Judenburg (German: [juːdn̩.buɐ̯k, juːdn̩.buʁk]; Bavarian: Judnbuag) is a historic town and municipality in Styria, Austria. It is located in Upper Styria in the Murtal region, on the Mur river and near the Aichfeld basin. The town is the administrative centre of the Murtal District, which was formed on 1 January 2012 through the merger of the former Judenburg District and Knittelfeld District. Until 31 December 2011, Judenburg was the capital of Judenburg District.
As of 1 January 2025, Judenburg had 9,623 residents with a main residence in the municipality, or 9,908 including secondary residences. The municipality covers 63.77 km2 (24.62 sq mi) and lies at an elevation of 737 m (2,418 ft). Its localities include Murdorf, Strettweg, Oberweg and Reifling. On 1 January 2015, the adjoining municipalities of Oberweg and Reifling were merged into Judenburg as part of the Styrian municipal structural reform.
The area around Judenburg was settled long before the medieval town developed. Archaeological evidence from the nearby Falkenberg shows iron mining and smelting activity during the early Iron Age, and the wider area is associated with important Hallstatt-period finds. In the Middle Ages, Judenburg grew into a significant trading and administrative centre in the southeastern Alpine region. Its name reflects the historical presence of Jewish merchants and residents; the earliest documentary reference to Jews in Judenburg dates from 1290.
Judenburg reached its greatest economic importance in the late Middle Ages, when it held commercial privileges and served as a centre of trade and administration for large parts of Upper Styria. The Stadtturm, built around 1500, is the town’s best-known landmark and a symbol of its former prosperity. Since 2006, the tower has housed a planetarium.
Today, Judenburg functions as a regional administrative, educational, commercial and service centre for the western part of the Murtal. Its old town preserves several historic buildings, including burgher houses around the main square, churches and remnants of the town’s medieval urban structure.
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