Brittle beauty of the Danube.

Linz rhymes at provincial, and not entirely wrong: In the European Capital of Culture 2009, avant-garde buildings or overly liberal ideas Christmas is still regarded with suspicion. Underestimated the city anyway.
  Linz - On the way from the jewelry box into pompous Salzburg Linz, Vienna is easy to overlook: No Alps, not from the World Heritage protected baroque charm, no imperial horse-drawn carriages romance - and even Mozart was no more than brief times to visit. Only in cooking and history books is the city with its traditional jam-Mürbeteig cake and as an object of Adolf Hitler's megalomania-immortalized fantasies. But now it wants Linz as one of the two European Capitals of Culture 2009 Europe show. It promotes self-confidence with the slogan "Linz changed" - its visitors, its residents and especially himself
One risks in the brittle beauty of the Danube a second glance, it may aufgerüschten her two big sisters and successful Salzburg and Vienna quite old look.
The industrial city of Linz offers, among other things, a modern cultural scene and plenty of nature in the city, and she has developed through its long tradition as a trading preserved a special vitality.
Jesus demonstrated the internationalism of the city
High above the city in the small church Martin looks a crucified Jesus in the long dress of a fresco of 1440 strictly to the viewer - he is probably the oldest evidence of the internationalism of Linz. "It is the depiction of Volto Santo from the Italian Lucca. How they come here is, nobody knows," says the city's Birgit Palting. Presumably, then had a dealer in Lucca view the presentation in Linz and they can copy.
AUSTRIA-QUIZÖsterreich Advertising / FankhauserNiemand laughs about your "Scherzel"? They are irritated when you receive a "Purulent" is being offered? So something can happen to you in Austria. But gschmeidig's stay - and click here for our quiz on blogs ONLINE.Denn always brought the river as a lifeline from Linz people from all corners of Europe where the Danube makes a bow. In the Neolithic Age, there was an initial settlement, the Celts were from the Danube bow to the name "Lentos" inspired, which, according Palting as much as "crooked" means. Was first mentioned in Linz in the year 799 as a medieval trading center.
"This was once the largest marketplace of Austria," says Palting and looks at the long paved rectangle around themselves. The closely aneinandergedrängten houses with mostly just three windows per floor attest to the former real estate crisis: "Each of the merchants wanted was a good address directly on the marketplace have therefore been so closely built," says the guide.
A look behind the facade betrays the true size: About small alleyways and arches lined, pull the pretty buildings tens of meters in depth. "If everything here in the summer with flowers and decorative plants, which is beautiful," says Palting.
In many houses in the medieval Old Town have artisans and galleries located. In her small shop in the Hofgasse tried the jewelry designer Sieglinde Almesberger next to the famous Linzer Torte other souvenirs to establish: They sold homemade necklaces, bracelets and rings from Donaukieseln and silver bullets to the history as a steel town to remember. "15 years ago, I am always with my young son on the Danube and had gone walking stones collected - since I had the idea for the jewelry," says the former social worker. Meanwhile decorate so many people with the stones that they will soon open a second shop wants.
Shoebox or architectural excellence?
But the Danube is the opinion of Almesberger in Linz today strongly undervalued: "When I see how the flow in other cities will be used, I would say he is in Linz somewhat forgotten." The task as a lifeline has largely taken over the highway, about 100,000 daily commuters into the city brings.
"Linz has more jobs than people," says Mayor Franz Dobusch. Large industrial enterprises like the steel group Voestalpine or Chemie Linz make the city one of the largest business locations in Austria. With an unemployment rate of around 2.5 percent, the region is close to full employment. Numerous exhibitions and conferences also bring many business people from all over the world in the city.
But whether or Danube highway, the centuries of life on the river at the Linzer has even surprisingly little left, "Linz - you always smiles in Austria, if someone mentions this city name, it rhymes so involuntarily at provincial," said the poet once mocked Stefan Zweig. Also for jewelry designer Almesberger their fellow countrymen are not exactly cosmopolitan: "The Linz are certainly friendly people, but new and alien to them not so easy to be approached."
Thus, the cultural sector, the Linz as a modern city with groundbreaking art scene to establish, even internally always something struggling resistors against. The construction of the spectacular brückenförmige Lentos Art Museum overlooking the Danube had among the population quickly nicknamed "shoe box" away. "There were also numerous citizens complained that they are from the facade verblogsten blinded feel," recalls Palting.
Similarly aroused years before the new Christmas lights - a draft of Art University - with "nackerten" little angels. As a tribute to the Danube celestial messengers produce the stylized bubble, through the shopping streets instead of the usual motives shine. "People were already disappointed that there are no" Sternderl "and" Glockerl "there," says the guide. And the incumbent media art festival "Ars Electronica", which is annually with current socio-political issues continues, although guests come from all over the world - but usually only a few young visitors from Linz.
"If there is one thing that I like in Linz Culture year would mitgeben is more internationalism," says the deputy manager of Linz 09, Ulrich Fuchs. The program tries, as many Linzer in art and culture overall, to a certain provincialism and bourgeois way.
But that was not even here than in other similar large German cities, he takes the Capital of Culture in protection. "The Linz is someone who is open for Oblique and new," says Fuchs. The ongoing exhibition "Cultural Capital of the leader" to the Nazi past of the city, for example, was exceptionally well attended.
Hitler planned the largest art collection in the world
Linz is not shy, even in the Cultural Capital year herzeigbares not proud chapter in its history to present. Because the city should ever center of art and culture - but from a different perspective. Adolf Hitler, in Linz had gone to school, pageantry planned numerous buildings and boulevards and wanted there, including the world's largest art gallery to create. The "empire works Hermann Goering" was a steel and armaments company and are the forerunner of today's Voest.
Then built large residential complexes hot today in the vernacular still "Hitler buildings." "You can not have the history of Linz speak without mentioning Adolf Hitler," says guide Palting. Besides the Nibelungenbrücke were many of his plans but fortunately remained visions.
Allied air raids destroyed in World War II, large parts of the city. Linz then struggled for decades with his image as dirty and gray industrial city. But environmental measures, investment in culture and a return to the story with big names such as Anton Bruckner, the Domorganist here was to let them slowly molt. In a study to be worth living cities in Europe came in Linz, according to the city even among the top ten.
"I believe that in Linz a very, very underrated city," says the mayor. Even for Austrians it was a fairly unknown nature. But in the Culture year will Schoenefeld brittle throughout Europe now has the same surprise and show that they clearly can do more than just jam-Mürbeteig-bake cake.