Did you know that Weissenbach bei Mödling was once its own municipality? Now it is a Katastralgemeinde within Hinterbrühl. We are standing in Weissenbach bei Mödling. This village is about 15 km south of Vienna. It lies in the Föhrenberge in the Wienerwald.
Let’s dive into the story of this place. Weissenbach bei Mödling is one of three Katastralgemeinden of Hinterbrühl. The others are Hinterbrühl and Sparbach. It is also a Zählsprengel meaning a census district.
Weissenbach covers 5.16 square kilometers. That makes it the smallest Katastralgemeinde in Hinterbrühl. A large part of Weissenbach is woodland. About 120 houses stand along the L2095 and L2096 roads. These houses and the hamlet Wassergspreng have around 350 residents. Weissenbach borders Hinterbrühl, Sparbach, Gießhübl, Kaltenleutgeben and Gaaden.
The borders extend quite far. Near Gaaden, the last house before the former paint factory belongs to Weissenbach. The border follows the Mödlinger Straße B11 towards Hinterbrühl. It goes to the entrance leading to the old quarry. The “Haberlsiedlung” houses belong to Weissenbach too. This area is named after the quarry’s former owner. The boundary then crosses the Schweinzerberg towards Hinterbrühl. It cuts through the former Sauerstiftung grounds.
In the north, the Nemecekhütte sits atop the Gießhübler Kuhheide. This hut is also part of Weissenbach. The settlement lies between 280 and 380 meters above sea level. The highest point is the “Hoher Ge” on the Mitterberg. It reaches 530 meters.
In 2012, a land exchange occurred. Perchtoldsdorf and Kaltenleutgeben swapped about 58 hectares. This created a new border. Perchtoldsdorf now shares about 300 meters of border with Weissenbach.
The Weissenbach stream drains the area. It originates in Wassergspreng. It flows into the Mödlingbach in Hinterbrühl. The Weissenbach has a catchment area of over 8 square kilometers. It carries little water in summer. But it can swell during rainy periods. Despite its stable bed, it can flood. Before joining the Mödlingbach it has outflow values of 13 m³/s at HQ30 and 19 m³/s at HQ100.
During the Nazi era, a camp existed here. It housed construction workers, French prisoners of war and Polish forced laborers. They were building the Vienna Outer Ring Motorway. This was located between the Autobahn and Weißenbacherstraße.
Originally, Weissenbach’s residents were farmers and forest workers. In the mid-19th century, mills sprung up along the streams. They harnessed water power. In 1860, the Kühtreiber company established a trimming factory. It used water from the Weissenbach. Later, the Gruber company became a major employer. It remained so until after World War II.
Today, few businesses operate in Weissenbach. Most residents commute to work. Weissenbach has become a residential community. Like Hinterbrühl in the late 19th century, many Viennese have settled here. This is due to the proximity to Vienna and good transport links.
The Vienna Outer Ring Motorway has pros and cons. This once quiet village now experiences constant noise and emissions. The valley crossing at Wassergspreng shapes the landscape. Construction began during the war years. The first section opened in autumn 1980. Traffic has increased dramatically since the opening of Eastern Europe.
Weissenbach was independent until 1938. It belonged to the district of Baden until 1896. In 1938, the Nazis made it part of Vienna’s 24th district. In 1954, the 24th district became the district of Mödling again. Weissenbach became independent again. The hamlet of Wassergspreng, formerly part of Kaltenleutgeben, joined Weissenbach. In 1972, Weissenbach merged with Hinterbrühl. This was part of Lower Austria’s municipal structural improvement.
Electricity arrived in Weissenbach in 1927. Wassergspreng waited until 1956. Wien-Strom remains the main supplier. Water pipes were laid between 1967 and 1969. These were supplied by local sources. Gas lines were installed in the 1970s by Wien-Gas. EVN took over the network in the 1990s. Sewers were installed last between 1993 and 1995. In 2011, the water supply ownership transferred. It went from the municipality to the Wasserleitungsverband.
The name “Hoher Ge” has an interesting origin. Seven friends from the Mödling area created a private summit in the 1980s. They built paths, a cross and a viewpoint. The name comes from the first letters of their names. Helmut, Oskar, Heinz, Erich, Rudi, Gert and Edi formed “HOHER GE”.
In 2020, Weissenbach held its Harvest Festival. The community carefully maintained traditions despite challenges. The community showed resilience during difficult times. The decorated crown seemed to say: “Hold on. Times change. Everything will be alright”.