Wiener Neustadt

Wiener Neustadt is a city in the southern part of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It lies about 50 kilometres south of Vienna, the capital of Austria. As a self-governed city, it also serves as the seat of the district administration for the Wiener Neustadt-Land District.

One of the most important features of Wiener Neustadt is its historic military academy. The city is home to the Theresian Military Academy, which was founded by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in 1751. This academy has a long history of training officers for the Austrian army and is one of the oldest military schools in the world.

History

The area around Wiener Neustadt was once part of the County of Pitten. In 1194, Duke Leopold V of Austria established the town called Neustadt and built a fortress near the Hungarian border. Over the years, Wiener Neustadt grew and became important. In the 15th century, Emperor Frederick III lived there and built a diocese. The town also had a Jewish community until it was later expelled.

Wiener Neustadt faced challenges, such as raids and wars, but continued to grow. In 1751, Empress Maria Theresa founded the first Military Academy there. The city became an industrial center in the 19th century after a fire and the opening of a railway. During World War II, the city suffered from bombings that damaged many buildings.

Climate

The city has cool temperatures most of the year. In the summer, it usually gets warm, around 21 to 26 °C (70 to 79 °F). In the winter, it stays just above freezing during the day.

Main sights

Wiener Neustadt has many interesting places to see. One important building is the Late-Romanesque cathedral, known as the Dom, which was finished in 1279 and built between 1469 and 1785. Its choir and transept are in Gothic style from the 14th century.

Another notable site is the former church of St. Peter an der Sperr, built in the 13th century and changed in the mid-15th century. It is now used for exhibitions.

The Theresian Military Academy started as a 13th-century castle. It was enlarged in the mid-15th century and later became the home of the Academy in 1752. Though it was destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt to look like it did before.

Other sights include a water tower, the Tower of Tortures which now holds a private weapons collection, and Mariensäule, a plague column in the main square. You can also visit the Church of the Capuchins, the city's medieval walls, and several museums such as the Communal Museum of Wiener Neustadt, an aviation museum, an industrial museum, a hospital museum, and a mineralogical museum. The Casemate, a medieval fortification, has been partly reconstructed and opened to visitors.

Transportation

Wiener Neustadt Hauptbahnhof, the main station, is on the Südbahn (southern railway) and several regional railways. It is owned and operated by the ÖBB and is the busiest railway station in Lower Austria. There are also two additional S-Bahn stations and one regional train station in the city. The city lies on the A2 Süd Autobahn and the S4 Mattersburger Schnellstraße.

The city has a bus network with 11 lines that operate within the city and connect it to nearby villages.

Wiener Neustadt has two airfields: the military Wiener Neustadt West Airport, the first airfield in Austria, and the civilian Wiener Neustadt East Airport. However, there are no regular flights from these airports. The nearest major airport is Vienna Airport, located 66 km northeast of Wiener Neustadt, and it can be reached by train, bus, and car.

The city is also the starting point of Austria's only shipping canal, the Wiener Neustadt Canal, which was intended to reach Trieste but was never finished.

Politics

The city of Wiener Neustadt holds elections to choose its leaders. In January 2020, people voted for representatives in the municipal council. The results were:

• ÖVP won 19 seats
• SPÖ won 11 seats
• FPÖ won 6 seats
• The Greens – The Green Alternative won 4 seats

In total, there are 40 seats in the council.

Over the years, several people have served as mayors of Wiener Neustadt, including Johann Roll, Rudolf Wehrl, Hans Barwitzius, Gustav Kraupa, Peter Wittmann, Traude Dierdorf, Bernhard Müller, and Klaus Schneeberger, who has been mayor since 2015.

University, professional schools, vocational academies

Austria's first and largest school for business and engineering, the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, is located in Wiener Neustadt. This school is known for teaching practical skills in these areas.

City partnerships

Wiener Neustadt has friendly connections with cities in other countries. These include Monheim am Rhein in Germany, Desenzano del Garda in Italy, and Harbin in China. These partnerships help the cities learn from each other and work together.

Development of the city

The newest part of the city is called Civitas Nova, which means "new city" in Latin. This area is planned to be a special place for factories, research, and business. In 2015, a center for treating serious illnesses was opened there. It uses a special kind of treatment called ion therapy and is named MedAustron.

Culture

In 1996, Wiener Neustadt became known around the world when a special sidewalk designed by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata was built around its main square. The city was also planned to host a big music event called the European part of Woodstock '99 in July 1999, expecting up to 300,000 people, but the event was canceled.

Sport

Wiener Neustadt is a place where many sports happen. There is a football team that used to play at a stadium before it was replaced by a new arena in 2019.

The same stadium once hosted important speedway races, including world championship rounds. After speedway stopped there, a smaller track was used nearby in Eggendorf.

The city has a fun baseball and softball team called the "Diving Ducks". They have teams for different ages, from young kids to adults.

Other sports events have taken place in Wiener Neustadt too, like horseback jumping competitions for young riders, rounds of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, handball games, and swimming at the Aqua Arena.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Wiener Neustadt

Wiener Neustadt has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some well-known individuals include Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, a powerful leader from the past, and Israel Isserlein, an important rabbi from the 15th century.

Other notable figures are Queen Mariana of Spain, Johanna Beisteiner a classical guitarist, Thérèse de Dillmont who wrote about textiles, and Joseph Matthias Hauer a composer. The city is also the workplace of Irfan Skiljan, the creator of IrfanView, and the home of famous film director Michael Haneke, as well as top athletes like table tennis player Werner Schlager and tennis players Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak.

Neighbouring municipalities

Wiener Neustadt has several nearby towns and villages. Some of these places are Theresienfeld, Neudörfl, Lichtenwörth, Katzelsdorf, Weikersdorf am Steinfelde, and Bad Fischau-Brunn. These places are close to each other and part of the same area.