first settled the valley and built small villages here as evinced by archaeological finds of axes and swords, as well as an urn cemetery. The name Brixen im Thale appears to be Celtic in origin and indicates that there has always been a settlement here. In the 3rd century A.D., there was a kind of temple, built by the Romans, on the site of the present church. In 788 A.D., the name Indiculus Arnonis, which means "a church with own fields", was given to the church by Bishop Arno. At that time, it was the only church in the Brixental. It is therefore the oldest parish in the Tyrolean Unterland along with those in of St. Johann in Tirol, Ebbs, Söll, Radfeld and St. Ulrich am Pillersee. In 1481, a library (the Taz Library) was founded by Wilhelm Taz, who was a teacher and a priest, in Brixen im Thale. It still exists today. Around 1600, copper was mined; but mining ceased at the end of the 18th century. On Corpus Christi, the traditional Antlassritt takes place. This is a eucharistic procession by farmers from the towns of Kirchberg in Tirol, Brixen im Thale and Westendorf (Tirol). The Antlassritt commemorates the 30 Years' War in the 17th century, when the villagers of those communities beat back Swedish troops on the Klausenbach river. The farmers' ride to the Klausenkapelle chapel in Kirchberg in Tirol commemorates their victory. Population Notable people This list contains some of the notable people who were either born in Brixen im Thale, lived there for a longer time or were in some significant way related to it. Matthäus Hetzenauer - Austrian sniper in the 3rd Mountain Division on the Eastern Front of the World War II, who was credited with 345 kills. Panorama References External links Official site Brixen Gigapixel Panorama (17.500 Megapixel) Kitzbühel Alps Cities and towns in Kitzbühel District