Baden ( German for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Located about south of Vienna, the municipality consists of cadastral areas Baden, Braiten, Gamingerhof, Leesdorf, Mitterberg, Rauhenstein, and Weikersdorf. In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name " Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its famous medicinal springs and its architectural testimony to the international spa culture on the 18th and 19th centuries.

Geography and Geology

Baden is located at the mouth of the Schwechat River's

St Helena Valley __NOTOC__ The Schwechat () is a river in Lower Austria. Its drainage basin is . River course The source is near the Schöpfl (893 m) in the Vienna Woods. The source streams are the Riesenbach, Lammeraubach, Agsbach, Hainbach and the Großkrottenba ...

(') in the Vienna Woods (') range. It takes its name from the area's 14 hot springs, which vary in temperature from and contain mineral salts including calcium carbonate, calcium chloride and magnesium sulphate. They lie for the most part at the foot of Mt Calvary ('; ) in the north-central part of town. These springs are caused by runoff from the Northern Limestone Alps and tectonic fissures within the Vienna Basin. The highest point in the area is the Iron Gate (' or '), whose can be ascended in about three hours.

History

The celebrity of Baden dates back to the days of the Romans, who knew it by the name of or . Some ruins are still visible. The settlement was mentioned as Padun in a deed from AD 869. The nearby abbey of Heiligenkreuz's Romanesque church was constructed in the 11th century; it subsequently served as the burial place for members of the

Babenberg The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves. Originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria), the Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria from its creation in 976 AD until its e ...

family. The castle Rauheneck was constructed on the right bank of the river at the entrance to the valley in the 12th century; the castle Rauhenstein was built on the opposite bank at the same time. The town received its legal privileges in 1480. Although repeatedly sacked by Hungarians and Turks, it soon flourished again each time. Baden in 1-25

The town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1812 but was excellently rebuilt in a

Biedermeier The ''Biedermeier'' period was an era in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 during which the middle class grew in number and the arts appealed to common sensibilities. It began with the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in ...

style according to plans by architect Joseph Kornhäusel, it is therefore sometimes referred to as the "Biedermeierstadt". Archduke Charles, the victor of Aspern, constructed the Château Weilburg at the foot of Rauheneck between 1820 and 1825. In the 19th century, it was connected to the railway running between Vienna and

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

, which led to thousands of Viennese visiting each year to take the waters, including members of the imperial family, who constructed extensive villas nearby. In 1820, the Sauerhof became the first freestanding spa hotel in Europe. The composer Ludwig van Beethoven stayed a number of times in Baden and his residences still form local tourist spots. The location at Rathausgasse 10 now forms a museum open to the public. Mayerling, a hunting lodge about up the valley, was the site of Crown Prince Rudolf's murder-suicide in 1889. Its primary export in the 19th century were

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

razors, which were reckoned of excellent quality. Baden bei Wien - Stadttheater

The town boasted a theater, military hospital, and casino, all constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The City Theater (') was built in 1909 by Ferdinand Fellner. By the time of the First World War, Baden was Vienna's principal resort: came each year, double the town's local population. In addition to a modern "spa house" ('), there were 15 separate bathing establishments and several parks. During the war, Baden served as a temporary seat of the

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

high command. A new casino in 1934 made the town the premier resort throughout Austria. The Château Weilburg was destroyed during World War II. After World War II, Baden served as the headquarters of Soviet forces within

occupied Austria The Allied occupation of Austria started on 8 May 1945 with the fall of Nazi Germany and ended with the Austrian State Treaty on 27 July 1955. After the in 1938, Austria had generally been recognized as part of Nazi Germany. In 1943, howev ...

until 1955.

Transport

Baden can be reached by the Süd Autobahn (A2). It has two rail stations: the Baden railway station for S-Bahn and regional trains, and the local

Badner Bahn The Badner Bahn or Wiener Lokalbahn is a tram-train service in the metropolitan area of Vienna. It runs for between Vienna and Baden, and is operated by the Wiener Lokalbahnen Aktiengesellschaft. The entire Badner Bahn is part of the and is one ...

tram-train.

Government

Kurt Staska Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and is ...

( ÖVP) was Baden's Bürgermeister as a result of elections of 2015, but he resigned at the end of 2016 and Stefan Szirucsek became the new Bürgermeister (Mayor). His deputy is Helga Krismer from the Greens. City council (german: link=no, Gemeinderat) consists of 41 seats: * ÖVP holds 15 places * local bloc – 10 places * SPÖ has 8 members * the Greens hold 5 places * FPÖ has 2 members * NEOS has 1 place

Population

Notable people

Natives

Louis V. Arco Louis V. Arco (born Lutz Altschul; 24 July 1899 – 3 April 1975) was an Austrian stage and film actor whose career began in the late 1910s. Early life and career Louis V. Arco was born in Baden, Austria-Hungary (now Austria), about 8 kilomete ...

(born ''Lutz Altschul''; 1899–1975), Austrian actor *

Vincent Bach Vincent Bach (March 24, 1890 – January 8, 1976) was a musician and instrument maker, who founded the Vincent Bach Corporation. Vincent Schrotenbach He was born as Vincent Schrotenbach in Baden bei Wien near Vienna, Austria.Priestly, Brian, ...

(1890–1976), virtuoso trumpeter and brass instrument maker * (Maximilian) Hugo Bettauer (1872–1925), Austrian writer *

Caterina Canzi __FORCETOC__ Caterina Canzi, also known as Katharina Wallbach-Canzi, (1805 – 22 July 1890) was an Austrian-born soprano who sang leading roles in the opera houses of Europe, primarily in Italy and Germany. Amongst the roles she created were Iso ...

(1805–1890), opera singer *

Mario Dorner Mario Dorner (born 21 March 1970) is an Austrian professional footballer who played as a forward for Darlington in the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Foun ...

(born 1970), football player *

Willi End Willi is a given name, nickname (often a short form or hypocorism of Wilhelm) and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Willi Apel (1893–1988), German-American musicologist * Willi Boskovsky (1909–1991), Austrian violinis ...

(1921–2013), Austrian mountaineer *

Lucie Englisch Lucie Englisch (8 February 1902, in Baden bei Wien – 12 October 1965) was an Austrian actress. She was married to the actor Heinrich Fuchs. Selected filmography * '' The Night Belongs to Us'' (1929) * '' Three Days Confined to Barracks'' (19 ...

(1902–1965), Austrian actress *

Bert Fortell Bert Fortell (18 September 1924 – 27 August 1996)) was an Austrian actor. Filmography External links * 1924 births 1996 deaths Austrian male film actors Austrian male television actors Actors from Baden bei Wien 20th-century Aus ...

(1924–1996), actor * Josef Frank (1885–1967), Austrian-Swedish architect *

Mizzi Griebl Mizzi Griebl (27 February 1872 – 8 June 1952) was an Austrian stage actor, stage and film actress.Rogowski p.326 She appeared in a number of supporting roles during the silent era, silent and early sound era. Selected filmography * ''Oh, Dear A ...

(1872–1952), Austrian singer and actress *

Marianne Hainisch Marianne Hainisch, born Marianne Perger (25 March 1839 – 5 May 1936) was the founder and leader of the Austrian women's movement. She was also the mother of Michael Hainisch, the second President of Austria (1920–1928). Life Marianne Perger ...

(1839–1936), Austrian feminist, women's rights activist * Erwin "Jimmy" Hoffer (born 1987), footballer *

Natalie von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst Natalie may refer to: People * Natalie (given name) * Natalie (singer) (born 1979), Mexican-American R&B singer/songwriter * Shahan Natalie (1884–1983), Armenian writer and principal organizer of Operation Nemesis Music Albums * ''Natal ...

, Ratibor und Corvey (1911 — 1989), 2nd daughter of Maria Henriette Erzherzogin von Österreich *

Karl Holdhaus Karl Holdhaus (21 January 1883, in Baden bei Wien – 30 June 1975) was an Austrian entomologist who specialised in Coleoptera. He was Director of the Vienna Natural History Museum. Holdhaus worked on the Coleoptera of glacial refugia, postglaci ...

(1883–1975), Austrian

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

Georg Michael Höllering Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 * Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also * George (disambiguation) George may refer to: People * George (given name) * ...

(1897–1980), Austrian-British author and film director * Besian Idrizaj (1987–2010), Austrian professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player * Johann Baptist Klerr (1830–1875), composer and kapellmeister *

Max Kuttner Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ( ...

(1883 (1880) – 1953), German opera- and

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

tenor,

gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

/record- and radio singer * Karl Landsteiner (1868–1943, New York City), physician, discoverer of the

blood type A blood type (also known as a blood group) is a classification of blood, based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrate ...

* Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007), 5th child of

Kaiser Karl I von Österreich ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...

and Kaiserin Zita *

Heinrich von Lützow Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...

(1852–1935) Austro-Hungarian diplomat * Hertha Martin (born 1930), Austrian actress * Heribert Meisel (1920–1966), a legendary Austrian sport-journalist and sport-presenter of the

ORF ORF or Orf may refer to: * Norfolk International Airport, IATA airport code ORF * Observer Research Foundation, an Indian research institute * One Race Films, a film production company founded by Vin Diesel * Open reading frame, a portion of t ...

and ZDF *

Maximilian Melcher Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name "Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Max ...

(1922–2002), artist and

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

Eduard Melkus Eduard Melkus (born 1 September 1928 in Baden bei Wien) is an Austrian violinist and violist.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003'' Following the Second World War, Melkus dedicated himself to the exploration of historically informed ...

(born 1928), Austrian violinist and violist * Josef Müllner (1879–1968), Austrian sculptor *

Amalia Schütz Oldosi Amalie Schütz (22 January 1803 – 21 September 1852) known under the stage name Amalia Schütz Oldosi, was an early 19th-century Austrian soprano who performed in Austria, France, England and Italy. Biography Born in Baden bei Wien near Vien ...

(1803–1852), Austrian soprano * Rosa Papier (1859–1932), Austrian opera singer and singing-

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

Jakob Pazeller Jakob may refer to: People * Jakob (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jakob (surname), including a list of people with the name Other * Jakob (band), a New Zealand band, and the title of their 1999 EP * Max Jakob Memorial Aw ...

(1869–1957), composer *

Karl Pfeifer Karl Pfeifer (born 22 August 1928 in Baden bei Wien, near Vienna) is an Austrian journalist. Life Karl Pfeifer and his parents fled Austria in 1938 to Hungary, there he joined the socialistic-Zionist youth organization HaschomerHatzair in 194 ...

(born 1928), Austrian journalist * Arnulf Rainer (born 1929), Austrian painter * Max Reinhardt (''Maximilian Goldmann''; 1873–1943, New York City), theatre director and

theatre manager Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

Franz Josef Reinl Franz may refer to: People * Franz (given name) * Franz (surname) Places * Franz (crater), a lunar crater * Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada * Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see Fran ...

(1903–1977), Austrian composer *

Franz Reznicek Franz Reznicek (born 20 October 1903, date of death unknown) was an Austrian architect. After moving to Bludenz, Vorarlberg, where he initially headed an architectural firm with Alois Dönz, he was responsible for the design of numerous modern ...

(born 1903), Austrian architect *

Rollett Notable people with the surname of Rollett include: * Alexander Rollett (1834–1903), Austrian physiologist and histologist. * Anthony Rollett, Fellow of the Institute of Physics. * Georg Anton Rollett (1778–1842), Austrian naturalist and phy ...

family: **

Alexander Rollett Alexander Rollett (14 July 1834 – 1 October 1903) was an Austrian physiologist and histologist born in Baden bei Wien, Niederösterreich. He studied with Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke (1819–1892) in Vienna, and in 1863 became a professor of phy ...

(1834–1903), Austrian

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

and histologist **

Georg Anton Rollett Georg Anton Rollett (2 August 1778 – 19 March 1842) was an Austrian naturalist and physician born in Baden bei Wien, Niederösterreich. He was the father of poet Hermann Rollett (1819-1904). In 1795 he began his medical studies at the Vienna G ...

(1778–1842), Austrian collector, natural scientist and doctor

Hermann Rollett Hermann or Herrmann may refer to: * Hermann (name), list of people with this name * Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language * Éditions Hermann, French publisher * Hermann, Miss ...

(1819–1904), Vormärz-poet,

writer on art A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, plays ...

, archivist of the city *

Herbert Schambeck Herbert Schambeck (12 July 1934 – 2 October 2023) was an Austrian legal scholar and politician. A member of the Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party (german: Österreichische Volkspartei , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and ...

(born 1934),

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

Karin Scheele Karin Scheele (born July 22, 1968 in Baden bei Wien) is an Austrian social democratic politician and was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 till 2008.

(born 1968), Austrian

social democratic Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...

politician and previously a member of the European Parliament * Katharina Schratt (1853–1940), actress *

Anton Maria Schwartz Anton Maria Schwartz (28 February 1852 – 15 September 1929), born Anton Schwartz, was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Congregation of the Christian Workers of Saint Joseph Calasanz. He entered the novitiate of the Piari ...

(1852–1929), Catholic priest * Rudolf Steinboeck (1908–1996), actor, director *

Marlene Streeruwitz Marlene Streeruwitz (born 28 June 1950) is an Austrian playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. Biography Born in Baden bei Wien in 1950, Streeruwitz was raised in a well-to-do family. Her father was a politician and later became mayor ...

(born 1950), writer *

Theodor Tomandl Theodor is a masculine given name. It is a German form of Theodore. It is also a variant of Teodor. List of people with the given name Theodor * Theodor Adorno, (1903–1969), German philosopher * Theodor Aman, Romanian painter * Theodor Blue ...

(born 1933), Austrian jurisprudent *

Carl Ignaz Umlauf Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

(1824–1902), composer, teacher * Thomas Vanek (born 1984), retired professional ice hockey player who mostly played in the NHL * Ignaz Vitzthumb (Witzthumb) (1724–1816, Brussels), Austrian composer; acted in the Austrian Netherlands * Erik Werba (1918–1992), Austrian pianist, composer and academic teacherErik Werba
oxfordreference.com *

Ralph Wiener Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

(born 1924), '' Kabarettist'', author *

Elisabeth Woska Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

(born 1938), actress

Residents

Karel Komzák II Karel Komzák II (8 November 1850 – 23 April 1905) was a Bohemian-born Viennese composer famous for his dances and marches. He composed the '' Erzherzog-Albrecht-Marsch''. Komzák was born in Prague in 1850. After training under his father ...

(1850–1905), Czech-Austrian composer * Michael Korobkov (born 1957), nobleman, philanthropist and businessman; CEO of IMM Birest International * Sigi Maron (1944–2016), singer-songwriter *

Mirabehn Madeleine Slade (22 November 1892 – 20 July 1982), also known as Mirabehn or Meera Behn, was a British supporter of the Indian Independence Movement who in the 1920s left her home in England to live and work with Mahatma Gandhi. She devoted h ...

(1892–1982), Indian freedom fighter * Hans-Joachim Roedelius (born 1934), German experimental, ambient and electronic musician

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *Harald Salfellner, Julius Silver: ''The Imperial City of Baden bei Wien.'' Vitalis, Prague 2017, .