Laxenburg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laxenburg is a place in Lower Austria, near Vienna, with approximately 2,800 inhabitants.

1 History
2 Notable natives
3 Twin cities
4 External links

[edit] History

The place is well-known for its castle, Schloss Laxenburg, which, beside Schönbrunn, was the most important summer seat of the Habsburg dynasty.

This castle became a Habsburg possession in 1333 and was extended in the 17th century by Lodovico Burnacini. The Blauer Hof (German for: blue court) or Neues Schloss (German for: new castle) was built around 1745 during the reign of empress Maria Theresia and has a Rococo interior.

The church of Laxenburg, which was the first building north of the Alps containing swung facade components (characteristics of the high baroque), was built between 1693 and 1703 by Carlo Antonio Carlone and continued between 1703 and 1724 by Matthias Steinl.

After 1780, the castle garden was rearranged as an English landscape garden. It contains several artificial ponds, and, on an island, the Franzensburg castle, named after emperor Franz I, can be found.

In 1849, the current political municipality was founded. In 1919, the city of Vienna took over the war-damaged castle. Since then, the city of Vienna became the property owner of the park area of Laxenburg.

After the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, the municipality of Laxenburg became part of the city Vienna. In 1954, the place became independent again and was returned to Lower Austria.

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), a non-governmental research organization, has been located in Laxenburg since 1975.

[edit] Notable natives

Johann Natterer, (9 November 1787 in Laxenburg, 17 June 1843 in Vienna) - Austrian zoologist and naturalist.
Gisela Louise Marie von Österreich, (15 July 1856 in Laxenburg, 27 July 1932 in Munich), Archduchess of Austria-Hungary, daughter of Kaiser Franz Josef I and Kaiserin Elisabeth.
Crown Prince Rudolf (21 August 1858 in Laxenburg, 30 January 1889 in Mayerling) - son of Kaiser Franz Josef I and Kaiserin Elisabeth.
Elisabeth Marie von Österreich, daughter of Crown Prince Rudolf.
Eduard Hartmann (3 September 1904, 14 October 1966), Austrian politician: Abg. zum Nationalrat (8 November 1949, 27 March 1963); Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft (16 July 1959 to 2 April 1964); Landeshauptmann von Niederösterreich (1965–1966).