Liesing, Vienna
Tucked on the southern edge of Vienna, the district of Liesing reveals a fascinating story entwined with political vicissitudes and spatial transformations. Its story is one of relentless tenacity and transformation shaped by the stormy events of the 20th century.
Liesing’s journey as a Viennese district started at a time of great upheaval. Vienna grew geographically from 21 to 26 districts after Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany. Fifteen Lower Austrian districts—including the old legal jurisdiction of Liesing—were merged into the fledgling 25th district under this process.
For Liesing’s chronicle, the end of World War II marked a fresh chapter. The Allied conquest of Vienna reversed earlier territorial changes, leading to Liesing’s reintegration under Soviet control into Lower Austria. The occupying authorities stifled legislative attempts to change Vienna’s district layout in the next years, therefore confirming Liesing’s position inside Lower Austria.
For Liesing, 1954 brought a turning point. Liesing emerged as one of two districts that survived the reorganization once the Soviet veto on district restructuring was withdrawn, albeit under a new name as Vienna’s 23rd district. Eight former districts came together in this transmutation: Atzgersdorf, Erlaa, Inzersdorf, Kalksburg, Liesing, Mauer, Rodaun, and Siebenhirten.
The past of Liesing is evidence of its tenacity against political and territorial upheavals. From its incorporation into Vienna after the Anschluss to its reintegration into Lower Austria and final comeback as a Viennese district, Liesing’s story is one of adaptability and change. Today, the neighborhood is a lively and energetic part of Vienna that bears evidence to its rich and complex past.
Geography
Comprising 7.7% of Vienna’s total size, Liesing, the sixth most widespread district, stretches across 32.29 square kilometers. It abuts Lower Austria from Breitenfurt in the southwest and from Kaltenleutmachen, Perchtoldsdorf, Brunn am Gebirge, and Vösendorf in the southwest. Geologically varied, the territory is trisected into the Vienna Basin, the sandstone Viennese forest, and the Northern Limestone Alps. Comprising of main dolomite and the Allgäu layers, the Limestone Vienna Forest rules the southwestern part. Beside the limestone zone is the flysch zone, or sandstone Viennese woodland, distinguished by mild slopes. Deposition of gravel, sand, and sandstone defines the Miocene-era Vienna Basin. For millennia Atzgersdorf has been quarrying the local limestone, Sarmatian Atzgersdorfer Kalkstein. Tegel first deposited in the Liesing area during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.
Crucially important to the Liesing community, the Liesingbach is undergoing biological restoration to solve its rigid architecture. Among the various rivers in the district are the Reiche Liesing, which runs through Kalksburg and helps to drain areas of the Lainzer Tiergarten. Also scattered over the terrain are uninhabited bodies of water like the Poplar Pond in the Maurer Forest.
The Eichkogel mountain rises to 424 meters above sea level in the western part of the area. Two prominent peaks, the Wilde Berg and the site of the Wotruba church, beautify the ground north of the Reiche Liesing. Liesing borders the Favoriten district of Wienerberg.
Of the whole district area, building area makes 52.6%; industrial building areas account for 18.6%. The second biggest proportion is made of green areas; traffic areas account for 14.7%. Just 1.3% come from water bodies.
From the combination of eight once independent municipalities, now known as cadastral communities of Vienna, Liesing arose. The eastern part includes modern Inzersdorf district, Erlaa, Siebenhirten, Atzgersdorf, Mauer, Rodaun, and Kalksburg. 19 census districts comprise the district; Atzgersdorf, Atzgersdorf-West, Blumental, Draschegrund, In der Wiesen, Breitenfurter Straße, the industrial center Liesing, Inzersdorf, Kalksburg-Kaltenleutgben, Kroissberg, Mauer, Neu-Erlaa-Neustift, Rodaun, Schwarze Haide, Siebenhirten, Steinberg, and the center of Liesing.
Demographics
Vienna’s Liesing area grew steadily before the Great War, however it remained among the least populated areas in the city. With the population density of 3,021 people per square kilometer in 2015, which confirmed its ranking among the four least densely populated districts, this trend continued into the 21st century.
Though with a clear predominance of people aged 55 to 74, Liesing in 2005 reflected Vienna in many respects geistically. Of the population, children under 15 accounted for 14.8%; those between 15 and 59 made up 60.7%. With over 44.7% of the population married, the gender split was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.
Though still far below Vienna’s general 18.7%, the district’s foreign-born population was at 8.9% in 2005, a percentage on increase from 6.7% in 2001. With 1.7% of the foreign-born population, the area especially claimed the biggest concentration of Serbian and Montenegrin residents.
Religiously, Liesing showed more loyalty to Roman Catholicism than the city overall; with 55.2% of respondents identifying as Catholic rather than Vienna’s 49.2%, On the other hand, compared to the citywide average, the district experienced a rather smaller share of persons professing Islam and Orthodox Christianity—at 3.2% and 2.5% respectively.
Fascinatingly, among all Viennese districts, Liesing’s residents in 2001 reported no religious affiliation, a third-highest percentage. Second only to the Wieden district, Liesing’s population density is somewhat low although its residents nonetheless accounted for a significant 6.7% of Vienna’s overall population.
