Graz

The name of the city of Slavic origin comes from " Gradez " ( Gradez , Gradec ), due to the peculiarities of the pronunciation of this Slavic toponym by the Germans ^[2] .

Graz is divided into 17 districts:

The city has developed such industries as brewing, mechanical engineering, chemical, food and textile. Graz International Fair is an important commercial and industrial event in southeastern Europe.

Graz has long been a city of students. Four universities , namely: the Graz University of Karl and Franz , the Technical University ^[3] , the Medical University ^[4] , as well as the University of Music and Performing Arts ^[5] with a total number of students of 55,000, indicate the high importance of academic education in Graz. In addition, there are two special higher educational institutions of the Polytechnic (FH Joanneum ^[6] ) and economic (FH für Wirtschaft-CAMPUS 02 ^[7] ) areas in the city.

In 1902, the first-ever forensic science museum was created at the Department of Criminology of the Technical University by Austrian scientist Hans Gustav Adolf Gross.

The Domkirche church and the Schlossberg castle , together with the city's tiled roofs, give Graz a special charm.

In 1999, the center of the Old Town of Graz was declared by UNESCO a World Cultural Heritage.

In 2003, Graz was chosen as the cultural capital of Europe . As part of this program, the Kunsthaus Museum of Modern Art was opened, the building of which has become one of the new symbols of the city.

In 2008, Graz hosted the 5th World Choir Games ( Choir Olympiad ) World Choir Games. They were attended by 411 choirs from 93 countries of the world.

Every year, in the beginning of autumn, Graz hosts the Steirischer Herbst Festival of Contemporary Art (Styrian Autumn). This is the oldest art festival in Europe of our era (held since 1968).

In sports, Graz is known as the place where Arnold Schwarzenegger began his bodybuilding career, where he began to work in the Liebenauer gym from the age of 14.

The three-time Austrian football champion , the Sturm football club, is based in Graz . Its home arena is the UPC Arena , which seats 15,400 people. Also at this stadium there is another club from Graz - HAC - Austrian champion in 2004.

Also in 2020, the European Figure Skating Championships will be held here .

Another attraction of the city is the legendary Graz arsenal ^[8] .

It appeared in the 16th century, when Graz stood in the way of the Turkish conquest of Central Europe. Thanks to the courage of the inhabitants and the huge arsenal capable of arming 16 thousand soldiers, the conquest did not take place.

In 1749, Empress Maria Theresa ordered to centralize the defense of Austrian lands, and arsenals outside the capital were abolished. An exception was made only for Graz, as local residents achieved the status of a monument of history and culture.

Now the arsenal is a museum. It stores 3,300 armor and helmets, over 7,800 small arms, as well as 2,500 swords and sabers. The total number of museum exhibits is about 32 thousand.

The first floor of the arsenal is dedicated to flint, wheeled and firearms. The second and third floors contain iron armor and weapons , both tournament and combat. In addition to the chivalrous, a lot of equipment and weapons, which was used by ordinary soldiers of the noble estate. There are also several armor for the knight's horse, including one with trellised eye cover. On the fourth floor are stored musical instruments : regimental drums , pipes, horns and others.

The city has a tram system - Graz tram .

Graz-Thalerhof Airport , located about 10 km south of the city center, provides air links to Europe , North Africa and Turkey .

• Domkirche
• Basilica of Mary the Comforter in Graz

• The philocartic history of the city of Graz. Collection of old open letters Gruss aus Graz
• Official Travel Guide of the Austrian Tourism Office
• Biography of the Austrian scientist Hans Gustav Adolf Gross.