Structures - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1963 - 20 Shilling

In the first millennium BC settled on the long ridge of steeply sloping to the current landscape of the Danube end of the Dunkelsteiner forest, the present location of the monastery Melk, Illyrians and Celts. In Roman times a military camp was found on it, which perished during the migration of peoples. Under Ludwig the German Melk is mentioned as "Magalicha", later as "Medelicha" and in the written in the 13th century Nibelungenlied, which refers to older heroic sagas, as "Medelike". The Babenberger Leopold I. founded his residence here in 976. The Melker castle as a starting point for the gradual land acquisition to Leitha and March and the forest areas north of the Danube received by Leopold I. a church dedicated to the apostles, which was probably related to the founding of a canon. This dissolved Leopold II in 1089 and transferred Benedictine monks from Lambach to church service. With the relocation of the residence Leopold III. On the Kahlenberg near Vienna, the Melker castle was finally handed over to the Benedictines as a foundation, so that the Babenberger Duke Leopold III. can be regarded as founder of the Melk Monastery. The brand motif shows a view of the baroque splendor building built by Jakob Prandtauer.