Kapfenberg

Kapfenberg
Kapfenberg
Municipality
	Overview of Kapfenberg in Styria
	Flag Coat of arms
	Kapfenberg Location within Austria
	Coordinates: 47°26′N 15°17′E / 47.433°N 15.283°E
Country	Austria
State	Styria
District	Bruck-Mürzzuschlag
Government
• Mayor	Matthäus Bachernegg (SPÖ)
Area
• Total	82 km2 (32 sq mi)
Elevation	502 m (1,647 ft)
Population (2024)
• Total	22,080
• Density	270/km2 (700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	8605
Area code	03862
Vehicle registration	BM
Website	www.kapfenberg.at

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Kapfenberg ([ˈkapfənbɛʁk]) is a city in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag District of the Austrian state of Styria. It lies in the Mürz valley in Upper Styria, between Bruck an der Mur and Kindberg, and forms part of one of the main industrial and transport corridors of central Styria. With 21,964 residents with a main residence as of 30 September 2024, it is the third-largest city in Styria after Graz and Leoben.

The municipality covers 82 km² (32 sq mi) and lies at an elevation of about 501 m (1,644 ft). Its highest point is the Floning, which rises to 1,583 m (5,194 ft). On 1 January 2015, the former municipality of Parschlug was merged into Kapfenberg as part of the Styria municipal structural reform.

The area around Kapfenberg has been settled since prehistoric times. Finds from the Rettenwandhöhle include Stone Age tools, Bronze Age objects and later archaeological remains. The church of St Martin was first mentioned in 1096, while Oberkapfenberg Castle was documented in 1173 as Castrum chaffenberch. The settlement was referred to as a market in 1256 and developed during the Middle Ages as a local centre of trade, crafts and administration.

Kapfenberg’s modern development was closely tied to industry. In the 19th century, railway construction and the growth of iron and steel production transformed the market town into an industrial centre. The first train passed through Kapfenberg in 1844, and in 1854 Franz Mayr von Melnhof established Austria’s first crucible steelworks in the town. In 1894, the Böhler brothers acquired the Kapfenberg steelworks, which became one of the town’s most important employers. Kapfenberg was elevated to the status of a city on 9 May 1924.

The city remains an important centre of the Styrian steel and manufacturing industry. Voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl operates a major special-steel plant in Kapfenberg; a new special-steel plant opened in 2023 and is designed to produce up to 205,000 tonnes of special steels annually when operating at full capacity.

The town’s best-known landmark is Oberkapfenberg Castle, a medieval hilltop castle above the town. The castle was built by the Lords of Stubenberg and later expanded; today it is used for cultural events, exhibitions and tourism. It hosts the Ritterfest, a medieval festival held at the castle.