Mauthausen

Mauthausen
Mauthausen
Country	Austria
State	Upper Austria
District	Perg
Mayor	Thomas Punkenhofer (SPÖ)
Area	14 km2 (5 sq mi)
Elevation	265 m  (869 ft)
Population	4,951 (1 January 2011)
- Density	354 /km2 (916 /sq mi)
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.

History

The area of Mauthausen has been settled for many millennia, 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.

During World War II, from 1938 to 1945, a concentration camp was set up to the west of the town. In early 1940, a large number of Poles were transferred to the Mauthausen-Gusen complex. An estimated 30,000 Poles died at Mauthausen-Gusen. 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.

Tourism

Places of interest include:

• Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
• 15th century church
• picturesque old town
• 16th century Pragstein Castle