Gaudenzdorf

Nestled in the heart of Meidling, the 12th district of Vienna, lies Gaudenzdorf. Gaudenzdorf whispers stories of a time when it stood as an independent village, a vibrant hub just outside Vienna’s bustling city walls. Gaudenzdorf’s story begins in 1819. It was carved from the larger village of Untermeidling. Its name honors Gaudentius Andreas Dunkler, the Provost of Klosterneuburg Monastery and the local lord. Imagine Gaudenzdorf then, a small village nestled on the banks of the Wienfluss river, its boundaries marked by the Arndtstraße to the south and Diefenbachgasse to the north. Two bridges, the Storchensteg and the Kobingersteg, linked the two halves of Gaudenzdorf separated by the flowing river. The Kobingersteg is no more. It was removed in 1969 when the Linke Wienzeile was widened. But the Storchensteg still stands. In 1836, Josef Leopold Gierster opened a brewery and a terraced garden with dance halls in Gaudenzdorf. This quickly became a popular spot. This same year saw the establishment of Gaudenzdorf’s first school. Gaudenzdorf experienced rapid growth. By 1880, the population had swelled to over 12,000. The arrival of the horse-drawn tramway in 1883, connecting Gaudenzdorf to Schönbrunn Palace, further fueled its development. A second tramway line, running from Meidlinger Bahnhof, followed just two years later. Gaudenzdorf wasn’t immune to the political upheavals of the time. During the March Revolution of 1848, unrest gripped the village. Worker assemblies formed, and some establishments were plundered. In October, further riots broke out, reflecting the workers’ deep dissatisfaction with their working conditions. The industrial revolution left its mark on Gaudenzdorf. In 1855, the Gaudenzdorf Gasworks opened, followed by the Guttmann Oil Factory in 1856. The Gottlieb Taussig factory, producing soap and candles, opened in 1857. In 1866, tanners formed the first trade union in Gaudenzdorf. Strikes soon followed. Finally, in 1892, Gaudenzdorf became part of Vienna’s 12th district, Meidling. A part of Gaudenzdorf, Neu-Gaudenzdorf, located north of the Wienfluss, was later separated and incorporated into the 15th district. Today, the Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel, a bustling street that encircles much of Vienna, bears the village’s name, a reminder of its rich past. Gaudenzdorf transformed from a small village to a thriving industrial suburb. Its story is a microcosm of Vienna’s own expansion and evolution during the 19th century.