Kremsmünster is a town in Kirchdorf an der Krems District, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Settled in 777, it is home to the Kremsmünster Abbey.

Kremsmünster
Coat of arms of Kremsmünster
Kremsmünster is located in Austria
Kremsmünster
Kremsmünster
Location within Austria
Coordinates: 48°03′18″N 14°07′51″E / 48.05500°N 14.13083°E / 48.05500; 14.13083
CountryAustria
StateUpper Austria
DistrictKirchdorf an der Krems
Government
 • MayorGerhard Obernberger (ÖVP)
Area
 • Total
42.12 km2 (16.26 sq mi)
Elevation
384 m (1,260 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[2]
 • Total
6,585
 • Density160/km2 (400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
4550
Area code07583
Vehicle registrationKI
Websitewww.kremsmuenster.at

The Abbey was founded 777 by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria and is one of the oldest abbeys of central Europe. On a striking ice-age terrace above the town, it dominates the whole Krems valley. The monks (Order of Saint Benedict), lead a famous gymnasium which has existed since 1549, and an astronomical and geophysical observatory ("Mathematical tower"). The First Slovak Republic ceased to exist here when the exiled Slovak government capitulated to General Walton Walker leading the XX Corps of the 3rd US Army on 8 May 1945.

Science and culture

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Kremsmünster is a traditional place of culture, astronomy and natural science. For instance, Placidus Fixlmillner (1721–1791), the first astronomer to compute the orbit of Uranus, was born and lived in Kremsmünster.

The observation tower itself (built 1749–1756) represents the first high-rise of Europe. In this vicinity the eldest geomagnetism station of the world was established, and also the first weather station of Austria-Hungary.

The nearby Gusterberg (450 m) is the fundamental point of the former national survey of Upper Austria. An observation tower at the summit marks the geoscientific importance of the mountain. It is also crossed by the Meridian arc Großenhain-Kremsmünster-Pola, an 800 km triangulation which was measured in the 19th century to determine the alpine curvature of the geoid.

Besides schools and the baroque library, Kremsmünster also has some institutions of adult education, e.g. Subiaco for Spiritual Exercises and a Vocational school. The castle Kremsegg houses a special museum of music instruments.

The monastery library (built 1680–1689 by Carlone) contains about 160,000 volumes. Among the 1,700 manuscripts is the Codex Millenarius, a Gospel Book written around 800 in Mondsee Abbey.
The showpiece of the monastery's treasury is the Tassilo Chalice of about 770, created in copper and silver and holding 1.8 litres. It is still used in religious services, e.g. at Easter.

Architecture outside the monastery:

Climate

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The Climate of Kremsmünster is continental, classified as Dfb in Köppen climate classification and Dc in Trewartha climate classification. The weather is warm and wet during summers and cold and snowy during winters.

Kremsmünster's climate in the 1991-2020 period has been warmer and wetter than the 1961-1990 period.

Climate data for Kremsmünster(1991-2020, Extremes 1961-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.1
(64.6)
20.3
(68.5)
23.7
(74.7)
30.7
(87.3)
31.7
(89.1)
36.0
(96.8)
36.3
(97.3)
36.4
(97.5)
34.6
(94.3)
26.3
(79.3)
23.6
(74.5)
14.5
(58.1)
36.4
(97.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.3
(36.1)
4.9
(40.8)
9.6
(49.3)
15.8
(60.4)
19.5
(67.1)
23.7
(74.7)
24.8
(76.6)
24.5
(76.1)
19.8
(67.6)
13.4
(56.1)
7.3
(45.1)
3.0
(37.4)
14.1
(57.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6)
1.3
(34.3)
5.7
(42.3)
10.6
(51.1)
15.0
(59.0)
18.6
(65.5)
20.3
(68.5)
20.0
(68.0)
15.2
(59.4)
10.1
(50.2)
4.7
(40.5)
0.7
(33.3)
10.2
(50.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3)
−2.1
(28.2)
1.4
(34.5)
5.4
(41.7)
9.5
(49.1)
13.4
(56.1)
14.4
(57.9)
14.3
(57.7)
10.7
(51.3)
6.3
(43.3)
2.2
(36.0)
−1.6
(29.1)
5.9
(42.7)
Record low °C (°F) −25.4
(−13.7)
−19.8
(−3.6)
−19.3
(−2.7)
−4.3
(24.3)
−1.3
(29.7)
2.2
(36.0)
6.6
(43.9)
6.2
(43.2)
1.0
(33.8)
−5.6
(21.9)
−12.5
(9.5)
−20.0
(−4.0)
−25.4
(−13.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 66.2
(2.61)
54.2
(2.13)
96.6
(3.80)
61.6
(2.43)
113.0
(4.45)
124.9
(4.92)
126.0
(4.96)
119.4
(4.70)
94.8
(3.73)
71.2
(2.80)
66.9
(2.63)
69.9
(2.75)
1,064.7
(41.91)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.1 9.9 12.4 9 12.1 13.2 13 10.9 10.6 9.9 9.9 12 134
Source: NOAA,[3] DWD[4]
Climate data for Kremsmünster, Oberösterreich (1961-1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7)
3.4
(38.1)
8.5
(47.3)
13.1
(55.6)
18.8
(65.8)
21.4
(70.5)
23.5
(74.3)
23.4
(74.1)
18.8
(65.8)
12.9
(55.2)
6.0
(42.8)
2.7
(36.9)
12.8
(55.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)
0.1
(32.2)
4.0
(39.2)
8.7
(47.7)
13.2
(55.8)
16.4
(61.5)
18.2
(64.8)
17.7
(63.9)
14.6
(58.3)
9.3
(48.7)
3.5
(38.3)
−0.4
(31.3)
8.6
(47.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.4
(25.9)
−2.4
(27.7)
1.0
(33.8)
4.3
(39.7)
9.1
(48.4)
12.0
(53.6)
13.9
(57.0)
13.8
(56.8)
10.5
(50.9)
5.9
(42.6)
1.1
(34.0)
−2.0
(28.4)
5.3
(41.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 61.0
(2.40)
57.0
(2.24)
64.0
(2.52)
76.0
(2.99)
96.0
(3.78)
114.0
(4.49)
126.0
(4.96)
105.0
(4.13)
77.0
(3.03)
58.0
(2.28)
68.0
(2.68)
65.0
(2.56)
967
(38.06)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11 11 11 11 12 14 13 12 9 8 11 12 135
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) (at 14:00) 80 74 64 58 57 59 57 59 65 72 79 81 67
Mean monthly sunshine hours 46.5 79.1 124 159 204.6 207 232.5 213.9 159 114.7 54 40.3 1,634.6
Mean daily sunshine hours 1.5 2.8 4 5.3 6.6 6.9 7.5 6.9 5.3 3.7 1.8 1.3 4.5
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[4]

Economy

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Kremsmünster is also a place of modern technology with about 3,000 employees (62% of them in production), e.g. in

References

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  1. ^ "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Kremsmuenster" (CSV). ncei.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  4. ^ a b "Klimatafel von Kremsmünster, Oberösterreich / Österreich" (PDF). dwd (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
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