Sievering
Encyclopedia
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Location: 48°15′08"N 16°19′15"E |
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Sievering is a suburb of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and part of Döbling
Döbling
Döbling is the 19th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located on the north end from the central districts, north of the districts Alsergrund and Währing...
, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinde
Katastralgemeinde
A Katastralgemeinde , a German word , is a cadastral subdivision of municipalities in the nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Gorizia, Trieste, and in Slovenia.A cadastral community records property ownership in a cadastre,...
n.
Geography
Sievering arose on the banks of the Arbesbach. The more modern distinction between Obersievering and Untersievering coincides with the route of this stream; Obersievering (Upper Sievering) lies between the SchenkenbergSchenkenberg, Vienna
The Schenkenberg is a hill in the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. It is 345 metres tall.- Geography :The Schenkenberg lies in Obersievering and represents the south-eastern extension of the Pfaffenberg. To the north, the Reisenbergbach separates the Schenkenberg from the Reisenberg; to the...
and Hackenberg
Hackenberg, Vienna
The Hackenberg is a hill in the suburb of Sievering in the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. It is 306 metres tall.Hackenberg is covered in sand and gravel. The Arbesbach flows around the hill’s north-eastern flank, while the Krottenbach flows around its south-western flank, although both rivers...
and therefore upstream of Untersievering (Lower Sievering), which lies to the south of the Meiselberg
Meiselberg
The Meiselberg is a hill in the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. It is 291 metres tall- Geography :The Meiselberg represents the north-eastern extension of the Schenkenberg and lies in the suburb of Sievering. The limits of the Meiselberg are defined by the Kaasgraben to the north and the...
. An abandoned village named Mitterhofen once lay between the two Sieverings. It was the earliest settlement, consisting of a group of houses around a chapel, but it was subsumed by the towns to either side of it. Chlaintzing, another village which stood on the south-western slope of the Hackenberg, was probably abandoned in the 14th century. A lack of water may have forced the inhabitants to relocate to Neustift am Walde
Neustift am Walde
Until 1892 Neustift am Walde was an independent municipality in the outskirts of Vienna, Austria and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna...
. Obersievering and Untersievering arose when the winegrowing subjects of local landowners settled around the Meierhöfe
Meierhof
A Meierhof or Meyerhof was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator of a noble or spiritual estate....
in both towns. They were mentioned in 1330 for the first time as separate settlements under the names Ober-Sufferingen and Under-Sufferingen; it is not clear which of the two arose first. The local church stood on the border between the two towns and the towns grew together over time. The modern-day Katastralgemeinde
Katastralgemeinde
A Katastralgemeinde , a German word , is a cadastral subdivision of municipalities in the nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Gorizia, Trieste, and in Slovenia.A cadastral community records property ownership in a cadastre,...
n Untersievering and Obersievering cover a total area of 433.04 hectares, although the border of these Katastralgemeinde
Katastralgemeinde
A Katastralgemeinde , a German word , is a cadastral subdivision of municipalities in the nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Gorizia, Trieste, and in Slovenia.A cadastral community records property ownership in a cadastre,...
n does not concur precisely with that of the area given the name Sievering in statistical analyses conducted by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n government, which also consists of two smaller units.
History
The origin of the name Sievering
The first official mention of Sievering dates to 1114 and names it Sufringen. Over time, the name evolved into Suueringan, Sivring and finally into Sievering. The affix -ing in many Germanic place names has the meaning the place of the people belonging to; Sievering thus means the place of the people belonging to a man named Suver(o)/Sufr. A link was probably made to Saint Severinus of Noricum in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, who is believed to have been a missionary in the area at the start of this period. Severinus is depicted in Sievering’s coat of arms and the Sieveringer Pfarrkirche, a Roman-Catholic church in Sievering, is dedicated to him.
Sievering from the Roman Empire to the end of the Middle Ages
At the time of the Roman EmpireAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, there was a large quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in Sievering, from which stones were used in the construction of the military base Vindobona
Vindobona
Vindobona was originally a Celtic settlement, and later a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. Around 15 BC, the kingdom of Noricum was included in the Roman Empire...
. There was certainly also a fairly large worker colony. In 1897, a Mithraeum
Mithraeum
A Mithraeum is a place of worship for the followers of the mystery religion of Mithraism.The Mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern or an artificial building imitating a cavern. Mithraea were dark and windowless, even if they were not actually in a subterranean space or in a natural...
was uncovered at number 132 in the Sieveringer Straße. It was built by the 10th Legion
Legio X Gemina
Legio decima Gemina , was one of the four legions used by Julius Caesar in 58 BC, for his invasion of Gaul. There are still records of the X Gemina in Vienna in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol was a bull...
and is now in the City of Vienna’s historical museum. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the inhabitants were farmers who were essentially reliant on their own produce. Wine was produced for sale. The division of Sievering into Obersievering and Untersievering took place in the 14th century; this was documented for the first time in 1330. In 1334, the area was granted to the Klosterneuburg Monastery, but it was returned to the crown in the 15th century. Both Obersievering and Untersievering knew several rulers until they were finally handed to the Hofkammer (Chancellery) in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. A chapel dedicated to Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
is mentioned in 1330. In 1348, this chapel was transformed into the Sieveringer Pfarrkirche; the first priest is named as Jacob de Medlaer. The Klosterneuburg Monastery did not take over the parish until 1510.
Sievering since the Middle Ages
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
, which greatly impeded their development. In 1634, Obersievering and Untersievering once again received new rulers; Obersievering went to the Camaldolese
Camaldolese
The Camaldolese monks and nuns are part of the Benedictine family of monastic communities which follow the way of life outlined in the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century...
from Kahlenberg, while Untersievering went to the Gaming Monastery
Gaming Charterhouse
Gaming Charterhouse is a former Carthusian monastery in Gaming near Scheibbs in the Mostviertel of Lower Austria.The monastery was founded in 1330 by Albert II, Duke of Austria, who intended it as a dynastic burial place. He himself was buried there after his death in 1358, as was his wife Johanna...
. When the plague hit Vienna in 1713, Sievering suffered particularly badly. 30 of the 33 houses in Obersievering were afflicted, in Untersievering the numbers were 32 of 34. 267 people in all died of the plague in Sievering. In the following decades, Obersievering developed much less rapidly than Untersievering as a result of its cooler, moister climate and poor transport links. In 1767, Obersievering had 41 houses and 26 farmhouses, while Untersievering had just 5 farmhouses. By 1819, Untersievering had overtaken the settlement further upstream - in its 56 houses, Untersievering had 467 inhabitants, while in Obersievering, 377 people were living in 52 houses. From 1789 onwards, private individuals built canals and ponds, planted fruit trees, bred sheep, set up a park and built a farmhouse. In 1832, wood merchant Josef Müller was finally able to reunite both settlements under one owner. He later sold them to Anton Edler von Wirth, who had also purchased Oberdöbling in 1824.
When they were integrated into the city of Vienna in 1892 together with Unterdöbling
Unterdöbling
Unterdöbling was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. It is also one of the 89 Katastralgemeinden.- Geography :...
, Oberdöbling
Oberdöbling
Oberdöbling was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. It is also one of the 89 Katastralgemeinden.- Geography :...
, Heiligenstadt
Heiligenstadt, Vienna
Heiligenstadt was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.Heiligenstadt is one of the 10 municipalities in the Döbling District.- Geography :...
, Nußdorf
Nußdorf, Vienna
Nußdorf was a separate municipality until 1892 and is today a suburb of Vienna in the 19th district of Döbling.- Location :Nußdorf lies on both banks of the Nußbach , where the brook meets the Danube Canal...
, Grinzing
Grinzing
Grinzing was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.- Geography :- Location :...
, Josefsdorf
Josefsdorf
Josefsdorf was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. It is also one of the 89 Katastralgemeinden.- Geography :...
and Kahlenbergerdorf
Kahlenbergerdorf
Kahlenbergerdorf was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. It is also one of the 89 Katastralgemeinden.- Location :...
, Obersievering had 626 inhabitants and Untersievering 1,996. Obersievering consisted of 78 houses, Untersievering 214. Around 1900, large apartment blocks were thrown up in the lower Sieveringer Straße, and the surrounding hills were gradually built over. The old centres of Obersievering and Untersievering are nonetheless still recognisable. Tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line 39, which used to run to Sievering, was opened in 1902.
Economy
At the start of the 19th century, both parts of Sievering had large vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s. In the somewhat smaller Untersievering, half of the available land was given over to growing wine. Agriculture took up another third. In Obersievering, 28% of available land were covered with vineyards, followed by 20% forest, 15% pasture and 15% fields. The quarry, which had been in use since Roman times, and which belonged to the City of Vienna, was economically important. It provided cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s and whetstone
Whetstone
Whetstone may refer to:* Whetstone, a sharpening stone used for knives and other cutting tools* Whetstone , a benchmark for measuring computing power* Operation Whetstone, a nuclear test program in the 1960s- Places :United Kingdom...
s until it closed in 1921. Unlike nearby Grinzing or Neustift am Walde, Sievering was not considered an attractive summer destination and grapes grew more slowly in the cool valley than on the surrounding hilltops. The roads connecting Sievering with the surrounding areas were also very poor well into the 19th century. Nonetheless, factories were gradually established here as well and in 1837 a wagon line connected Sievering with Vienna for the first time. In 1875, the expansion of Untersievering began, while the gradual fencing in of the Arbesbach provided protection from floods.
In 1897, carpenter Wenzl Hartl founded a noteworthy steam-driven sawmill at number 2 in the Sieveringer Straße. The sawmill grew quickly as the construction industry became more professional, but was moved to Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
in 1948. Terraced house
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
s and the Franz Josef Hotel took its place. It was however the automobile factory Gräf & Stift that held the title as the largest enterprise in Sievering. Its factory in the Weinberggasse, which was opened in 1904, produced cars, trucks, and busses. The site was replaced with residential housing after production was moved step-by-step to Liesing
Liesing
Liesing is the 23rd district of Vienna . It is on the southwest edge of Vienna, Austria.It was formed after Austria's Anschluss with Germany, when Vienna expanded from 21 districts to 26...
.