Wildon, Steiermark

Wildon, Styria, market town in the district of Leibnitz, alt. 314 m, pop. 2,004, area 7,24 km² situated at the confluence of the Rivers Kainach and Mur at the southern end of the Grazer Feld Plain. - School of rural domestic science (Neudorf Castle, municipality of Stocking), sewage treatment plant of the Grazer Feld sewage association, run-of-river power station in the neighbouring municipality of Lebring (constructed 1988, 20 MW), privately run generating station and heating station. Plastics industry and plastics recycling, building industry. - 2 ruins on Schloßberg Hill alt. 450 m): so-called "Römerturm" (Roman Tower; first documented mention 1173) and larger upper palace (first documented mention as "Novum Castrum" in 1260, destroyed by lightning in 1810). Former residence of the Lords of Wildon. On the western slope, substructure of the Hengist ruins; parish church (first documented mention 1252, Baroque reconstruction 1671-1676 by F. I. Carlone) with Rococo high altar (1766) by F. Königer; statue of St. Mary (1682); Freihaus (so-called "Lower Castle", 1660); town houses (17^th century core, façades from the Biedermeier period).

Literature: D. Kramer and G. Obersteiner, Beiträge zur Geschichte des Wildoner Schloßbergs, 1985.