The city of Graz, the second largest city in Austria after Vienna, although it was already a settlement in prehistoric times, was firstly mentioned in a document around 1129.
The name of the city comes from the Slovenian word gradec, meaning small fortress.
It became the capital city of Inner Austria until 1619 when Ferdinand II became Holy Roman Emperor and transferred his court to Vienna. In 1809, under the Treaty of Schönbrunn, the fortifications of the Schlossberg were demolished.