Picture this. You stand before KG Nussdorf a place steeped in history. This wasn’t always a part of Vienna. Until 1892 Nussdorf was its own municipality.
Imagine its past. The name Nussdorf meaning nut town hints at the abundance of nut trees and hazelnut shrubs that once thrived here. But some believe the name comes from a Slavic word meaning miserable or meagre. This suggests a much harsher reality in the early days.
Medieval Nussdorf was a small farming community. The Greinergasse formed its heart. People fished in the Danube. They hunted crabs. They cultivated grapes for wine. Wine was key. Monasteries like Klosterneuburg owned vineyards here. They profited from the Fährrecht the right to transport goods and people across the Danube.
A small settlement called Urfar existed on the Danube’s banks. It was a ferry stop but often flooded. It disappeared after the first large Danube bridge was built in 1439. KG Nussdorf faced hardship. Hungarian troops ravaged the area in 1484. Ottoman wars and French looting caused further damage. The people rebuilt. They established fifteen freeholds for minor nobles exempt from property taxes.
In 1787 a parish church was built. Joseph II financed it by taking land from religious orders. Viticulture made Nussdorf wealthy. By 1820 over half the land was covered in vineyards. The Nussdorfer Brewery opened in 1819. The Franz Joseph railway to Kahlenberg made it a popular day trip destination. The population exploded. In 1795 it had 865 people. By 1890 there were over 5000.
Nussdorf also had a busy port. For a long time it was Vienna’s second most important Danube port. Larger ships unloaded goods onto smaller vessels. Many inns and a tollbooth served the traders. The Nussdorfer Platz was the heart of trade. Cereals salt animals fruit and clay and wood products were traded here. The Danube’s regulation in 1870-1875 ended the port’s importance.
Early industries emerged. A tartar and vinegar factory used wine byproducts. It exported to Russia and Bavaria. A state-run salmiac and salt factory used urine from the inns. It also exported but closed in 1840. Ignaz Hackhofer’s dye works and the Nussdorfer Brewery were successful.
The brewery was built by Jesuits in 1690 as a theological college. It became a weapons store then private property. Franz Xaver Bosch bought it and founded the brewery in 1818. A tower with a beer garden was added in 1842. It became a royal purveyor exporting throughout Europe. The Schwechater Brewery bought it in 1950. Only the facade remains.
KG Nussdorf’s history is long and rich. From humble beginnings to a thriving community and ultimately its incorporation into Vienna this place tells a story of resilience adaptability and growth. It’s a story etched in the very stones of this historic area. A legacy that lives on today.