Freyung () is a town in Bavaria and capital of the Freyung-Grafenau district. It is situated in the Bavarian Forest mountain range, near the border with Austria and the Czech Republic.
Geography The town is situated on the southeastern rim of the Bavarian Forest National Park near the confluence of the Saußbach and Reschbach creeks. The town centre is located about north of Passau and just west of the border to Czechia. Freyung is divided into 27 different settlements.
History
First settlements The first known settlements in the area of today's town of Freyung are from the 13th century. The inhabitants settled in a clearing village near the old Wolfstein Castle, which Bishop Wolfger von Erla had built around 1200. Before that, Emperor Henry VI had ceded the land to some of the bishops of Passau in 1193. At that time, Freyung was not yet a place name, but referred to an area. The later name Freiung denoted the fact that the first settlers were exempt from taxes (cf. Freihaus). In 1301, this place was first mentioned in documents as Purchstol zu Wolferstein, with a forest attached to it. As early as 1354, the neighboring town of Kreuzberg, which had been founded at the beginning of the 14th century, was granted market rights, which were transferred to Freyung in 1523.
19th century When the Prince-Bishopric of Passau was dissolved in 1803 with the Imperial Deputation Act, Freyung first fell to the Austrian Duchy of Salzburg and two years the Kingdom of Bavaria with the Peace of Pressburg. 535 people were living in the town in 1811, however, in a devastating town fire in 1872, 39 of the approximately 70 houses were destroyed. A settlement was laid out beneath the castle which in 1301 was mentioned as Purchstol zu Wolferstein.
20th century and after On December 3, 1953, Freyung was elevated to town status. After the incorporation of , Freyung was part of the Wolfstein district from April 1, 1954, to June 30, 1972. After the district was merged with the Grafenau district, it became the district town of the Freyung-Grafenau district. Freyung had received the opportunity to host the yearly Bavarian Regional Garden Show in 2022, however had to move it to 2023 because of COVID.https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/wegen-corona-landesgartenschau-freyung-findet-erst-2023-statt,S23gaWn The event was also visited by Markus Söder.
Population Year 1961 1970 1987 1991 1995 2005 2010 2015 20172023 Population 6862 7282 7124 7458 7409 7235 6923 7194 71877263
Politics
City council Party Percentage of votes Christian Social Union (CSU) 48,15 % Citizens' Community City and Country (BGStuL) 20,57 % Ecological Democratic Party (ödp) 10,81 % Non-partisan Voters Freyung-Kreuzberg (ÜWFK) 9,96 % Young Voters Union (JWU) 10,52 %
Mayors
1946–1952: Josef Haas 1952–1956: Ludwig Heydn 1956–1972: Josef Lang 1972–1978: Otto Fink 1978–2002: Fritz Wimmer 2002–2008: Peter Kaspar 2008–present: Olaf Heinrich
Infrastructure
Public facilities
Freyung District Hospital Freyung Surveying Office Freyung District Court Freyung-Grafenau District Office Health Department Library Municipal Waterworks State Veterinary Office Volunteer Fire Department Weekly Market Barracks on the Goldener Steig, location of the 8th Reconnaissance Battalion.
Education and science
Kindergarten Child day care Forest kindergarten Primary school Mittelschule Realschule Gymnasium Montessori School Support center Catholic adult education Adult education center Music school Technology Campus, branch of the Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences with three Chairs for geoinformatics, embedded systems and bionics. Folk Music Academy Police Academy
Twin towns
Freyung is twinned with Vimperk, Czech Republic Seewalchen am Attersee, Austria
Notable people Severin Freund (born 1988), ski jumper Shkemb Miftari (born 1993), footballer
References