Wiener Neustadt, Austria

Wiener Neustadt is located south of Vienna in the state of Lower Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Bezirk.

History

The city was founded by the Babenberger Duke Leopold V in 1194, who financed the construction of the city with the ransom paid for the English king Richard the Lionheart, who had previosuly been held as a hostage in Austria at Dürnstein. Wiener Neustadt, meaning more or less New Vienna, first served as a fortress to defend against nearby Hungary. Important privileges were given to the city in order to enable it to prosper. In the 15th century, Wiener Neustadt experienced a population boom, when Emperor Friedrick III took up his residence here and in Graz. The Wappenwand (coat of arms wall) at the local castle displays the coats of arms of his possessions in the middle. His son Maximilian I maintained his court in Wiener Neustadt and is buried there in the St. George's Cathedral.

King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary conquered the city in August of 1487 after having laid siege to it for two years. He dedicated the Corvinus Cup to the inhabitants. Maximilian I managed to reconquer his native city in 1490. During the 16. Century, Wiener Neustadt lost its status as imperial residence and much of its importance. However, it still fulfilled its function as bulwark against the Turks and the Kuruc. In 1751 it received greater attention when Empress Maria Theresa of Austria decided to dedicate a cadet house inside the imperial castle. In 1752, the Theresian Military Academy took up its operations, which have continued to this day with only a few interruptions. In 1768, Wiener Neustadt was destroyed by an earthquake. The castle, which had suffered strongly, was rebuilt using plans made by the architect Niccolo Pacassi. In 1785, Emperor Joseph II transferred the diocese of Wiener Neustadt to St. Pölten.

In 1909, an airfield north of the city was inaugurated. It later served as a training ground for the flight pioneers Igo Etrich, Karl Illner and Adolf Warchalowski, who conducted their tests there.

During World War II, Wiener Neustadt was a major centre for the manufacture of ME-109s and A-4 rockets, and so was heavily bombed, leading to 80% of the city being destroyed and very heavy loss of civilian life.

Transportation

Wiener Neustadt is one of the most important traffic junctions of Austria. It is connected to other major centers of population by railway and by highway. The city has two airfields (a military one wich was the first airfield in Austria and a civil one owend by Diamond Aircraft) and is the starting point of Austria's only shipping canal, the Wiener Neustaedter Kanal, which was meant to reach out to Trieste but was never finished.

University, professional schools, vocational academies

Austria's first and largest University of Applied Sciences for economics and technology is located here.

City Partnerships

• Monheim am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Desenzano del Garda, Italy

Development of the city

The most recent extension of the city is the CIVITAS NOVA, Latin for new city, an ambitious project for an industrial, research and commercial center. In 2008, on the area of the Civitas Nova, a cancer research center for ion therapy will be opened under the name of Med Austron (link in German).

Culture

Wiener Neustadt became internationally famous, a few years ago, as a catwalk designed by a Japanese artist was built around the main square. The aerodrome is a big music venue (link in German).

Sites of interest

• City Museum (in German)
• City archives
• Aviaticum flight museum] (in English)
• Industrial museum (in German)
• Hospital museum
• Kurt Ingerl-Gedenkraum
• Mineralogical museum
• Tower museum in the cathedral

Buildings include:

• Water tower (a landmarks)
• Mariensäule (at Hauptplatz)

People

• Joseph Matthias Hauer, composer.
• Karl Merkatz, actor.
• Kurt Ingerl, sculptor.
• Viktor Gernot, actor and comedian.