Baden (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

), is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, B ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

. Located about south of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, 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 A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

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 __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 Großkrottenb ...

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 Großkrottenb ...

(') in the Vienna Woods (') range. It takes its name from the area's 14

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

s, 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

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

s, 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 ...

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 Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

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 style according to plans by architect

Joseph Kornhäusel Josef Georg Kornhäusel (13 November 1782, in Vienna - 31 October 1860, in Vienna) was an Austrian architect of the first half of the 19th century. He primarily employed the contemporary style of Neoclassical architecture, moving to the Biederme ...

, 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 en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

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 popula ...

, 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 Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

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-resistan ...

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

The town boasted a theater, military hospital, and

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

, all constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The City Theater (') was built in 1909 by

Ferdinand Fellner Ferdinand Fellner (19 April 1847 – 22 March 1916) was an Austrian architect. Biography Fellner joined his ailing father's architecture firm at the age of nineteen. After his death he founded the architecture studio Fellner & Helmer together w ...

. By the time of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, 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 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Baden served as the headquarters of

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

forces within occupied Austria until 1955.

Transport

Baden can be reached by the Süd Autobahn (A2). It has two rail stations: the Baden railway station for

S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...

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 on ...

tram-train.

Government

Kurt Staska ( ÖVP) was Baden's

Bürgermeister Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...

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 Austrians, Austrian stage and film actor whose career began in the late 1910s. Early life and career Louis V. Arco was born in Baden bei Wien, Baden, Austria-Hungary (now ...

(born ''Lutz Altschul''; 1899–1975), Austrian actor * Vincent Bach (1890–1976), virtuoso trumpeter and brass instrument maker * (Maximilian) Hugo Bettauer (1872–1925), Austrian writer * Caterina Canzi (1805–1890), opera singer * Mario Dorner (born 1970), football player * Willi End (1921–2013), Austrian

mountaineer Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

* Lucie Englisch (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 and film actress.Rogowski p.326 She appeared in a number of supporting roles during the silent and early sound era. Selected filmography * '' Oh, Dear Augustine'' (1922) * '' ...

(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 A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

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 * ''Nata ...

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

* Georg Michael Höllering (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 ...

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

tenor, gramophone/record- and

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

singer *

Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner (; 14 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He distinguished the main blood groups in 1900, having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from ...

(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, carbohydrates ...

* Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007), 5th child of Kaiser Karl I von Österreich and Kaiserin Zita * Heinrich von Lützow (1852–1935) Austro-Hungarian diplomat *

Hertha Martin Hertha may refer to: Sports clubs * Hertha BSC, a German football club *Hertha Zehlendorf, a German football club *CFC Hertha 06, a German sports club *ASV Hertha Wien, a defunct Austrian German football club *FC Hertha Wiesbach, a German footbal ...

(born 1930), Austrian actress *

Heribert Meisel Heribert is a Germanic given name, derived from ''hari'' ("host") and ''beraht'' ("bright"). See also Herbert, another given name with the same roots. * Charibert of Laon (died before 762), also spelled Heribert, Count of Laon and maternal grandf ...

(1920–1966), a legendary Austrian sport-journalist and sport-presenter of the ORF and ZDF * Maximilian Melcher (1922–2002), artist and lecturer *

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 p ...

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

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

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 Baden rainermuseum

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 A ...

(1869–1957), composer * Karl Pfeifer (born 1928), Austrian journalist *

Arnulf Rainer Arnulf Rainer (born 8 December 1929) is an Austrian painter noted for his abstract informal art. Rainer was born in Baden, Austria. During his early years, Rainer was influenced by Surrealism. In 1950, he founded the ''Hundsgruppe'' (''dog gro ...

(born 1929), Austrian painter *

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born theatre and film director, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he is regarded as one of the most pr ...

(''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 perform ...

* Franz Josef Reinl (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 modernist ...

(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 Georg Anton Rollett (2 August 1778 – 19 ...

family: ** Alexander Rollett (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 chemica ...

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 ...

(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, pla ...

archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can consi ...

of the city * Herbert Schambeck (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 U ...

* Karin Scheele (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 so ...

politician and previously a member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the Legislature, legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven Institutions of the European Union, institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and in ...

* Katharina Schratt (1853–1940), actress * Anton Maria Schwartz (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 (born 1933), Austrian jurisprudent * Carl Ignaz Umlauf (1824–1902), composer, teacher * Thomas Vanek (born 1984), retired professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

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 (born 1924), '' Kabarettist'', author * Elisabeth Woska (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 fathe ...

(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 (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, .