EISENERZ

town, Bundesland Steiermark (federal province of Styria), Austria, in the Erzbach Valley, at the northern foot of the Erzberg (Ore Mountain; 5,033 ft ), northwest of Leoben. Iron has been mined on the Erzberg by terraced open-pit methods since Roman times, and Eisenerz (iron ore) is the principal centre of Austrian iron mining, supplying most of the nation's total output. Notable landmarks include the fortified St. Oswald's Church (12791517), the old mining Shift Tower with a bell that signaled changes of shifts in the mine (1581), and a mining museum. A few miles northwest of Eisenerz are the castle of Leopoldstein and the Leopoldsteiner See, a lake 1 1/2 mi (2.4 km) long. Pop. (1981) 10,074.