Essling
Essling entry in the Viennese government's history wiki (German) () is a neighbourhood in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, within

Donaustadt Donaustadt (; "Danube City") is the 22nd district of Vienna, Austria (). Donaustadt is the easternmost district of Vienna.Statistik Austria, 2007, webpagestatistik.at-23450. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography The Donaustadt ...

, the 22nd district of Vienna. It has a population of 21,625 and covers 14.98 km².

History

The first known name of the town was Ezzelaren. The Eslarn family had important roles in the Vienna city administration. Konrad von Eslarn was mayor of Vienna in 1287. Since about 1590, the area has been known as Essling. The area is known for the Battle of Aspern-Essling during the

War of the Fifth Coalition The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in Central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis I and Napoleon's French Emp ...

on 21-22 May 1809, which marked the first time

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

had been personally defeated in a major battle. The Wien-Aspern Airport, which lay between Essling and Aspern, was Europe's biggest airport at time of opening. It closed in 1977 after the expansion of the

Vienna International Airport Vienna Airport is an international airport serving Vienna, the capital of Austria. It is located in Schwechat, southeast of central Vienna and west of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Its official name according to the Austrian Aeronaut ...

Location

Essling is located between the Lobau in the

Danube-Auen National Park Donau-Auen National Park () covers 93 square kilometres in Vienna and Lower Austria and is one of the largest remaining floodplains of the Danube in Middle Europe. The German word ''Aue'' (variant ''Au'') means "river island, wetland, flood ...

to the south, the Lower Austrian Marchfeld municipalities of Groß-Enzersdorf, Raasdorf, and Aderklaa to the east and north, and the

district parts of

Aspern Aspern () is a neighbourhood in Vienna, Austria, within Donaustadt, the Districts of Vienna, 22nd district of Vienna. It has a population of 52,375 as of 2023 and covers an area of 19.89 km2. History The area is known for the Battle of Asp ...

and Breitenlee to the west. The cadastral municipality covers an area of 1,497.78 hectares. In addition to the old town center, Essling features several settlements amidst agricultural land, including Neuessling in the north. The Schafflerhof, located near the Marchegg Eastern railway line, was once the economic estate of the manorial lordship of Essling.

Culture and Sights

Architectural Heritage Some buildings in the town center along Essling's main street are designated by the City of Vienna as a protected architectural zone. These structures reflect the historical and cultural significance of the area. Church The Essling parish was consecrated just a few days after the ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...

''. During renovations, the interior was updated and clad in wood, with a

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

and a wooden statue of the

Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on,Ainsworth, 122 but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de La ...

becoming notable attractions. Art Essling is the birthplace of

Georg Raphael Donner Georg Rafael Donner (24 May 1693 – 15 February 1741) was one of the most prolific Austrian sculpture, sculptors of the 18th century. His style was baroque with some pseudo-ancient additions. He educated many Germany, German sculptors of hi ...

, a renowned sculptor born in 1693. Donner is celebrated as one of the most outstanding masters of sculptural art in the German-speaking world during the 18th century. His works can still be admired in prominent locations such as Vienna,

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

, and

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

. A memorial plaque at the site of his birthplace commemorates his legacy. Jazz Bill Grah Park

The town has a special connection to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, being the hometown of Franz Georg Pressler, better known by his stage name Fatty George, a jazz

clarinettist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baer ...

. Another notable figure, Bill Grah, is honored with a park dedicated to him in front of the old elementary school. In 2005, the Jazz Museum was opened. During the summer, the park hosts regular jazz concerts, attracting music enthusiasts. The Schüttkasten Originally a granary, the Schüttkasten, just off the main road, was a fiercely contested site during the battle against Napoleon. Today, it houses a model reenactment of the battle. Sports SV Essling Vereinswappen

SV Essling, a football club, was founded in 1931 and currently plays in the 2. Landesliga, the fifth division of Austrian football.

References

External links

{{Authority control Donaustadt Geography of Vienna