landscapes - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1976 - 4.50 Shilling

The town of Retz in the northwestern Weinviertel has its origins in two very old settlements. The northern one originated from the village "Reczz" mentioned around 1180, around the parish church St. Stephan, and became the old town. The adjoining the south "Neustadt" was founded around 1280 to 1290 on schedule as the administrative center of the county direct Hardegg Count Berchtold von Rabenswalde-Schwarzburg. In 1305, the place was first called city. In the coat of arms there is the rising lion from the coat of arms of the founder Berchtold. The location on the old road from Krems to Znojmo and the particularly dry climate made Retz an early center of winegrowing and wine trade, which has remained the main commercial activity of the city and the surrounding area. Already in the Middle Ages the famous Retzer wine was delivered abroad. The landmark of Retz were the two windmills that have been on display for two centuries on Calvary in the northwest of the city. The mountain got its name from the groups of figures erected there between 1727 and 1737. As stations of the cross, they depict six scenes of the painful Rosary.