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History
of settlement
Originally the Lobau was an island in the
unregulated Danube. As part of a land donation it came into the possession
of the Bavarian monastery of Weihenstephan.
Later
it was ceded to the bishopric of Freising. In 1485 Emperor Maximilian
was
granted permission by the Bavarian bishops to hunt in the Danubian
riverside
forests. The Lobau became a popular
hunting ground for the imperial
court. In
1745 Empress Maria Theresia endowed a “fund for the poor” with the
area, which
was later administered by the city of Vienna.
The proceeds from forestry and agricultural use funded provisions for
the poor.
In May 1809 Napoleon, having
occupied Vienna,
struck a camp for his army in
the Upper Lobau.
At Aspern and Eßling he suffered the first defeat in his military
career. In
1926 the city of Vienna opened the Upper Lobau for the “general
populace”. The area was
fenced in and entry was only allowed from Easter until All Hallows on
payment
of a fee. The Lower Lobau at that time was
still an imperial hunting ground and only became freely accessible
twelve years
later. From 1939 – 1941 an oil terminal with refinery and pipeline was
built.
Aerial bombardment caused considerable damage
during the Second World
War. |
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