thumb|Contemporary illustration of Baden from 1482

Baden (Central Bavarian: Bodn), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (; 'Spa town near Vienna'), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Located about south of Vienna, the municipality consists of cadastral areas Baden, Braiten, Gamingerhof, Leesdorf, Mitterberg, Rauhenstein, and Weikersdorf.

In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its famous medicinal springs and its architectural testimony to the international spa culture on the 18th and 19th centuries.

Geography and Geology

thumb|left|The "Spa Park" (') entrance

Baden is located at the mouth of the Schwechat River's St Helena Valley (') in the Vienna Woods (') range. It takes its name from the area's 14 hot springs, which vary in temperature from and contain mineral salts including calcium carbonate, calcium chloride and magnesium sulphate. In 1820, the Sauerhof became the first freestanding spa hotel in Europe.

It also the terminus of the local Badner Bahn tram-train.

Politics

The municipal council (Gemeinderat) consists of 41 seats. Since the 2025 Lower Austrian local elections, the council is made up of the following parties and lists:

  • Austrian People's Party (ÖVP): 10 seats
  • Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ): 7 seats
  • We Badener - Citizen List Jowi Trenner (LIST): 7 seats
  • The Greens - The Green Alternative (GRÜNE): 7 seats
  • Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ): 6 seats
  • NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS): 4 seats

Population

Notable people

thumb|140px|[[Marianne Hainisch, 1872]]

thumb|140px|painting of [[Katharina Schratt]]

thumb|140px|[[Max Reinhardt, 1911]]

thumb|140px|[[Arnulf Rainer Museum]]

thumb|140px|painting of [[Georg Anton Rollett, 1824]]

thumb|140px|[[Erwin Hoffer, 2009]]

Public service

  • Marianne Hainisch (1839–1936), Austrian feminist, women's rights activist
  • Anton Maria Schwartz (1852–1929), Catholic priest, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1998.
  • Heinrich von Lützow, (DE Wiki) (1852–1935) Austro-Hungarian diplomat
  • Mirabehn (1892–1982), real name Madeleine Slade Indian freedom fighter, lived locally
  • Paul Wittek (1894-1978), Orientalist and historian, wrote a popular thesis on the rise of the Ottoman Empire
  • Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007), 5th child of Charles I of Austria and Zita von Bourbon-Parma
  • Charlotte Fritz (1918–2003), an Austrian Righteous Among the Nations.
  • Robert Weiß (1920–1944). Luftwaffe fighter pilot during WWII; fighter ace
  • Theodor Tomandl, (DE Wiki) (born 1933), Austrian jurisprudent
  • Herbert Schambeck (1934 - 2023), an Austrian legal scholar and politician (ÖVP)
  • Karin Scheele (born 1968), Austrian social democratic politician and previously an MEP
  • Sophie Schulz (1905–1975), Austrian politician

Arts

  • Ignaz Vitzthumb (1724–1816, Brussels), Austrian composer; acted in the Austrian Netherlands
  • Amalia Schütz Oldosi (1803–1852), Austrian soprano, died locally
  • Caterina Canzi (1805–1890), opera singer
  • Hermann Rollett, (DE Wiki) (1819–1904), Vormärz-poet, writer on art, archivist of the city
  • Johann Baptist Klerr (1830–1875), composer and kapellmeister
  • Karel Komzák II (1850–1905), Czech-Austrian composer, died locally
  • Katharina Schratt (1853–1940), actress, a confidante of Emperor Franz Joseph.
  • Rosa Papier (1859–1932), Austrian opera singer and singing-educator
  • Jakob Pazeller, (DE Wiki) (1869–1957), Austrian composer
  • Mizzi Griebl (1872–1952), Austrian singer and actress
  • (Maximilian) Hugo Bettauer (1872–1925), Austrian writer
  • Max Reinhardt (1873–1943), born Maximilian Goldmann, theatre director and theatre manager
  • Josef Müllner (1879–1968), Austrian sculptor
  • Max Kuttner, (DE Wiki) (1883–1953), German opera- and operetta tenor, gramophone/record- and radio singer
  • Vincent Bach (1890–1976), virtuoso trumpeter and brass instrument maker
  • George Hoellering (1897–1980), Austrian-British author and film director.
  • Louis V. Arco (1899–1975), born Lutz Altschul, Austrian actor
  • Lucie Englisch (1902–1965), Austrian actress
  • Franz Josef Reinl, (DE Wiki) (1903–1977), Austrian composer
  • Erik Werba (1918–1992), Austrian pianist, composer and academic teacher.
  • Maximilian Melcher, (DE Wiki) (1922–2002), artist and lecturer
  • Ralph Wiener, (DE Wiki) (1924–2024), Kabarettist, author
  • Eduard Melkus (born 1928), Austrian violinist and violist
  • Karl Pfeifer (1928–2023), Austrian journalist
  • Arnulf Rainer (1929–2025), Austrian painter
  • Hertha Martin, (DE Wiki) (1930–2004), Austrian actress
  • Elisabet Woska, (DE Wiki) (1938–2013), actress
  • Sigi Maron, (DE Wiki) (1944–2016), singer-songwriter
  • Marlene Streeruwitz (born 1950), Austrian playwright, novelist, poet and short story writer
  • Béla Mavrák (born 1966), Hungarian tenor singer

Science & business

  • Georg Anton Rollett (1778–1842), Austrian collector, natural scientist and doctor
  • Alexander Rollett (1834–1903), Austrian physiologist and histologist
  • Karl Landsteiner (1868–1943), an Austrian American biologist, physician, and immunologist.
  • Karl Holdhaus (1883–1975), Austrian entomologist, specialised in Coleoptera.
  • Josef Frank (1885–1967), Austrian-Swedish architect
  • Franz Reznicek (1903-??), Austrian architect

Sport

  • Erwin Kohn (1911-1994), an international table tennis player, emigrated to England & Argentina
  • Heribert Meisel, (DE Wiki) (1920–1966), famous Austrian sport-journalist and sport-presenter of the ORF and ZDF
  • Willi End, (DE Wiki) (1921–2013), Austrian mountaineer
  • Thomas Vanek (born 1984), retired professional ice hockey player who mostly played in the NHL
  • Daniel Dunst (born 1984), a former Austrian footballer who played over 250 games
  • Erwin "Jimmy" Hoffer (born 1987), footballer, played over 370 games and 28 for Austria
  • Besian Idrizaj (1987–2010), Austrian football player, played 59 games
  • Markus Lackner (born 1991), an Austrian footballer who has played over 270 games
  • Thomas Ebner (born 1992), an Austrian footballer who has played over 350 games

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Harald Salfellner, Julius Silver: The Imperial City of Baden bei Wien. Vitalis, Prague 2017, .
  • Official homepage
  • Synagogue
  • Casino
  • Römertherme
  • Kurhaus
  • Stadttheater
  • Hauervinothek