Gründerzeit

Melk in the late 1800s

The mid-19th century brought tremendous upheaval to Melk. A devastating fire in 1847 left 96 buildings and the parish church tower in ashes. In the following year the manorial system was abolished and local government thoroughly revamped, with the first mayor elected in 1850.

Steam shipping on the Danube (1837), the western railway (1858) and new, liberal regulations for trades and crafts (1860) provided fresh stimulus for business. The Melk Savings Bank (Sparkasse), founded in 1862, assisted in numerous private and public building projects. The town spread towards the south and east.

The old town fortifications were removed for the most part, with several public buildings being erected along Abt Karl-Straße: the elementary school, hospital, district courthouse and the district offices.

As a consequence of the rapid upswing, Melk was granted city status in 1898. The construction boom kept up until the onset of WWI.