Wiener Neustadt: Ransom in Lower Austria

Once upon a time in the Middle East, King Richard - „the lionheart" - of England pissed off Duke Leopold V of Austria during a crusade. The king removed the flag of the Babenberg duke from the freshly conquered city of Acre in 1191, thereby challenging the Austrian claim to participate in the usual rape-and-plunder celebrations that followed a conquest. Legend has it that the king threw the Austrian flag into manure - to make things worse.

Apparently, Richard had a stronger sense for dramatic gestures than for . geography: On his way back to England, he was forced to cross Austria, where Leopold realised that the time for revenge had come. The king was imprisoned in Dürnstein in the Wachau and only released after the England had paid an exorbitant amount of ransom money. What does that have to do with Wiener Neustadt?

The ransom money was used to develop this city and build several medieval courts. Some of them are still there, including the Reckturm (which houses a small exhibition of medieval armour) as well as several buildings in its surroundings. It is worth noting that you should be impressed about anything that predates WWII in Wiener Neustadt: The heavy industry (mostly car manufacturing, Daimler, to be precise) attracted allied bombing and by 1945, a guesstimated 52,000 bombs had been dropped on the now crushed city. Today, the city has quite visibly recovered: Lower Austria′s second city after St Pölten is striving with some plane and other industries and provides visitors with several attractive spots.

Lionhart′s Involuntary Investment

To start with the usual suspects: Yes, there is a Rathaus located on a main square, yes, there is a church (in fact, a cathedral in Romanesque style) and yes, there is a town museum (Stadtmuseum, in a former Dominican abbey) which will educate you about the history of the place throughout the ages. Associated with the Stadtmuseum is the Turmmuseum ("tower museum") near the cathedral, so go to the Stadtmuseum first.

Regarding the not-so-common attractions of Wiener Neustadt: One thing you can learn in the Stadtmuseum is that there was a boom period for the city in the 15th century, when the Habsburg Emperor Friedrich III made it his capital for a few years. His court was later transformed into a military academy under Empress Maria Theresia in 1752. Until today, it serves as Austria′s primary military academy, the Westpoint of the Alps. Much of the original building - which dates back to the 13th century - was destroyed in an earthquake in 1768 and the bombings of WWII, but it is still worth taking a guided tour with one of the serving soldiers.

One of the attractions of the academy is the "Wappenwand" or "wall of coats of arms", where Friedrich III displayed the heraldic symbols of all the areas and houses he ruled - plus a few imaginary ones. Friedrich himself is depicted in a statue in front of the wall - his grave, by the way, can be seen in St Stephansdom Cathedral in Vienna. Friedrich also built the "Georgskapelle" or St George′s Chapel, which was more or less completely destroyed in WWII. The stained glass windows from the 15th century, however, had been stored in a basement and therefore, survived the war. Friedrich′s son, the legendary Emperor Maximilian I, spent much of his childhood in the castle that the academy was back then. He is buried here, too, and his mausoleum in Innsbruck remains empty. He died in Wels Castle in Upper Austria.

Military Sightseeing in Lower Austria

Near the academy, you will find the Gothic Neukloster ("New Monastery"), which is now a parish church and not a monastery at all. Inside the church, visitors can marvel at marble, more specifically, the elaborate marble tomb of Eleonore, wife of Emperor Friedrich III. Another piece of Gothic art is the 14th century "Spinnerin am Kreuz", a wayside column that was donated by local judge. It is the subject of a popular folk legend, in which a women took her spinning wheel to the column every day to wait for her husbands return from a crusade.

If you prefer more contemporary aspects of Wiener Neustadt, you might be interested in the "Flugmuseum" (Museum of Flight). Here you can learn about the somewhat surprisingly active aircraft industry of the city and its history.

Back to: "Lower Austria Sightseeing Guide"

Sightseeing by Austrian Province

Bregenz and Vorarlberg - Innsbruck and Tyrol - Salzburg - Salzkammergut - Graz and Styria - Klagenfurt and Carinthia - Wachau and Lower Austria - Vienna - Burgenland

Further Reading

Official Website of Wiener Neustadt

Official Website of Lower Austria