenland, and St. Georgen am Leithagebirge. There are also five smaller areas. Other nearby places include Großhöflein, Müllendorf, Steinbrunn, Neufeld/Leitha, Ebenfurth, Hornstein, Wulkaprodersdorf, and Trausdorf/Wulka.

Names and etymology

See also: Names of Eisenstadt in different languages

The city's name means "Iron City." It was first written down in 1118 as Castrum ferrum. This shows that people in the area mined and traded iron long ago. The town was first mentioned in writing in 1264 as "minor Mortin." This matches the Hungarian name, Kismarton, which remembers Martin of Tours, the special saint of the main church there.

History

Eisenstadt has a long history. People lived in the area since ancient times. Later, the Celts, Romans, and Germanic tribes lived there. In the 11th century, it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Over time, Eisenstadt changed hands many times. It was ruled by different families and faced fires and attacks, including from the Mongols and the Ottoman Empire. In 1648, the Esterházy family took control and built beautiful buildings, including Schloss Esterházy. The famous composer Joseph Haydn worked there as a music director.

In 1921, after World War I, Eisenstadt became part of Austria. During World War II, it was bombarded and later captured by Soviet troops. Since 1925, it has been the capital of the Austrian state of Burgenland.

Demographics

The people living in Eisenstadt have changed over time. In 1910, about 27% spoke Hungarian, but by 1934, this dropped to about 5%. This happened because many Hungarian workers and officials moved back to Hungary.

Today, Eisenstadt has a small number of people who speak Hungarian or Croatian. As of 2025, the city had 16,118 people. The number of people who followed different religions also changed over the years.

Politics

The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Thomas Steiner from the ÖVP.

The district council has seats from several parties: the Austrian People's Party has 17 seats, the Social Democratic Party of Austria has 8 seats, the Austrian Green Party has 3 seats, and the Freedom Party of Austria has 1 seat.

Main sights

Eisenstadt has many interesting places to visit.

You can see Schloss Esterházy and its beautiful park, the Orangerie, and the Leopoldinentempel. Other sights include the Gloriette hunting lodge, the City Hall, the Cathedral Bastion, the Powder tower, and the old Martinkaserne barracks.

For religious buildings, there is the Bergkirche with Joseph Haydn’s tomb, the Eisenstadt Cathedral dedicated to Saint Martin, the Franziskanerkirche, and the Krankenhaus Barmherzige Brüder with its church for Anthony of Padua. The Jewish quarter includes a private synagogue inside the Austrian Jewish Museum and both old and new Jewish cemeteries.

Museums in the area include the Haydnmuseum, the Landesmuseum, the Austrian Jewish Museum, the Diözesanmuseum, and the Feuerwehrmuseum.

Education

Eisenstadt has several important schools. There is a university of applied sciences called FH Burgenland, a college of education named PH Burgenland, and a music school called Joseph-Haydn-Privathochschule Burgenland.

Transport

The community had a station on the Pannonia Railway.

Culture

Eisenstadt used to hold special events. There was a festival for Joseph Haydn called the Haydn Festspiele. There was also a wine festival named Fest der 1000 Weine. And there was a sports tournament called the Austrian Open, which was part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Austria

Eisenstadt has friendly partnerships with cities in other countries. These partnerships started in different years:

• Bad Kissingen in Bavaria, Germany, since 1978
• Colmar in Haut-Rhin and Grand Est, France, since 1983
• Sanuki in Japan, since 1993
• Sopron in Hungary, since 2002

Notable people

Some well-known people were born in or lived in Eisenstadt. They include leaders, artists, and thinkers from many fields.

Natives

Many famous people grew up in Eisenstadt. These include important princes, musicians, writers, and scientists who became well-known in history.

Sport

Eisenstadt has been home to several athletes, especially in football. Some of these players have played for their countries in big competitions.

Other residents

Eisenstadt has attracted many famous people over the years. Musicians, writers, and religious leaders have all lived in this city at different times.

As a surname

The name "Eisenstadt" is used as a family name by many people around the world. This name and its variations have been used by photographers, sociologists, and other important people in many countries.