Gaming, Austria
Gaming () is a municipality within the district of Scheibbs in Lower Austria. It is known primarily for an old Carthusian monastery existing within its borders. This served as the home and burial place of Duke Albert II of the Habsburg family, and now serves as the main campus for Franciscan University of Steubenville's Study Abroad program. Geography. Gaming is located in Lower Austria in the district of Scheibbs. It is in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. Tourism. Gaming is in the Ötscher region of Austria, an area that offers many natural attractions to tourists. One of  these attractions is the Second Viennese Spring Water Channel, which starts at the base of the Alps and provides high quality water to Vienna. Near Gaming is the Ötscher-Tormauer Nature Park, which is the largest of the parks in Lower Austria, and is valued for its rivers, waterfalls, and rock formations. The Ötscher region also contains one of the last ancient forests existing within Central Europe. The area appeals to tourists due to its natural environment, the presence of nature trails (one book named as many as fifty-five), and its abundance of clean water. In addition, the area  attracts tourists for its ski slopes and mountains, and the rivers and lakes are used for kayaking, boating, rafting, and swimming. Demographics. Gaming had a population of 3,281 as of 1 January 2011. The population has been steadily decreasing over the past few years. This is due to a number of factors that have affected Austria in general since the 1970s, including: decreased birth rates, changes in attitudes towards marriage and bearing children, and increased contraception. Economy. Gaming’s economy is primarily centered on lumber, agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Gaming has a high school devoted to the study and learning  of agricultural practices. History. Early history. A settlement existed in Gaming as early as the ninth century. It was initially settled by Celts, Germanic tribes, and Romans, before eventually becoming home to Slavs. The name "Gaming" is derived from the Slavic language and can be translated as "stone" or "hollow". The land was taken over by the Avars, who were then defeated by Charlemagne at the end of the eighth century. The area was soon Christianized by the Franks and the Bavarians, and became formally overseen by the province of Carinthia. The first mention of a parish priest in Gaming  comes from a document from 1274. During the late Middle Ages, the iron trade formed most of Gaming's economy, as it was an important part of the economy of the nearby province of Styria. Consequently, the forests became an essential resource as well, since extreme heat was needed to make iron products. During this time, they developed systems for moving the wood, both via river and via land. The structures put in place on the river still stand today. The Kartause in Gaming. In 1330, Duke Albert II of the Habsburg family got the endowment to form a charterhouse  in Gaming. However, the cornerstone for the Kartause was not laid until a few years later, on 15 August 1332. The Kartause Gaming was to be called "Mariathron", which literally means "Mary, Throne of Christ". It was intended to be a Carthusian monastery, as well as his residence and a burial place for his family. The remains of Duke Albert, his wife, and his daughter-in-law are in the crypt of the Kartause today. The Carthusians who occupied the Kartause were given numerous resources, including many large tracts of land. These they rented out to tenants, used for farming  and for the raising of livestock. Those who lived on this land paid their dues with cheese, oats, clarified butter, roof shingles, and hoops made for wine barrels. The Carthusians were also given fishing rights for the surrounding ponds, lakes, and rivers. Their rights extended as far as the river of Ybbs, which was more than two hours away. Important sources of income included: wine (which was the most important export for Lower Austria at the time), vineyards, salt, iron, and forestry and hunting areas, as well as other market items such as cheese. The Kartause served as the main  parish for the village from 1334 to 1782. In 1782, the Kartause was suppressed and its monks were relieved of their vows. Over the course of about 200 years, the Kartause degraded, due to mishandling by its owners, lack of funding, and the damage caused by the Russian troops who began to occupy it in 1945. Walter Hildebrand purchased the Kartause in 1983 and began to renovate it. The restoration process was sixty percent complete within the first ten years. Renovations still continue today, mainly to expand the Kartause for the institutions that use it. The Kartause has served as  a study abroad campus for Franciscan University of Steubenville in OH, US. It also serves as the base for the Language and Catechetical Institute, which gives students in post-Communist countries an opportunity to learn about Western countries, in the hope that they can help facilitate communication between the East and the West. Study abroad program. Gaming serves a key role in the study abroad program for Franciscan University of Steubenville. Franciscan University established its Gaming campus in the Kartause in 1991. The Kartause serves both as a residence and as the location for classes and studying. In any one  semester there are around 200 students who participate in this program. The Kartause has generally received positive feedback from the students, based on the peace of the monastic setting and the beauty of the surrounding areas. An example of this is made manifest in the book "Being Amanda in Europe", which details the letters between a student and her father; Amanda asserts that she "found great beauty all over Europe, but no other place came close to Gaming". The program at the Kartause has also proven to have strong academic benefits for its participants, especially in the connections between the  classes and the locations to which the students travel.