Rottenbach is a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It is located in the Hausruckviertel region.
Geography
Rottenbach lies at an elevation of 424 meters (1,391 feet) in the Trattnach valley at the foot of the Hausruck range. The municipality covers an area of 14.59 square kilometers (5.63 sq mi), of which approximately 82 percent is farmland and about 10 percent is forest. The Rottenbach stream, from which the town derives its name, originates within the municipality, flows northeast, and empties into the Trattnach river.
The municipality comprises 22 localities (Ortschaften), including the main town of Rottenbach, as well as Frei, Großwaldenberg, Haselbach, Höbeting, Holzhäuseln, Innernsee, Kleinwaldenberg, Lamperstorf, Mösenpoint, Mühllehen, Parz, Pommersberg, Poppenreith, Rappoltsberg, Schachet, Schauberg, Stötten, Umweltpark, Watzing, Weeg, and Winkling. The municipality is divided into three cadastral communities (Katastralgemeinden): Großwaldenberg, Innernsee, and Rottenbach.
History
The area was densely forested until the 11th or 12th century, when clearing and settlement began under the direction of the Steinbach noble family. The name "Rottenbach" is believed to derive from the reddish-brown color of the stream ("rot" meaning red in German). The earliest documented references date to around 1130 and before 1146, when a "Lanzo von Rottenbach" appeared as a witness.
In addition to the Rottenbach noble family, there were two other noble seats in the area: the Tutschenbergers and the Innerseers. Schloss Innersee (Innernsee Castle), originally a water castle, was first documented in 1301. It was rebuilt after being burned down during the Upper Austrian Peasant Wars of 1626.
The area originally belonged to the large parish of Hofkirchen an der Trattnach. Rottenbach was elevated to an independent parish before 1357. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Peter, was expanded between 1500 and 1520.
From 1918, Rottenbach belonged to the federal state of Upper Austria. Following the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on March 13, 1938, it became part of the Gau Oberdonau. Upper Austria was reestablished after 1945. Since January 1, 2003, the municipality has been part of the judicial district of Grieskirchen; previously it belonged to the judicial district of Haag am Hausruck.
Demographics
As of January 1, 2025, Rottenbach had a population of 1,153. The population declined from 1,270 in 1869 to a low of 831 in 1961, before rising again to 1,153 by 2025. The recent growth has been attributed to a positive birth rate and net in-migration.
Politics
The municipal council (Gemeinderat) has 13 members. As of the 2021 elections, the distribution was: 6 seats for the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), 3 for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), 2 for the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), and 2 for the "Liste Rottenbach" (LR). The mayor since 2015 has been Alois Stadlmayr (ÖVP).
Coat of Arms
The municipal coat of arms, granted in 1988, features a gold shield with a red wavy bar (symbolizing the "red stream" as a canting reference to the name Rottenbach), above which rise three black clover leaves arranged in a fan, and below which is a black upward-opening crescent moon with clover-leaf ends. The crescent moon is taken from the coat of arms of the Innersee family, and the three clover leaves from the Wiellinger family, both former owners of Schloss Innersee.
Culture and Sights
- Schloss Innersee: A water castle (originally a water fortification) in private ownership, not open to the public.
- Catholic Parish Church of Rottenbach (St. Peter): A late Gothic church with net vaults, late Gothic frescoes (including symbols of the four Evangelists and the Veil of Veronica, dated 1524), a late Rococo high altar (1774) with early Baroque statues, and a Baroque pulpit (late 17th century).
- Rappoltsberg Chapel: A wooden chapel approximately 300 years old, built in log construction style.
Economy
Of the 61 agricultural operations in 2010, 24 were full-time farms. In the production sector, 99 people worked in manufacturing and 11 in construction. The largest employers in the services sector were trade (42 employees), social and public services (17), and accommodation and gastronomy (13).
Notable People
- Franz Wilflingseder (1922–1985), historian and director of the Federal State Study Library in Linz.
- Alois Zauner (1925–2009), historian and director of the Upper Austrian Provincial Archives.
