History

Ferlach was first mentioned in 1246 as the village of “Vörelach”. From 1850 to 1910 the village was called Oberferlach. After frequent mix-ups with the market community of Obervellach, the municipality applied for changing the name to "Ferlach". Thanks to the establishment of wire and nail forges in the 15th century and the beginning of the gunsmith trade in the 16^th century -which still plays an important role in our town- the name of Ferlach has gained a worldwide reputation. One of the reasons why Ferlach changed its status form village into town in 1930 was its great economic importance, apart from the reinstatement of the referendum day (Ferlach was one of the centres of the Yugoslav occupation). The authorisation to use a coat of arms was granted on the 40th anniversary of the Carinthian referendum. In 1964 the municipality of Unterferlach was incorporated and in 1973 also the municipality of Windisch Bleiberg.

Gunsmiths’ town

The gunsmith trade is still practiced in Ferlach today - as an important branch of the economy and as the focus of gunsmith training. The town of Ferlach has become famous around the world over centuries as an industrial location and a manufacturing facility for high-quality hunting weapons. The first handicraft seal of the Ferlach gunsmith’s guild was created in 1620. In the beginning, only war weapons were produced, but then in the second half of the 19th century the production switched to hunting weapons. The gunsmith and hunt museum in the Ferlach Castle is dedicated to the traditional history. In 2010, the Ferlach gun making trade was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Now it can describe itself as a national UNESCO cultural heritage worthy of protection.