.gif)
Simmering (Vienna)
Encyclopedia
Simmering is the 11th district
of Vienna
, Austria
(German
: 11. Bezirk, Simmering). It borders the Danube
and was established as a district in 1892. Simmering has several churches, some museums, schools, old castles, and many cemeteries.
was built in 1605 and continued to bring in revenue for the area for more than 300 years. Simmering remained small until 1860, when the Rinnböckhäuser housing development was built, which at the time was the second-largest in Vienna, and resulted in rapid growth in the area.
Kaiserebersdorf (earlier known as Ebersdorf) was one of the original villages in the district and held the residence of the Ebendorfer dynasty. Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II
hunted frequently in the area and converted the residence into the hunting lodge Schloss Neugebäude.
On January 1, 1892, Simmering, Kaiserebersdorf, and some very small parts of Kledering, Schwechat
, and Albern were incorporated into Vienna as the 11th district.
The first indications of the small town of Albern originate from 1162. The town was small throughout its history. It had to be moved and resettled twice due to flooding from the Danube
. On October 15, 1938, the town was moved to the former 23rd district of Schwechat. But after World War II
, it was moved to the 2nd district Leopoldstadt
so that its refineries would belong to the Soviet-occupied quarter of Vienna. In 1955, in the Austrian State Treaty
it became part of Simmering.
on a golden background stands for Kaiserebersdorf and comes from the coat of arms of the Herr von Hintperg-Ebersdorf, who originally founded the settlement. The third part shows the symbol of the former village of Albern. The crossed fish on red background are reminiscent of the fishing tradition that was important to the people of Albern.
The district lies in the southern part of Vienna. It borders the Danube
and Danube Canal to the east and the East railway
to the west. Of all the districts, Simmering is the lowest district in terms of elevation. It also contains an unusually large number of cemeteries, one notable one being the Zentralfriedhof
.
Simmering was a stronghold for social democrats
as early as the start of the 20th century. In the district vote of 1919, the social democrats won 21 positions in the district government, with the Christian Social Party taking the next largest vote with only 7 seats and the Tschechische Liste (literally Czech list) taking 2 seats.
The social democrats of Simmering and of the rest of the so-called "Rotes Wien" (Red Vienna
) pushed to build housing developments throughout Vienna and in 1934, 19 Gemeindebau
ten were built in Simmering.
The rise of Nazism
in Vienna was hardly acknowledged in the vote of Simmering, as the party took only 7.2% of the vote in 1932, the worst outcome in the whole city. Even after 1945, the SPÖ
continued to dominate the votes. In the mid-1990s, the SPÖ fell from 59% to 48% of the vote and lost their majority, with the FPÖ
gaining support to 31% of the vote. The trend reversed itself in 2001, and the SPÖ retook 59.22% of the vote, FPÖ took 21.37%, ÖVP
had 9.82%, the Greens
had 6.77%, and the LIF
barely took a seat with 2.02% of the vote.
brought in. There were huge 70-meter tall gas tanks on the premises, called the Gasometer
(featured in the James Bond
film The Living Daylights
). Reconstruction in 2001 converted the structures from containers to buildings that today house apartments, offices, a shopping centre, and a cinema. The towers of the Gasometer have ranked next to the Zentralfriedhof
as a landmark of the 11th district.
The district also hosts other municipal infrastructure, including the EBS (special material recycling center), a sewage treatment
facility that treats about 90% of the city's sewage, and also a juvenile detention center
.
Simmering is home to many large undeveloped stretches of greenery and fields full of vegetable gardens that provide produce for the city.
, weapons, and military vehicle manufacturer), Hoerbiger (compression valve manufacturer), and other companies in the electrical and pharmaceutical industries.
The following are points of interest:
Districts of Vienna
The districts of Vienna are 23 named city sections of Vienna, Austria, which are also numbered for easy reference. For centuries, district boundaries have changed...
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...
, 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...
(German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: 11. Bezirk, Simmering). It borders the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and was established as a district in 1892. Simmering has several churches, some museums, schools, old castles, and many cemeteries.
History
The first indications of the settlement Simmering are from 1028. A breweryBrewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
was built in 1605 and continued to bring in revenue for the area for more than 300 years. Simmering remained small until 1860, when the Rinnböckhäuser housing development was built, which at the time was the second-largest in Vienna, and resulted in rapid growth in the area.
Kaiserebersdorf (earlier known as Ebersdorf) was one of the original villages in the district and held the residence of the Ebendorfer dynasty. Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
hunted frequently in the area and converted the residence into the hunting lodge Schloss Neugebäude.
On January 1, 1892, Simmering, Kaiserebersdorf, and some very small parts of Kledering, Schwechat
Schwechat
Schwechat is a city south-east of Vienna known for the Vienna International Airport and Schwechater beer. It is also home to the refineries belonging to the Austrian national oil company OMV.- Geography :...
, and Albern were incorporated into Vienna as the 11th district.
The first indications of the small town of Albern originate from 1162. The town was small throughout its history. It had to be moved and resettled twice due to flooding from the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. On October 15, 1938, the town was moved to the former 23rd district of Schwechat. But after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was moved to the 2nd district Leopoldstadt
Leopoldstadt
Leopoldstadt is the 2nd municipal District of Vienna . There are inhabitants over . It is situated in the heart of the city and, together with Brigittenau , forms a large island surrounded by the Danube Canal and, to the north, the Danube. It is named after Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor...
so that its refineries would belong to the Soviet-occupied quarter of Vienna. In 1955, in the Austrian State Treaty
Austrian State Treaty
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government...
it became part of Simmering.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms for the 11th district has three parts, each representing one of the former villages that were united to form the district. The silver "S" on a blue background stands for the former village of Simmering. The rearing unicornUnicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
on a golden background stands for Kaiserebersdorf and comes from the coat of arms of the Herr von Hintperg-Ebersdorf, who originally founded the settlement. The third part shows the symbol of the former village of Albern. The crossed fish on red background are reminiscent of the fishing tradition that was important to the people of Albern.
Geography
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and Danube Canal to the east and the East railway
East railway (Austria)
The Eastern Railway is a two-track, electrified railway line that runs from Vienna towards Hungary. The name Eastern Railway refers to several branches of the line as well. At present the western terminus of the railway line in Vienna, Wien Südbahnhof, is being replaced by the new Hauptbahnhof...
to the west. Of all the districts, Simmering is the lowest district in terms of elevation. It also contains an unusually large number of cemeteries, one notable one being the Zentralfriedhof
Zentralfriedhof
The Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
.
Transportation
Simmering has always been on important transport routes to the south and east. These include the following:- Simmering was crossed by the Wiener Neustadt CanalWiener Neustadt CanalThe Wiener Neustadt Canal was Austria's only shipping canal, originally meant to reach to Trieste. It became operational in 1803 and ceased to be used for transportation before World War I.- References :...
, which has fallen into disuse around Simmering - Many railway lines pass through Simmering, such as the East railwayEast railway (Austria)The Eastern Railway is a two-track, electrified railway line that runs from Vienna towards Hungary. The name Eastern Railway refers to several branches of the line as well. At present the western terminus of the railway line in Vienna, Wien Südbahnhof, is being replaced by the new Hauptbahnhof...
, the railway to Aspang, and many industrial lines - Albern is home to a harbour for cereals on the River DanubeDanubeThe Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
- The high street in Simmering dates back to a Roman roadRoman roadThe Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
. - The motorway A4 to Vienna International AirportVienna International AirportVienna International Airport , located in Schwechat and southeast of central Vienna, is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is often referred to as Schwechat, the name of the county it is in. The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340...
and on to HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
starts in Simmering.
Politics
| District Directors since 1945 | |
|---|---|
| Eduard Pantucek (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
4/1945-7/1945 |
| Max Wopenka (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1945–1952 |
| Josef Haas (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1952–1964 |
| Wilhelm Weber (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1964–1973 |
| Johann Paulas (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1973–1980 |
| Otto Mraz (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1980–1989 |
| Franz Haas (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
1989–2001 |
| Otmar Brix (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
2001–2003 |
| Renate Angerer (SPÖ SPO - Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument... ) |
2003- |
Simmering was a stronghold for social democrats
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
as early as the start of the 20th century. In the district vote of 1919, the social democrats won 21 positions in the district government, with the Christian Social Party taking the next largest vote with only 7 seats and the Tschechische Liste (literally Czech list) taking 2 seats.
The social democrats of Simmering and of the rest of the so-called "Rotes Wien" (Red Vienna
Red Vienna
Red Vienna was the nickname of the capital of Austria between 1918 and 1934, when the Social Democrats had the majority and the city was democratically governed for the first time.-Social situation after World War I:...
) pushed to build housing developments throughout Vienna and in 1934, 19 Gemeindebau
Gemeindebau
Gemeindebau is a German word for "municipality building". It refers to residential buildings erected by a municipality, usually to provide low-cost public housing....
ten were built in Simmering.
The rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in Vienna was hardly acknowledged in the vote of Simmering, as the party took only 7.2% of the vote in 1932, the worst outcome in the whole city. Even after 1945, the SPÖ
SPO
- Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument...
continued to dominate the votes. In the mid-1990s, the SPÖ fell from 59% to 48% of the vote and lost their majority, with the FPÖ
FPO
FPO may refer to:*Fleet Post Office, a "city" designation in military mail *Field post office, a term for military post offices in military mail systems *For position only, a designation for placeholder graphics...
gaining support to 31% of the vote. The trend reversed itself in 2001, and the SPÖ retook 59.22% of the vote, FPÖ took 21.37%, ÖVP
OVP
OVP is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:*The Office of the Vice President of the United States*The Office of the Vice President of the Philippines*OVP , a light sub-machine gun developed in Italy...
had 9.82%, the Greens
Austrian Green Party
The Greens – The Green Alternative is a political party in the Austrian parliament.The party was formed in 1986 with the name Grüne Alternative, following the merger of the more conservative Green party Vereinte Grüne Österreichs and the more progressive party Alternative Liste Österreichs The...
had 6.77%, and the LIF
Liberal Forum
The Liberal Forum is a small classical liberal party in Austria. The party is currently led by Angelika Mlinar, and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Founding:...
barely took a seat with 2.02% of the vote.
Infrastructure
The 11th district has always been known for its industries. In the 19th century, Simmering generated and supplied the electricity for the Straßenbahnen (trams) of Vienna and also had a gas works to supply the city with town gas for its lights. The gas works produced natural gas from 1899 to 1978, but today serves as a distribution post for natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
brought in. There were huge 70-meter tall gas tanks on the premises, called the Gasometer
Gasometer, Vienna
The Gasometers in Vienna are four former gas tanks, each of 90,000 m³ storage capacity, built as part of the Vienna municipal gas works Gaswerk Simmering in 1896–1899. They are located in the 11th district, Simmering. They were used from 1899 to 1984 as gas storage tanks...
(featured in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...
). Reconstruction in 2001 converted the structures from containers to buildings that today house apartments, offices, a shopping centre, and a cinema. The towers of the Gasometer have ranked next to the Zentralfriedhof
Zentralfriedhof
The Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
as a landmark of the 11th district.
The district also hosts other municipal infrastructure, including the EBS (special material recycling center), a sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
facility that treats about 90% of the city's sewage, and also a juvenile detention center
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
.
Gardens
Industry
Many industries call Simmering home, including Simmering-Graz-Pauker (SGP, rail car manufacturer), Steyr (armoryArmory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, weapons, and military vehicle manufacturer), Hoerbiger (compression valve manufacturer), and other companies in the electrical and pharmaceutical industries.
Cultural and Medial Reflection
1979 Simmering a poetic documentary film about Simmering was released by Alexander Schukoff and Reinhard Kofler.Famous people from Simmering
- Andreas Greis (1843–1925), sculptor and royal decorator of BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- Rosa Jochmann
- Antonia Lautenschläger
- Josef Lang, last executioner of the monarchy
- Karl Sesta (Szestak)Karl SestaKarl Sesta was an Austrian footballer who represented both the Austrian and German national sides.-Club career:He played club football for Vorwärts XI, 1...
Sightseeing
- Wiener ZentralfriedhofZentralfriedhofThe Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
, cemetery - GasometerGasometer, ViennaThe Gasometers in Vienna are four former gas tanks, each of 90,000 m³ storage capacity, built as part of the Vienna municipal gas works Gaswerk Simmering in 1896–1899. They are located in the 11th district, Simmering. They were used from 1899 to 1984 as gas storage tanks...
, gas tanks remodelled into housing, offices, and shopping venues - Schloss Neugebäude - Castle
- Schloss Concordia - Castle
- Schloss Thürnlhof - Castle
- Lueger Kirche - church
- Crematorium
- Friedhof der Namenlosen, Cemetery of the Nameless