20th century, and by 1938
the village had accommodation for 110 visitors. In the mean time, the
figure had increased to 2500 and Alpbach now attracts some 22000
visitors in summer and about the same in winter for an annual total of
300000 nights. Tourism is the main source of income for today's 2300
local residents, but there are still 105 working farms in Alpbach, the
same number as a hundred years ago.
Since 1945, Alpbach has been the
venue for the Alpbach European Forum, an annual two-week conference of
leading figures from the worlds of science, business, the arts and
politics. The Forum and the participation of so many people who have
shaped the thinking of their times has given Alpbach the nickname, "The
Village Of Thinkers."
The first conference hall in Alpbach was built
in the mid-1950s and named after the Austrian poetess Paula von
Preradovic, who wrote the words for the Austrian national anthem. The
plenary hall was named after the physicist and Nobel Prize-winner Erwin
Schrödinger. He lies buried in the Alpbach cemetery.
In 1999, the new
Alpbach Congress Centre was opened, together with the 55th European
Forum. With its combination of exciting architecture and a minimum
environmental footprint, the main architectural feature is a spiral
shaped gallery with floor-to-ceiling glazing for a unique view of the
spectacular mountain backdrop.
At the suggestion of Alfons Moser,
Mayor of Alpbach from 1945 to 1979, the Council issued a local planning
law in 1953, which made the traditional style of architecture in Alpbach
mandatory for all new buildings.
Over the years, Alpbach has
collected many awards and distinctions. In 1975, the Austrian Public
Health Institute certified that Alpbach had the cleanest and purest air
in all of Austria. It was voted "Austria's Most Beautiful Village" in
1983 by a television contest organised by Austrian Television. In June
1985, the
