Handleinsberg

Lost for over 200 years, the Handleinsberg stands before you. It’s a tale of rediscovery, a testament to the enduring curiosity of two Döbling residents, Rudolf Ferda and Alfred Hengl. They stumbled upon a forgotten peak, a mountain without a name. Imagine their surprise when a casual hike and a glance at a map revealed a missing piece of Vienna’s landscape. Handleinsberg, as it was once known, had vanished from modern cartography. Ferda, a lifelong student of historical maps, couldn’t let this mystery lie. A chance encounter with an old graphic in the Nussdorf police station revealed the name “Handleinsberg”. A call to the local forester confirmed it. His workers still used the name, a whisper of the past clinging to the slopes. But the official maps, even online giants like Google Maps, were silent on Handleinsberg. Joining forces with his friend Alfred Hengl, a former cartographer, Ferda delved into historical records. They unearthed the Handleinsberg in the “Franziszeischen Kataster” from 1820, a relic of the monarchy’s meticulous surveys. The mountain, higher than both Kahlenberg and Cobenzl, had been erased, its name lost to time. Through their efforts, and the collaboration of modern cartographers, Handleinsberg reappeared in the Freytag and Berndt city atlas of 2022/23. Now officially recognized once more, Handleinsberg stands as the 99th named peak in Vienna. It serves as a reminder that even in a well-mapped city, discoveries can still be made. The forgotten can be remembered.