| Bruck lies in Upper Styria, at the confluence of the rivers Mürz and Mur. In days gone by it was important because of its position on the main route used for the transport of salt and iron. Today Bruck an der Mur is an industrial town (steel, copper, paper, bricks) as well as a regional traffic intersection. Once a Roman settlement, first mentioned in records in the year 860, Bruck was remodelled in 1263 by Ottokar Praemysl and received its charter in 1277. In the Middle Ages it was the center for trade with Venice and in the 16th C. the seat of regional parliaments. After the catastrophic fire of 1792 it was rebuilt as it is today. Parts of the old town-wall, castle gate and tower still remain. The town was named after its bridges (variously designated "Prukka", "Prukke" and "Prukkha"). |