Liesing

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23rd District of Vienna
Coat of Arms	Map
Image:Liesing coa.png
Name:	Liesing
Area:	32,00 km²
Population:	84.718 (as of 2001)
Density:	2647,4 people per km²
Postal code:	A-1230
Address of District Office:	Perchtoldsdorfer Straße 2 A-1230 Wien
Official Website:	www.wien.gv.at/liesing/ (German)
E-Mail:	post@b23.magwien.gv.at
Politics
District Director	Manfred Wurm (SPÖ)
First Deputy	Gerald Bischof (SPÖ)
Second Deputy	Rudolf Klucsarits (ÖVP)
Representation (56 Members)	SPÖ 30, ÖVP 11, FPÖ 8, Green 7

Liesing is the 23rd district of Vienna. It was formed after Austria's Anschluss with Germany when Vienna expanded from 21 districts to 26. Fifteen Lower Austrian districts, especially the old legal jurisdiction of Liesing, were incorporated into the 25th district. After the allied occupation of Vienna, this law was not recognized and Liesing became a part of lower Austria in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1946 a law intended to alter the districts of Vienna was vetoed by the occupation authorities. In 1954 the objection was withdrawn. Liesing was one of only two districts that remained in Vienna in the new organization. The areas Breitenfurt bei Wien, Laab im Walde, Purkersdorf, Perchtoldsdorf, Vösendorf, and Kaltenleutgeben returned to Lower Austria. Since 1954, the 23rd district has been composed of the following former districts:

• Atzgersdorf
• Erlaa
• Inzersdorf
• Kalksburg
• Liesing
• Mauer
• Rodaun
• Siebenhirten

[edit] Geography

The Wotruba Church on the Georgenberg in the Mauer neighborhood of Liesing

Liesing lies in the southwest of Vienna and borders Lower Austria along with the districts Favoriten, Meidling, und Hietzing. The district lies along both sides of the Liesing brook and extends from the Wienerwald into the Viennese basin. With 7.7% of the total area, Liesing is the fifth largest district of Vienna and a third is natural areas. Areas in the district were threatened by flooding for a long time.

Coordinates: 48°08′16″N, 16°17′04″E

[edit] Geology

Liesing contains three geological regions including parts of the Wienerwald Woods and the Viennese Basin. The steep slopes and bare rocks of the Northern Chalk Alps (Kalksteinwienerwald)are found in the southwest of the district and stretch north as far as the Dorother Wald and in the east reach as far as Antonshöhe. The chalk zone in Liesing is divided into two sections. The Anhöhe of the Leopoldsdorfer Wald consists of Hauptdolomit, a type of rock formation that stretches in the direction of Kalksburg as far as the Himmelwiese. North of the dolomite zone, there is a wide band of Kieselkalk. In the chalk region can be found the Antonshöhe, where radiolarit for flint cutting edges was mined in the late stone age. North of the Kaltenleutgebner Straße along the edge of the valley can be found quarries delivering chalk, mergel, sandstone etc. for the building industry. To the north the soft hills of the Flyschzone (Sandstone Vienna Woods). During the formation of the alps, several layers of stone, sandstone, mergel and chalkmergel were deformed. The Laab und Kahlenberg "Decke" are relics of a see that stretched from edge of the alps to the Carpathian mountains during the cretateous and early tertiary. At the final stage of the formation of the alps during the Miozäns, the sea floor sank, leading to the formation of the Viennese Basin. Today this lie mainly east of the edge of the woods. Gravel, sand und sandstone dominate this park of the district. In Atzgersdorf "Atzgersdorfer Kalkstein" was quarried for centuries out of which Sarmatium was produced. In the Liesing area deposits of tegel were formed during the Miozäns and Pliozäns.[2]

[edit] Mountains and rivers

The highest elevations are found in the western part of the district, the Eichkogel at 428 Meters at the southwestern edge marking the highest point in the district. North of the Reichen Liesing, the Wilder Berg and the Antonshöhe are the highest points. To the east, the hills get progressively lower. While Kroissberg (327 meters), Kadoltsberg and Neuberg represent the last areas of the previously extensive wine producing area, the Wotrubkirche is located on the Sankt-Georgen-Berg in between. To the north Liesing borders on the Rosenberg (Hietzing) and the Wienerberg (Favoriten).

The most important water course in Liesing has always been the Liesingbach. The "Reiche Liesing" flows from the west through Kalksburg, where it is joined by Gütenbach which drains part of the Lainzer Tiergarten. Below Kalksburg the Kalksburger Graben joins the Reiche Liesing underground,before it joins the "Dürren Liesing" to form the "Liesing". The canalsation of the Liesing has been recently partially restored to a natural form. In the northern part of the district the ponds, alte Ziegelteiche, Figurenteich and Steinsee, the latter not accessible to the public can all be found along the Liesing. South of Siebenhirten is the Schellensee which is also closed to the public.

[edit] Bezirksteile

Liesing was formed from eight previously independent communities. In the east is Inzersdorf, where the large industrially and commercially used areas as well as the fruit and vegetable market are found. This was also previously the location of the Inzersdorfer company named after the district. To the west of Inzersdorf is Erlaa, which today is best known for the large residential apartment complex (Wohnpark Alt-Erlaa) located north of the old centre of the village. The adjacent Siebenhirten to the south is also mainly residential and is connected to the U-Bahn on the U6 line by the terminal station of the same name. The Liesing industrial park is also part of Siebenhirten. West of Siebenhirten is the area of Liesing which lends its name to the whole district. In addition to the old centre with its town hall (Bezirksamt)and bus & rail connecting point, the eastern part of Liesing is also used for commercial purposes. North of Liesing is Atzgersdorf with a mixture of low density housing and commercial areas along the railway line with little access to green areas. In the northwest of the district is the village of Mauer, with low density housing and the largest share of the Viennese woods. South of Mauer are Rodaun and Kalksburg, both of which are extensively green and retain largely intact village structures.