Salzburg, literally meaning “salt castle,” is the capital city of the Federal State of Salzburg and it’s the 4th largest city in all of Austria. Renowned for its Baroque architecture, the historic center of Salzburg is home to as many as 27 churches. Salzburg is best remembered as the birthplace of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As of 2019, Salzburg has a population of more than 150,000.
According to 2019 census data gathered in 2019, the nationality of the population of Salzburg are comprised of:
Nationality
Country of Birth
The history of Salzburg dates back all the way to the Neolithic Age with early settlements built by the Celts in the 5th century BC. Some time around the 15th century, all of these settlements were merged into one city by the Roman Empire and became known as Juvavum. Juvavum grew into an important community to the Romans within the Noricum province. When Norican collapsed, Juvavum declined rapidly and became a ruin by the 7th century.
The city was reborn in the 8th century when Saint Rupert of Salzburg chose the area for his basilica. The area was named Salzburg for the salt barges that traveled along the Salzach river.
The later end of the 14th century saw Salzburg gaining independence from Bavaria. After tensions were quelled following the German Peasants’ War, the city saw a vast increase in prosperity through the 18th century. During the 17th century, many Italian architects and Austrians reconstructed the city center.
After being annexed by Austria in 1805, and then transferred back to Bavarian rule in 1809, before being returned to Austria yet again in 1816, Salzburg was in 1850 restored as the capital city of the Dutchy of Salzburg. At the time, it was part of the Austrian Empire then became part of Austria-Hungary in 1886.
After WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved, and Salzburg became part of the new German Austria, which was then replaced in 1919 with the First Austrian Republic. This wasn’t to last, as Austria and Salzburg with it was incorporated into the Third Reich in 1938. German soldiers moved into the city as political opponents, Jewish citizens and other minorities were arrested and deported. After Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, several POW camps were set up in the city to home their prisoners.
Fifteen airstrikes carried out by Allied forces during WWII destroyed some 46% of Salzburg’s buildings. Despite this, much of the city’s Baroque architecture survived, and as a result, Salzburg is one of the few remaining examples of a town of its style. Post-war, Salzburg became the capital city of the Federal State of Salzburg.
1935 saw the city absorbing adjacent municipalities, bringing with it a significant increase in the population, and after WWII, many refugees moved to the city. The years between 1939 and 1951 saw a population increase of 33.4%, going from around 77,000 to very nearly 103,000. Growth has been steady but not significant, allowing Salzburg to reach 150,000 in 2019.
| City | 2025 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna | 2,005,500 | 0.75% |
