History of the muncipality of St. Pankraz

The road leading over the mountain area of Pyhrn was used as traffic road in pre-historic times, before the time of the Celts, connecting north and south.
When the Roman Empire under Cäsar Octavianus Augustus extended its frontiers up to the Rhine and Danube during 16 - 15 BC, occupying todays Upper Austria (Noricum), the old existing road leading over the Pyhrn pass was improved to become a military road, connecting Ovilava (Wels) and Aquilea (Northern Italy). Furthermore a number of hostels and stops were built to offer sleep over and horse changing facilities.

During the building of a house in St. Pankraz (Haslhofer) bricks and coins were found, bearing the stamp "LEG II" (Legio secunda italica). Furthermore it seems like a small fort (specula) was situated where the two streams Teichl and Steyr meet up, at todays „Fuchsberg“ . It is without doubt that the old Roman road lead past here, much like the B 138 today.

Bishop Otto II of Bamberg, the founder of the Abbey of Spital am Pyhrn, received amongst other goods, a forest situated between the two streams Steyr and Pießling together with a homestead in the village “Swent” (mansum in villa Swente) from Ottokar, the Duke of Styria. With time the name of the village evolved from “Swant” to “Geswant” to „Gschwendt“, which was the old village name up to 1800 as registered in the official records of Kremsmünster as from 1300.


How did todays name of St. Pankraz develop?
Where the church stands today, there was a chapel dedicated to one of the three icemen, St. Pankratius, who was decapitated with a sword at the age of 14 in 304 AD in Rome. (that is why the sword is one of the main symbols in the municipal crest)
In 1462 the church was built and also dedicated to St. Pankratius. Since that time all official documents use both names Gschwendt and St. Pankraz up to 1800 simultaniously. It is therefore safe to state the year 1190 as the actual foundation year of St. Pankraz (Village Swent).



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