Bregenz : Austria
History
The first settlements date from 1500 BC. In the 5th century BC, the Celts settled at Brigantion, which was one of their most heavily fortified locations. After water and battles in 15 B.C., the Romans conquered Brigantion and the city became a Roman camp. It was conferred the status of a municipality (Brigantium) around 50 A.D. and was the seat of the Roman admirality for Lake Constance. In 259/60 Brigantium was destroyed by the Alemanni, a Germanic people who settled in the area from around 450.
From 610 to 612 St. Columbanus and Saint Gall worked as missionaries in Bregenz. From 917 the castle served as a residence of the Udalrichinger (ruling dynasty of Vorarlberg), who called themselves Counts of Bregenz. The house died out around 1150. The son of the first Ulrich was St. Gebhard, born in 947. He became bishop of Konstanz and was later known as the patron of the pregnant women. In around 1170 Hugo of Tbingen (Montfort) founded a town settlement (first documented mention in 1249), enlarged in the 13th and 14th century and from 1650 to 1652.
Sold in 1451 and in 1523 to the Habsburgs, under Bavarian rule from 1805 to 1814; from 1842 to 1850 construction of the harbour (in 1883 and from 1889-1891) enlargement of the harbour, Austrian ship service was set up in 1884), rail communication has existed since 1872 (since 1884 across the Arlberg massif); since then the town has extended to the surrounding countryside. Since 1726 main seat of the Austrian administration in Vorarlberg (“Obervogtei”, in 1786 “Kreisamt”, since 1861 seat of the Landtag, since 1918 seat of the Landeshauptmann), Rieden-Vorkloster and Fluh were incorporated to Bregenz in 1919 and in 1946, respectively. Bombarded in 1945, 72 houses were destroyed.
