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Döbling () is the 19th
district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
in the city of
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Austria (). It is located in the north of Vienna, north of the districts
Alsergrund Alsergrund (; ) is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. As a central district, the area is densely populated. Accor ...
and
Währing Währing () is the 18th Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna and lies in northwestern Vienna on the edge of the Vienna Woods. It was formed in 1892 from the unification of the older suburbs of Währing, Weinhaus, Gersthof, Pötzleinsdorf, Neus ...
. Döbling has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings, and borders the
Vienna Woods The Vienna Woods (, ) are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The and range of hills is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese ...
. Statistik Austria, 2008, website: (in German: population is "Einwohner"). Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). It includes some of the most expensive residential areas such as
Grinzing Grinzing () was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography Location Grinzing lies in the northwest of Vienna and, with an ...
,
Sievering Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden. For many y ...
, and Neustift am Walde, and is home to many '' Heurigen'' taverns. There are some large '' Gemeindebauten'', including Vienna's most famous, the
Karl-Marx-Hof Karl-Marx-Hof (English: ''Karl Marx Court'') is a ''Gemeindebau'' (English: ''municipal housing complex'') in Vienna, situated in Heiligenstadt, Vienna, Heiligenstadt, a neighbourhood of the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. At in length an ...
.


Geography


Location

Döbling is located in the northwest of
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and spans the slope of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) to the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
and the ''Donaukanal'' () that make up the border of the district in the east. The Danube forms the border between Döbling and the district Floridsdorf, and the Canal forms the border to the district Brigittenau. At the Gürtel Bridge, crossing the Donaukanal, the district border turns southwest and separates Döbling in the south along Gürtel Road () from the district
Alsergrund Alsergrund (; ) is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. As a central district, the area is densely populated. Accor ...
. At Schrottenbachgasse the district turns towards the northwest and separates Döbling from the district
Währing Währing () is the 18th Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna and lies in northwestern Vienna on the edge of the Vienna Woods. It was formed in 1892 from the unification of the older suburbs of Währing, Weinhaus, Gersthof, Pötzleinsdorf, Neus ...
along the line Währinger Park–Hasenauerstraße–Peter-Jordan-Straße–Starkfriedgasse–Sommerhaidenweg. There is then a short stretch of border to the district Hernals at the edge of Vienna. In the northwest, the district borders on the municipality of
Klosterneuburg Klosterneuburg () is a town in the Tulln District of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Frequently abbreviated to Kloburg by locals, it has a population of about 27,500. The Stift Klosterneuburg ( Klosterneuburg Monastery), which was establish ...
,
Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
. Nearly 32.6% of the Döbling district area is urban (compared to Vienna citywide as 33.3%). Of this, 85.2% is for housing, whilst only 2.2% of the district is taken up by businesses, which is very low compared to other districts (Vienna 7.6%). With 51.8% of the district green space (48.3% for Vienna), Döbling is the fifth greenest district of Vienna. Agricultural land accounts for 14.9% of district land, with
vineyards A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
playing the biggest role around
Grinzing Grinzing () was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography Location Grinzing lies in the northwest of Vienna and, with an ...
, Nußdorf,
Sievering Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden. For many y ...
, Neustift am Walde, and Salmannsdorf. A further 25.4% of the district is
forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
ed, plus 5.3% for meadows, 2.7% for small gardens, 2.5% for parks, and 0.9% as sports and recreational areas. Of the remaining district territory, 11.0% is taken up by transportation and 4.6% by bodies of water. While the proportion of water is higher in relation to the whole city of Vienna, the proportion of transportation is lower.


Hills

Since the
Vienna Woods The Vienna Woods (, ) are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The and range of hills is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese ...
make up a large portion of Döbling, numerous forested hills of Vienna are located within the district limits. Many lie on the border with
Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
and the neighboring districts. The highest summit is Hermannskogel (542 m, 1778 ft;) with an outlook tower; however, the symbols of Döbling are
Kahlenberg The Kahlenberg () is a hill () located in the 19th District of Vienna, Austria ( Döbling). General The Kahlenberg lies in the Vienna Woods and is one of the most popular destinations for day-trips from Vienna, offering a view over the entir ...
(484 m, 1588 ft) with an outlook and a radio mast, and nearby Leopoldsberg (427 m, 1401 ft). Other hills in this region are: Reisenberg, Latisberg, Vogelsangberg, Dreimarkstein, and Nussberg. Besides, there are hills in partially built-up areas in Döbling, such as Hohe Warte in Heiligenstadt, Hungerberg in
Grinzing Grinzing () was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography Location Grinzing lies in the northwest of Vienna and, with an ...
, and Hackenberg in
Sievering Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden. For many y ...
.


Watercourses

In the district zone, numerous streams originate, but now are mostly canalized or led underground in pipes. Originally they all flowed, with the exception of the Waldbach (forest stream), into the Danube Canal. Because the catchment areas of the streams lie in the sandstone zone of the Viennese forest, the streams can and were able to swell to a multiple of their normal water quantity, leading again and again to destructive flood waters, especially along the Krottenbach. Krottenbach was the most important stream in Döbling, and is now almost entirely led in pipes. In the area behind Billrothstraße Federal Secondary School, it absorbs the Arbesbach (Erbsenbach) stream that runs through Sievering, in its upper reaches still flowing openly until Obersievering. Nesselbach passes to the Krapfenwaldl openly, before it unites underground with the Reisenbergbach stream in Grinzing. Reisenbergbach stream passes openly until shortly before the center of Grinzing. Almost entirely in the open, the Schreiberbach stream passes up to Nußdorf, as does the Waldbach stream at Kahlenbergerdorf. The Döblinger Bach stream that originally sprang in the ''Cottage'' area and flowed into the Danube Canal at Spittelau has entirely disappeared because its water has been diverted.


District sectors

Döbling was composed of these formerly independent municipalities:


History


Etymology

Döbling was first mentioned in 1114 as ''"de Teopilic"''. The name derives from the Slavic ''* topl'ika'' ("swampy waters" or "swampy place"). The name "Döbling" relates to the lake of the Krottenbach stream, while further possibility of interpretation derives from Old Slavic ''Toplica'' ( "warm stream"). Later spellings of the place-name were for example ''Toblich'', ''Töbling'' and ''Tepling''. In the formation of the district 1890/92, the name was finally "Döbling", from the largest municipality, Oberdöbling, in the incorporated district.


Döbling in antiquity

The district Döbling had been inhabited over 5,000 years ago, with the area Döbling– NußdorfHeiligenstadt (aside from the area
Simmering Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil, ...
- Landstraße) probably as oldest settlement area in the Vienna area. Known is that on the Leopoldsberg hill, an armed village with a fortified tower existed where the inhabitants of surrounding villages took refuge in the case of risk. Little is known about the residents of that time; science refers to them as members of "Donauländische" (Danube-land) culture. They were not, however, Indo-Germanic. Indo-European peoples only arrived into the Vienna area one thousand years later, when the resident population mixed with the immigrant
Illyrians The Illyrians (, ; ) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan populations, alon ...
and
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
people. In the last years of the 1st century BC, the Vienna area became part of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. Starting in 9 AD, it belonged to Pannonia province. The activities of the Romans, at the current site of Döbling, are documented by several findings, such as: in Heiligenstadt, a fortified tower of the ''limes'' (border wall); in
Sievering Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden. For many y ...
, a
Mithraeum A Mithraeum , sometimes spelled Mithreum and Mithraion (), is a Roman temple, temple erected in classical antiquity by the Mithraism, worshippers of Mithras. Most Mithraea can be dated between 100 BC and 300 AD, mostly in the Roman ...
temple was found; and excavations in Heiligenstadt's church revealed a Roman cemetery. In Sievering, a great
quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...
existed in Roman times, with a large worker settlement. A major source of subsistence of the population was wine growing, which presumably already had been done before the Romans arrived. Otherwise, the people practised agriculture for their own needs.


Döbling in the Middle Ages

After the Romans left, little is known about further development of the villages in the area. The first mentions of the villages date back to the 12th century. Gradually, the later communities of Unterdöbling, Oberdöbling, Heiligenstadt, Nussdorf, Sievering, Kahlenbergerdorf, Josefsdorf, Salmannsdorf, and Neustift am Walde formed in the district area. There were also other settlements at times. In the 13th century there was a place called ''Chlaitzing (Glanzing)'' on the south-west slope of Hackenberg, about which only vineyards but no houses were mentioned in 1330. Along Hackhofergasse there was a small, one-line street village called ''Altes Urfar''. Finally, there was even a place called ''Kogelbrunn'' on Hermannskogel in 1200, which was last mentioned in 1417.


Döbling in the Modern Era

The villages of Döbling were devastated several times during modern times. When the siege of Vienna by the army of
Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...
began in 1482, his soldiers also plundered the surrounding villages. In 1529, too, Turkish soldiers overran the villages of Döbling during the first Turkish siege of Vienna, killing numerous residents and kidnapping many as slaves. However, while the churches were looted, most of the villages survived. The
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
also brought economic hardship. The slump in wine exports and the tax increases led to a severe impoverishment of the population. The great plague epidemic in 1679 claimed just as many victims in the villages as the second Turkish siege of Vienna that began in the summer of 1683. On July 13, the Ottoman vanguard, the Tatars, stormed and plundered the villages of Döbling. The liberation of Vienna was ultimately decided in the Battle of Kahlenberg on September 12, when the relief army, led by Jan Sobieski, advanced over the heights of the Vienna Woods in the rear of the Turkish besiegers. In 1713 the plague came to Vienna again, with the towns of Sievering and Grinzing being particularly hard hit. While the numerous destructions and victims of the plague had hampered the development of the district area for a long time, a steady rise began in the second half of the 18th century. Due to the hilly terrain, large forested areas spread between the creeks and villages throughout the district, used as hunting grounds by the nobility. The topology also attracted
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
growers. This combination increased the prosperity of the suburb, as noblemen built villas and hunting lodges whilst the burghers of Vienna relaxed at the '' Heurigen'' wine-gardens. The existing villages expanded, as the population increased. Oberdöbling in particular became attractive for the nobility and the Viennese citizens. Those who could afford it built a second home here. Similar to Hietzing, which benefited from its proximity to Schönbrunn Palace, the cornerstone for a special development of the suburb was laid here. Between 1765 and 1786, five new streets were built in Oberdöbling and four hunting lodges were built in what is now the area of the district. The abolition of numerous orders by Joseph II also had an effect on the manors in Döbling. The confiscated assets of the
Camaldolese The Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona () are a Catholic Church, Catholic monastic order of pontifical right for men founded by Romuald, St. Romuald. Its name is derived from the Holy Hermitage () in Camaldoli, high in the mountains of Tuscany, ...
(Kahlenberg), the Tulln nunnery (Oberdöbling) and the Gaming monastery (Untersievering) were used to set up the parishes of Nussdorf and Grinzing as well as the creation of the Döbling cemetery could be financed. The town of Josefsdorf also owes its existence to the abolition of the Camaldolese monastery on Kahlenberg. Through the parish reform of Joseph II, the parishes of Oberdöbling, Nussdorf and Neustift am Walde, which were now independent of Heiligenstadt, gained their independence.


Döbling in the 19th century

The
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
brought difficult times for the region. After the victory in the
Battle of Ulm The Battle of Ulm on 16–19 October 1805 was a series of skirmishes, at the end of the Ulm Campaign, which allowed Napoleon I to trap an entire Austrian army under the command of Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich with minimal losses and to f ...
in 1805, the French army advanced to Vienna and the soldiers plundered the villages. Following the failed campaign against Bavaria, the French advanced again to Vienna in 1809, and so the communities were plundered again and had to feed the French soldiers. After the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
, the regular surveying of the Döbling area began. The operations lasted from 1817 to 1819 and ended with the introduction of the cadastral communities and the fixing of the borders between the localities. The growth now ensured an initial upswing in trade and industry in the rural villages. At the same time, the villages of Döbling became popular excursion destinations for the Viennese. Above all, the ''Heurigen'' taverns and the Nussdorf brewery attracted visitors from Vienna and its suburbs. During the
Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire The revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire took place from March 1848 to November 1849. Much of the revolutionary activity had a nationalism, nationalist character: the Austrian Empire, ruled from Vienna, included ethnic Germans, Hungarians, ...
, Döbling remained on the fringes of events. On October 20, 1848, the district area was occupied by imperial troops, who built a bridge across the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
from Nussdorf and shelled the opposite bank. In the middle of the 19th century, the increasing popularity of summer resorts caused a real growth boom in the villages of Döbling. Due to the now additional need for living space, numerous residential buildings were built, and the population of the villages almost tripled within just forty years. This also led to a modernization of the infrastructure. The first gas lanterns were installed in Döbling in the mid-19th century, and the Döbling gasworks, built in 1856, supplied the area with gas.


Döbling becomes a district of Vienna

The 19th district of Vienna, Döbling, was founded at the end of the 19th century. While the suburbs of Vienna had already been incorporated in 1850, the discussion about the incorporation of the exurb localities also began in the 1870s. Although these towns opposed this step, the Landtag of Lower Austrian (the state parliament) decided to unify Vienna with its exurb areas after Emperor
Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...
had announced this wish in 1888 in a speech that caused a stir in Währing. The corresponding law of December 19, 1890 was implemented by January 1, 1892 and united Unterdöbling, Oberdöbling, Grinzing (up to the crest of the Wienerwald, the rest becoming part of Weidling), Heiligenstadt, Nussdorf, Sievering, Kahlenbergerdorf (with the exception of the northern part of the mountain that was appended to Klosterneuburg), Josefsdorf and part of Weidling (Fischerhaus, Jägerwiese, Schutzhaus Hermannskogel) into the 19th district of Vienna. Due to the size of Oberdöbling, which had almost as many inhabitants as the rest of the district, there was no discussion about the name of the new district, Döbling. By that time, the places in the district had also largely grown together.


Döbling up to Second World War

The development of the area between Döbling and Währing had already begun in 1872. An elegant residential area emerged, the so-called first "Viennese Cottage". Döbling developed as a district for the prosperous middle and upper class. On the other hand, the area between Heiligenstädter Strasse and the Danube Canal was dedicated as an industrial area. By 1895, the canalisation of the Döbling streams was also completed. They no longer flowed into the Danube Canal, but into the main collection sewer, which ran parallel to the Danube Canal. The creeks now largely disappeared from the surface and were used as creek channels to improve the sewage system. After the completion of the Second Viennese spring water pipeline in 1910, most of the houses were also connected to the water pipeline. Previously people had only been supplied with water from wells and drinking water trucks. The gas supply for the district area had already begun in 1856 through the ICGA gasworks, an English company. In 1911 the City of Vienna took over the supply and the works in Oberdöbling were demolished. After the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the creation of affordable and adequate living space became extremely important, which is why the city government—now dominated by the
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
—began building cheap municipal housing in huge numbers throughout the city and also in Döbling. In 1923, the first municipal residential building ''( Gemeindebau)'' with 60 apartments was built in Schegargasse, and by 1930 the city had invested in the construction of 2,801 apartments. The largest and best-known project was
Karl-Marx-Hof Karl-Marx-Hof (English: ''Karl Marx Court'') is a ''Gemeindebau'' (English: ''municipal housing complex'') in Vienna, situated in Heiligenstadt, Vienna, Heiligenstadt, a neighbourhood of the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. At in length an ...
, stretching for 1.1 km (0.68 mi) between Heiligenstädter Strasse and Franz Joseph Railway. In addition, the Social Democrats tried to improve social welfare through numerous institutions. Fighting during the February Uprising in 1934 was particularly heavy in the district. The main battle area was Karl-Marx-Hof. The building was shelled with artillery for two days, and three other municipal buildings were stormed by army forces. After the uprising was crushed, the Social Democratic Party was banned and the previously Social Democratic District Director of Döbling was removed from office. In order to alleviate unemployment caused by the
Great depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the federal government began building ''Wiener Höhenstraße'' in 1934. The road led from Cobenzl to Kahlenberg and then to Klosterneuburg. After National Socialist Germany had annexed Austria in March 1938, the district boundaries of Vienna were reorganized. This also affected Döbling, as Neustift am Walde with Glanzing and Salmannsdorf were transferred from Währing to Döbling. Otherwise, however, the rule of the National Socialists primarily brought suffering to the approximately 4,000
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
in Döbling (7% of the district population). During the November pogroms on November 10, 1938, the Döbling synagogue in Dollergasse 3 was destroyed. The 2,030 registered Jews remaining in Döbling in May 1939 were gradually deported to the
concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...
. During the war, around 5,000 people from Döbling had to enlist, and not much more than half of them returned. Bombings in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
hit the district area for the first time on July 8, 1944. 12% of the 20,960 homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable. The area around the train station in Heiligenstadt and Hohe Warte were particularly hard hit.


Döbling after World War II

On April 8, 1945, Soviet troops, coming from Klosterneuburg, invaded the district via Heiligenstädter Strasse and occupied it completely by April 9. Karl Mark was appointed first District Director of the Second Austrian republic by the army commander. During the following years, the district largely lost its character as a mix of residential areas and workplaces. More and more companies left the district, while the number of apartments rose from 20,000 after the end of the war to 39,608 apartments (2001). This development also meant that two thirds of the district population had to commute to work in other parts of the city or in the surrounding area. The City of Vienna was also significantly active in construction work, building around 7,000 additional municipal flats by 1985. The largest municipal building of the post-war period in Döbling is ''Kopenhagen Hof'' ("Copenhagen courtyard") built between 1956 and 1959 on the former site of Döbling brewery, housing 436 apartments. The ''Krim'', part of Oberdöbling, also experienced a special boom. The once disreputable slum has been developed into a high-quality residential area with its own parish. Another important building is ''Pressehaus'' (press building) in Muthgasse, completed in 1963 (headquarters of Kronen Zeitung). The most important construction project at the moment is construction works on grounds around the Hohe Warte stadium. In the 1990s, the district borders were changed twice: in 1995 concerning borders to the municipal districts of Hernals and Währing, and in 1996 to the district of Brigittenau. The latter border change meant an area gain for Döbling, which since then borders directly on the Danube Canal.


Demography


Population development

In 1832, 6,438 people lived in the district area. Due to the growth of the suburbs in the 19th century, the population doubled within 20 years and tripled by 1890. The number of residents continued to rise sharply until the First World War and after the war further increased due to the construction of municipal housing. Residential construction ensured growth in the district up until the 1980s. After that, the district population began to decrease slightly due to the increased housing needs until 2001, and since then has increased slightly again in the Vienna-wide trend, to 69,924 inhabitants at the beginning of 2015.


Population structure

The Döbling population is significantly older than the Viennese average. The proportion of people who are 60 years and older is very high at 29.9%; in the overall city area this proportion is only 22.2%. One reason for Döbling's aging population is the high proportion of retirement homes in Döbling. The proportion of women in the population is also above average at 55.1% (in Vienna it is only 52.4%).


Origin and language

The proportion of Döbling residents with foreign citizenship was 13.1% in 2003, around 4 percentage points below the Vienna average. 2% of Döbling residents were citizens of
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
or
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
, 1.6% were German citizens. They are followed by Turks (1.2%) as well as
Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...
,
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
,
Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
, and
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
, but their share of the population is only between 0.5 and 0.3%. In total, around 20% of Döbling residents were born in another country in 2001, which is why only 82.8% of Döblingers said
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
was their everyday language. Another 2.8% spoke mainly Serbian, 1.6% Turkish, 1.2% Croatian, and 1.1% Hungarian.


Religious preferences

The distribution of religious preferences of the population in the 19th District, in 2001, differed most from the average in Vienna. With 55.7% of residents being
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(Vienna: 49.2%), it is the second highest of all districts of Vienna. There are 11 districts of Roman Catholic parishes, which together constitute the City Deanery 19 ''(Stadtdekanat 19)''. Also, the percentage of people with Protestant religion reached 6.5%, as one of the highest portions among the districts in Vienna. The proportion of people adhering to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
are 4.0%, and 3.2% for
Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
. About 23.8% said they had no religious denomination.


Politics

In the 2020 District Council elections ''(Bezirksvertretungswahl)'' the
ÖVP The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...
won 36.9% of the vote. Second came the
SPÖ The Social Democratic Party of Austria ( , SPÖ) is a social democratic political party in Austria. Founded in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (, SDAPÖ) and later known as the Socialist Party of Austria () from 1945 unt ...
, with 26.9%.
The Greens The Greens or Greens may refer to: Current political parties *The Greens – The Green Alternative, Austria *Australian Greens, also known as ''The Greens'' * Greens of Andorra * The Greens (Benin) *The Greens (Bulgaria) * Greens of Bosnia and He ...
won 16.0%, NEOS 9.8%, and the
FPÖ The Freedom Party of Austria (, FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, variously described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. It is the largest of five par ...
5.1%. Of the 48 seats in the District Council, ÖVP gained 19 seats, SPÖ 14, The Greens 8, NEOS 5, and FPÖ 2. Other parties won less than 2% each and gained no seats in the Council. District Director is Daniel Resch, of ÖVP.


Economy and infrastructure


Economy history

For centuries, the economy of the district area was shaped by viticulture. Until the second half of the 19th century, the livelihood of the residents was based on the cultivation and sale of wine. In addition, milk, eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables were delivered to Vienna. There were smaller mills along the streams and windmills on the hills. The Sievering quarry, which was under the authority of the Vienna municipal authority, was also of importance. From the middle of the 18th century, the first larger commercial and industrial companies settled in the district area, especially in Nussdorf, Heiligenstadt, and Oberdöbling. From 1800 a number of companies in the textile, leather and chemical industries emerged. Breweries were also founded in Grinzing, Nussdorf and Oberdöbling in the first half of the 19th century, with the one in Nussdorf in particular experiencing a significant boom. Dairy farming remained important until the First World War, after which this branch of the economy disappeared rapidly. Instead, the importance of ''Heurigen'' inns increased. In contrast to those in the surrounding districts, these were able persist, also because the steep terrain in Döbling was less suitable for construction. From the beginning of the 20th century, the Gräf & Stift automobile factory in Sievering was one of the most important industrial production companies. In Unterdöbling the Zacherl insect powder factory gained great significance. Another important company was the Heinrich machine factory in Heiligenstadt. After the Second World War, the characteristics of the district changed. More and more manufacturing companies (including Inführ Sekt, which moved to Klosterneuburg) left the district. The Kattus and Schlumberger sparkling wine producers are among the best-known companies that still exist. There are two markets in Döbling, Nussdorfer Markt and Sonnbergmarkt. Q19 Döbling
shopping centre A shopping center in American English, shopping centre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, spelling differences), shopping complex, shopping arcade, ...
is located in Heiligenstadt near Heiligenstadt railway and subway station.


Traffic


Public transport

Public transport in Döbling was established in 1811 when a ''Stellwagen'' trolley line between Freyung and the Heiligenstadt baths went into service. Other lines to Oberdöbling, Grinzing and Sievering followed. The ''Stellwagen'' were horse-drawn wagons with about a dozen seats. In 1869 Oberdöbling was connected to Vienna by the fifth line of the ''Wiener Pferdetramway'' (Vienna Horsetram); further lines followed. These lines were adapted to electric traction in the first years of the 20th century. Between 1885 and 1903 a steam tramway also ran from the Döblinger Gürtel to Nussdorf. In 1874 a rack railway was opened from Nussdorf on the Kahlenberg, followed in 1898 by the opening of the '' Wiener Stadtbahn'' (then a steam powered railway line) with stations in Ober-Döbling, Unterdöbling and Heiligenstadt. The most important connections by Wiener Linien in the district today are
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
lines 37 (Hohe Warte), 38 (Grinzing) and D (Nussdorf) as well as the bus lines 35A (Salmannsdorf), 38A (Kahlenberg), 39A (Sievering) and 40A (Döblinger Friedhof). In addition, since 1976 Döbling has had a stake in the U4 subway line (Heiligenstadt), with Heiligenstadt railway and
subway station A metro station or subway station is a train station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase Train ticket, tickets, board trains, and Emerg ...
becoming an important rail and bus junction in the direction of Klosterneuburg. Döbling also has a connection to the S45
S-Bahn The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
line via Heiligenstadt and the Oberdöbling and Krottenbachstrasse stations.


Road traffic

The paving of the streets in the area began on a large scale in the last third of the 19th century and continued after the founding of the district. Many trees and avenues were sacrificed to road construction. The most famous street in Döbling is the Höhenstrasse ascending to Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg. Important connecting and thoroughfare roads are Krottenbachstrasse, Billrothstrasse, Döblinger Hauptstrasse, Heiligenstädter Strasse, Grinzinger Strasse and Sieveringer Strasse.


Air traffic

After the Second World War, there was a US Army airfield of the along the Danube Canal, which was closed in 1955.


Health services

Private hospitals in Döbling are: * Rudolfinerhaus, in Billrothstrasse; * Privatklinik Döbling, in Heiligenstädter Strasse.


Education


Primary and secondary schools

In Döbling, there are various public as well as private primary schools and lower secondary schools ( Hauptschulen and
Middle schools Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
). There is also the privately run Training Institute for Kindergarten Education ''(Bildungsanstalt für Kindergartenpädagogik)'' "Maria Regina". As of grammar schools, in 1890 only the ''Communal-Gymnasium'' in Gymnasiumstrasse existed. In 1914, the ''Staats-Realschule'' in Krottenbachstrasse was opened and in later years two more gymnasiums in Billrothstrasse went into service. Three schools offer the Vienna Bilingual Schooling educational program, namely Volksschule (primary school) Grinzinger Strasse, Hauptschule In der Krim, and secondary level of Realgymnasium Krottenbachstrasse. In Salmannsdorf,
American International School Vienna The American International School Vienna (AISV) is a non-profit international school in Vienna, Austria. AIS Vienna is accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges, USA, and the Council of International Schools, and is rec ...
is a private school offering education especially for pupils of foreign countries from pre-kindergarten to high school level. A branch of the City of Vienna Music School is operated in Döblinger Hauptstrasse.


Higher education

University institutions settled in the district at the end of the 19th century. In 1896, what was later to be the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna was opened on Linnéplatz. In 1916 the k.k. Export Academy, which had been founded in 1898, was moved to Franz-Klein-Gasse. It was promoted to University of World Trade in 1919, renamed the
Vienna University of Economics and Business The Vienna University of Economics and Business ( , WU) is a public research university in Vienna, Austria. The university received triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA). History WU was founded on 1 October 1898 as '' k.u.k. Exportakade ...
in 1975 and relocated to the 9th district in 1982. However, some facilities of the University of Economics remained in the building after the university had moved. It is now mainly used by the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
; The Institute for Prehistory and Early History and the Institute for Classical Archeology are located here. The Center for Translation Studies of the University of Vienna is located in the part of the building bordering on Gymnasiumstrasse. In 2007, the Modul University Vienna, a private university of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce with English as the language of instruction, was opened on Kahlenberg.
Lauder Business School Lauder Business School (LBS) was founded in 2003 in Vienna as a fully recognised and government-funded University of Applied Sciences. All degree programs are in line with the Bologna requirements, accredited by the Austrian Agency for Quality Assu ...
, located in Hofzeile, is an English-language
business school A business school is a higher education institution or professional school that teaches courses leading to degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, s ...
, operating as a "University of Applied Sciences" in the Austrian
education system The educational system generally refers to the structure of all institutions and the opportunities for obtaining education within a country. It includes all pre-school institutions, starting from family education, and/or early childhood education ...
.


Adult education

''Wiener Volkshochschulen'' (Vienna Folk high schools) have event centres in Oberdöbling (Gatterburggasse) and Heiligenstadt (Heiligenstädter Strasse). The Vienna public libraries also operate branches nearby.


Notable residents

*
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
(1770–1827), composer (Grinzinger Straße 64; Pfarrplatz 2; Probusgasse 6 (the
Heiligenstadt Testament The Heiligenstadt Testament is a letter written by Ludwig van Beethoven to his brothers Carl and Johann at Heiligenstadt on 6 October 1802. It reflects his despair over his increasing deafness, even his contemplation of suicide, and his continu ...
was drafted here); Döblinger Hauptstraße 92 (Beethoven composed substantial parts of the Eroica Symphony here) *
Elias Canetti Elias Canetti (; 25 July 1905 – 14 August 1994; ; ) was a German-language writer, known as a Literary modernism, modernist novelist, playwright, memoirist, and nonfiction writer. Born in Ruse, Bulgaria, to a Sephardi Jews, Sephardic Jewish fam ...
(1905–1994), writer, Nobel Prize in Literature 1981 (Himmelstraße 30) *
Kurt Gödel Kurt Friedrich Gödel ( ; ; April 28, 1906 – January 14, 1978) was a logician, mathematician, and philosopher. Considered along with Aristotle and Gottlob Frege to be one of the most significant logicians in history, Gödel profoundly ...
(1906–1978), Austrian-American mathematician, logician and philosopher (Himmelstraße 43) *
Mohamed ElBaradei Mohamed Mostafa ElBaradei (, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July 2013 until his resignation on 14 August 2013. He was the Director General of ...
(born 1942), former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Nobel Peace Prize laureate *
Franz Grillparzer Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer (15 January 1791 – 21 January 1872) was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna. He ...
(1791–1872), poet (Grinzinger Straße 64) *
Bruno Kreisky Bruno Kreisky (; 22 January 1911 – 29 July 1990) was an Austrian social democratic politician who served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1966 and as chancellor from 1970 to 1983. Aged 72, he was the oldest chancellor after World War II. Kr ...
(1911, Margareten, Vienna - 1990), former Chancellor of Austria (Armbrustergasse 15) * Joseph Lanner (1801, Neubau, Vienna - 1843), composer (Gymnasiumstraße 87, building demolished in the late 19th century) * Nikolaus Lenau (1802–1850), author * Koloman Moser (1868, Wieden, Vienna - 1918), founding member of the
Vienna Secession The Vienna Secession (; also known as the Union of Austrian Artists or ) is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and architects, including Josef Ho ...
movement * Helmut Qualtinger (1928, Alsergrund, Vienna - 1986), actor *
Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...
(1938–1982), actress *
Johann Strauss I Johann Baptist Strauss I (; ; 14 March 1804 – 25 September 1849), also known as Johann Strauss Sr., the Elder or the Father (), was an Austrian composer of the Romantic music, Romantic Period. He was famous for his light music, namely waltzes, ...
(1804–1849), composer (Dreimarksteingasse 13) *
Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an List of Austrian composers, Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well ...
(1825–1899), composer (Dreimarksteingasse 13) *
István Széchenyi Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (, ; archaically English: Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and writer. Widely considered one of the greatest statesme ...
(1791-1860), Hungarian politician (Oberdöbling asylum) * Hussein bin Talal,
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
of
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
(1935–1999) * Ambros Rieder (1771–1855), composer, organist (born in Döbling) (de) *
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
(1879–1940), Marxist theorist and Bolshevik revolutionary (Rodlergasse 25) * Franz Vranitzky (born 1937), former Austrian Chancellor *
Franz Werfel Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of '' The Forty ...
(writer) and his wife, Alma Mahler-Werfel * Simon Wiesental (1908–2005),
Nazi hunter A Nazi hunter is an individual who tracks down and gathers information on alleged former Nazis, or SS members, and Nazi collaborators who were involved in the Holocaust, typically for use at trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against hum ...
*
Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (; ; 13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, so ...
(1860–1903), composer * Hedwig “Hedy” Kiesler a/k/a Hedy Lamarr (born November 9, 1914; died January 19, 2000), actress, inventor (Peter-Jordan Strasse)


Sights

*
Grinzing Grinzing () was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography Location Grinzing lies in the northwest of Vienna and, with an ...
*
Karl-Marx-Hof Karl-Marx-Hof (English: ''Karl Marx Court'') is a ''Gemeindebau'' (English: ''municipal housing complex'') in Vienna, situated in Heiligenstadt, Vienna, Heiligenstadt, a neighbourhood of the 19th district of Vienna, Döbling. At in length an ...


Sports

First Vienna F.C. are based in the district. Established on 22 August 1894, it is the country's oldest team and has played a notable role in the history of the game in Austria. They play at the Hohe Warte Stadium in Heiligenstadt, home of Vienna Vikings American football team.


Notes


References

* "Wien - 19. Bezirk/Döbling", Wien.gv.at, 2008, webpage (15 subpages)
Wien.gv.at-doebling
(in German). * Werner Filek-Wittinghausen: ''Gut gewerkt in Döbling: Beiträge und Dokumente zur Wirtschaftsgeschichte'' ("Good work in Döbling: Articles and Documents on Economic History").
Bastei The Bastei is a rock formation rising above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ago. They are situa ...
, Vienna 1984, . * Christine Klusacek, Kurt Stimmer: ''Döbling. Vom Gürtel zu den Weinbergen'' ("Döbling: From the Belt to Weinberg Hill"). Vienna 1988, . * Helmut Kretschmer: ''Wiener Bezirkskulturführer: XIX. Döbling'' ("Vienna District Cultural Leader: XIX. Döbling"). Jugend und Volk, Vienna 1982, . * Carola Leitner (Hg.): ''Döbling: Wiens 19. Bezirk in alten Fotografien'' ("Döbling: Vienna's 19th District in Old Photographs"). Ueberreuter, Vienna 2006, . *
Godehard Schwarz Gotthard (or Godehard) (960 – 5 May 1038 AD; ), also known as ''Gothard'' or ''Godehard the Bishop'', was a German bishop venerated as a saint. Life Gotthard was born in 960 near Niederalteich, Niederaltaich in the diocese of Passau. Gotthar ...
: ''Döbling. Zehn historische Spaziergänge durch Wiens 19. Bezirk'' ("Döbling: Ten Historic Walking Tours through Vienna's 19th District"). Vienna 2004, . * Franz Mazanec: ''Wien-Döbling. Frühere Verhältnisse''. Sutton, Erfurt 2005. .


External links

*
Bezirksmuseum Döbling
*

*
wien.at - 19. Bezirk/Döbling
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobling Districts of Vienna