Aspern () is part of
Donaustadt, the 22nd district of
Vienna, Austria.
History
The area is known because of the
Battle of Aspern-Essling, which was fought in the nearby
Lobau on 21 and 22 May 1809. In that battle, the
Austrian army, led by
Archduke Charles, repelled an advance by
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
; it was the closest the French emperor had come to being defeated since his rise to power. In 1858, a large stone lion sculpture was installed in front of St. Martin's Church to commemorate the battle and the Austrian soldiers who died to repel Napoleon.
In 1904, the formerly independent village was incorporated into Vienna as part of the 21st district,
Floridsdorf. Only in 1946 did it become part of the newly created 22nd district,
Donaustadt.
In 1912, the
Aspern Airfield
Aspern () is part of Donaustadt, the 22nd district of Vienna, Austria.
History
The area is known because of the Battle of Aspern-Essling, which was fought in the nearby Lobau on 21 and 22 May 1809. In that battle, the Austrian army, led by Arch ...
was inaugurated. It remained the center of Austrian civil and military
aviation until
World War II. After the war, it was used by
Soviet occupation forces. Replaced by
Vienna International Airport near
Schwechat in 1954, it was closed in 1977. In 1982 an engine and transmissions plant for
Opel Wien
Opel Wien GmbH (formerly GM Powertrain Austria GmbH) is an Austrian manufacturing company based in Vienna / Aspern, Austria and was a subsidiary of General Motors. Currently a subsidiary of the Dutch-based multinational automotive manufacturer Ste ...
was constructed on part of the former airfield. In 2004 Opel donated part of its property as a base for the Christophorus Emergency Helicopter Service which is since 5 April 2017 in
Landstraße the 3rd municipal
District of Vienna
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. Another part of the former airfield now serves as a training facility for
ARBOE, the other major Austrian automobile club.
An extension of the
U-Bahn to Aspern opened in October 2010.
Seestadt Aspern
There is a new city project, the Seestadt Aspern,
Seestadt government website (German)
/ref> on an artificial lake to be built with community houses, cooperative houses, shops and offices around it. The City of Vienna is trying to develop the former airfield. A move of the Vienna University of Technology to Aspern was considered, but the idea was discarded after university staff and students expressed their disapproval.
References
External links
Donaustadt
Geography of Vienna
{{Vienna-geo-stub