Gmunden (German: [ˈɡmʊndn̩] ^ⓘ) is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ^[3]).

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Gmunden
Lakeside
Coat of arms
Gmunden Location within Austria
Coordinates: 47°55′05″N 13°47′58″E
Country	Austria
State	Upper Austria
District	Gmunden
Government
• Mayor	Stefan Krapf (ÖVP)
Area [1]
• Total	63.52 km2 (24.53 sq mi)
Elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Population  (2018-01-01)[2]
• Total	13,191
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	4810
Area code	07612
Vehicle registration	GM
Website	www.gmunden.ooe.gv.at

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Gmunden covers an area of 63.49 square kilometres (24.51 sq mi) and has a median elevation of 425 metres (1,394 ft). It is situated next to the lake Traunsee on the Traun River and is surrounded by high mountains, including the Traunstein (mountain) (5,446 feet or 1,660 metres), the Erlakogel (5150 ft), the Wilder Kogel (6,860 feet or 2,090 metres) and the Höllengebirge.

As of 2001, Gmunden had a population of 13,336; Approximately 88.4% were Austrian by nationality, 1.5% are from other European Union states, and 10.2% are other foreigners. Largest non-EU minorities were from Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.6%) and the former FR Yugoslavia (i.e. present-day Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo; 2.7%), followed by Turks (1.2%) and Germans (1.1%).

The majority (69.3%) are Roman Catholic by faith. Evangelicals make up the largest minority at 7.3%, followed by 5.9% Muslims and 3.3% Eastern Orthodox. Approximately 10.3% are irreligious.

In 1000 BCE the Illyrians were mining salt here.^[4] A settlement was already in existence in the fifth century CE. By 1186 Gmunden was a fortified place surrounded by walls, although it did not receive a church until about 1300. In 1278 Gmunden became a town. On November 14, 1626, an army of rebellious peasants was completely defeated at Gmunden by General Pappenheim, who had been ordered by Maximilian I to suppress the peasant rebellion in Upper Austria.^[5] The dead peasant insurgents were buried in nearby Pinsdorf, where an obelisk styled memorial known as the Bauernhügel in their honour can still be seen.

Gmunden supplied naval ships to Austria during the 17th century and helped wounded soldiers in hospitals in World War I. During World War II, an SS maternity home was located here, "to insure racial purity" in accordance with Nazi racial theories.^[6]

In later years, it was much frequented as a health and summer resort, and had a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc. It was also an important centre of the salt industry in Salzkammergut.^[7]

The local council consists of 37 members. In the last municipal election in 2021, the following are seats won by the political parties: 16 ÖVP, 7 GRÜNE, 5 SPÖ, 5 FPÖ und 4 NEOS.

• ÖVP: 16 seats
• FPÖ: 5 seats
• SPÖ: 5 seats
• NEOS: 4 seats
• Die Grünen: 7 seats^[8]

Mayors:

• 1946–1955: Fritz Eiblhuber
• 1955–1956: Alfred Klimesch
• 1956–1973: Karl Piringer
• 1973–1979: Karl Sandmeier (1917-2000)
• 1979–1997: Erwin Herrmann
• 1997–2014: Heinz Köppl
• 2014– ... Stefan Krapf (ÖVP)^[9]

There are a great number of excursions and points of interest round Gmunden, notably the Traun Fall, 10 miles (16 km) north of Gmunden, a castle called Schloss Ort, and a ceramic factory producing Gmundner Keramik branded pottery. The town hall is also a popular tourist destination.

In Gmunden there are four kindergartens, four elementary schools and three Hauptschulen. The three high schools are BG/BRG Gmunden, BRG Schloss Traunsee, and Gymnasium Ort.

• Johannes von Gmunden (ca.1380/84 – 1442), an astronomer, mathematician and humanist.
• Karl Scherffer (1716–1783), an Austrian Jesuit mathematician and natural scientist.
• Caspar Erasmus Duftschmid (1767-1821), an Austrian naturalist and physician
• Matthias von Schönerer (1807–1881), an engineer and railway pioneer, worked locally
• Friedrich Theodor Vischer (1807–1887), novelist, poet and playwright, died locally.^[10]
• Carl Rahl (1812–1865), an Austrian painter, lived locally
• John Haswell (1812–1897), a Scottish engineer and locomotive designer, worked here
• Count Richard Belcredi (1823–1902), statesman, Minister-President, 1865 to 1867, died here
• Christian Griepenkerl (1839–1916), a German painter and professor, lived here
• Horaz Krasnopolski, (DE Wiki) (1842-1908), lawyer, died here
• William Heaton-Armstrong (1853–1917), a British Liberal Party politician and banker.
• Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962), an Austrian-American writer, grew up locally
• Walter Reder (1915–1991), an SS commander and war criminal, buried in Gmuden
• Alfred Hilbe (1928–2011), Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, 1970 to 1974.
• Thomas Bernhard (1931–1989), an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet
• Szörényi Levente, (HU wiki) (born 1945) lead singer of Hungarian rock band Illés
• Helmut Trawöger (born 1948), conductor and flautist
• Heinrich Schiff (1951–2016), cellist and conductor
• Christoph Ransmayr (born 1954), an Austrian writer, grew up locally
• Andreas Berger (born 1961) , an Austrian former track and field sprinter
• Gabi Burgstaller (born 1963), an Austrian politician (SPÖ), and former Governess of Salzburg, went to local high school
• Jory Vinikour (born 1963), American born harpsichordist, worked as a teacher nearby
• Conchita Wurst (born 1988), drag queen and winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2014

• Gmunden Straßenbahn, the town tramway.