Think of a grand chair. But this one is made of stone. This is the Predigerstuhl. It’s a rock formation in the Vienna Woods. Locals call it Predigtstuhl too.
The Predigerstuhl rises a few meters. It sits on a small terrain ridge. Its highest point is 535 meters above sea level. Old maps show 522 meters. The name comes from its shape. It looks like a big chair. An iron cross stands at the top. A rose is at the cross’s center.
Sometimes maps call the area around it Predigerstuhl. This includes the Predigerstuhlwiese. A small rest area sits at the road junction. It’s north of here. People call that “Rastplatz Predigerstuhl”.
Predigerstuhl means preacher’s chair. “Praedicare” is Latin for “to proclaim publicly”. A preacher usually speaks on a topic. This happens during a religious service.
Geologically the Predigerstuhl is interesting. The rock is made of dolomite breccia. It’s from the lowest Gosau Group. This is part of the Lunz nappe. Some think it’s from the Turonian age.
The Predigerstuhl sits in Kaltenleutgeben’s southern part. It is surrounded by forest. So there are no distant views from here. A narrow path leads from the Höhenstraße. The Höhenstraße is a wide hiking trail. The path takes about a minute to walk. Few people visit the Predigerstuhl. The path became overgrown after 2000. People cleared it now and then privately.
West of the Predigerstuhl is a small valley. The “Rote Bründl” is there. That is a small forest spring.
The Predigerstuhl area lies in the Föhrenberge Nature Park. The Republic of Austria owns the land. They own it through a subsidiary. That subsidiary is the Austrian Federal Forests.
The Predigerstuhlwiese is beyond the valley. It is named after the rock. Members of a banned party met there. This was the Social Democratic Workers’ Party. It happened on July 15, 1934. Authorities broke up the meeting. Johann Fröhlich and Richard Lehmann were shot. They were flag bearers from Liesing near Vienna. A memorial stone marks the path to the Predigerstuhl. It remembers this event.
The shortest path starts in Gießhübl. Take the Höhenstraße. The walk takes about half an hour.
So, as you stand before this unusual rock, think of its silent history. Think of the secret meetings. Think of nature reclaiming its space. The Predigerstuhl remains a unique spot. It is hidden in Vienna’s Woods.