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Leoben was attested in historical sources as Liupina in AD 904.[3] The name is of Slavic origin, meaning 'beloved', and is derived from the root ljub- 'love'.[4][5][6]
Leoben is located in the Mur Valley, around eight kilometres east of Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark and 15 kilometres west of Bruck an der Mur. The old town centre was founded in the "Murschleife", a meander. Today Leoben stretches on both sides of the river.
The area of the municipality is around 108 km², of which almost 79% is forested. The lowest point in the town is 515 metres above sea level, the highest point is the summit of the Wetterkogel at 1643 metres above sea level.
Leoben is known as the “Gateway to the Styrian Iron Road”. The 13th-century Main Square features the Hackl House with its baroque façade in red and white. The City Parish Church, St. Francis Xavier, built in 1660, comprises a 17th-century interior and is considered one of the most significant Jesuit churches in Austria. Also of note is the Art Nouveau Lutheran church which is at the upper end of the Franz-Josef-Strasse.
The oldest convent for women in Styria is Göss Abbey. Founded in 1020 A.D., it was run by the Benedictine nuns until it was dissolved in 1782 and made the see of short-lived Diocese of Leoben. The early Romanesque crypt is of note as is the 'Gösser Ornat,' which can be seen in Vienna (Museum for Applied Arts). Next to the convent is the Gösser brewery, which includes a brewery museum.[7]
Current cultural events include classical concerts in the Congress Leoben, productions of the Summer Philharmonic in July and performances of local and guest productions in the oldest operating theatre in Austria.[8]
Leoben was shaped for centuries by the trade in iron and the research in raw materials carried out at the University of Leoben, which was founded in 1840. Mining traditions still play an important part in city life. Examples are the Miners' Parade, the St. Barbara Celebration or the Ledersprung ("Leather Jump"). The Gösser Kirtag, a street fair, takes place on the Thursday after the first Sunday in October and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Leoben.
Other components of the vigorous cultural life of the "Mining City" include classical concerts in the Congress Leoben, productions of the Summer Philharmonics in July and performances of locally created and guest productions in the oldest still-running theatre in Austria.
^Leitner-Böchzelt, Susanne (2002). Leoben. Erfurt: Sutton Verlag. p. 7.
^Wysoky, Ernst (October 13, 1862). "Zur Urgeschichte des Erzberges bei Eisenerz in Steiermark". Oesterreichische Zeitschrift für Berg- und Hüttenwesen. No. 41. Vienna. p. 324.
^Pirchegger, Hans (1936). Geschichte der Steiermark. Graz: Leuschner. p. 88.
^Niemeyer, Manfred (2012). Deutsches Ortsnamenbuch. Berlin: de Gruyter. p. 361.
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