The Wiener Neustadt Canal was
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 ...
's only shipping canal, originally meant to reach from
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. ...
to
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
's harbor to the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
. It became operational in 1803, and eventually covered 60 kilometres with 50 locks and a change in altitude of 103 metres between Vienna and Wiener Neustadt, where it terminated. Its eight bridges (built in the classical style) constitute Austria's oldest bridge ensemble. The canal has the unique feature of several two-level water crossings which date back to 1803; they separate the canal from other rivers and streams.
The canal had its heighday between 1857, when it transported vast quantities of bricks for the construction of the
Vienna Ring Road
The Ringstrasse or Ringstraße (pronounced ɪŋˌʃtʁaːsə ⓘ, lit. ''ring road'') is a 5.3 km (3.3 mi) circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic city centre, the Innere Stadt, of Vienna, Austria. The road is bu ...
, and the
1873 Vienna World's Fair
The 1873 Vienna World's Fair () was the large world exposition that was held from 1 May to 31 October 1873 in the Austria-Hungarian capital Vienna. Its motto was "Culture and Education" ().
History
As well as being a chance to showcase Austro- ...
. Brick barons leased the canal in order to transport their merchandise to Vienna at low cost. It has been called "Austria's largest monument to early industrialisation." The canal ceased to be used for transportation before
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
From 1797 to 1801, it was in shareholder ownership; it was under public administration from 1801 to 1822. It was leased to private contractors from 1822 to 1871, at which point it was purchased by the Österreichische Vereinsbank, which later became the Austro-Belgian Railroad Company (Austro-Belgische Eisenbahngesellschaft). In 1956, the
State of Lower Austria purchased the canal. Profits from the canal dropped when rail freight became an attractive alternative.
Today, the canal is still used for water supply and some small power stations. It is used as an accompanying route for the Eurovelo 9 cycle path and other cycle paths. Its importance for the region's microclimate has been recognized. At the same time, the canal's historic industrial facilities continue to suffer from creeping decay, clearly visible in the missing lock gates.
[Tinhofer, 2017, p. 36.]
Bibliography
* Fritz Lange: ''Von Wien zur Adria – Der Wiener Neustädter Kanal'', 2003, .
* Heinrich Tinhofer: ''Der Wiener Neustädter Kanal: Achse des Industrieviertels'', 2017, .
References
External links
* Josef Kovats
''Documentary Trailer (German)''* Heinrich Tinhofer
''WalkingInside - Forum Canal''Independent Initiative for Revitalising the Canal (automatically translated).
Ship canals
Wiener Neustadt
Buildings and structures in Simmering (Vienna)
Canals in Austria
Buildings and structures in Lower Austria
Canals opened in 1803
{{Austria-transport-stub