Favoriten is the 10th district of Vienna. The name comes from Favorita, a semi-baroque palace complex that once served as a hunting castle but today is a gymnasium (secondary school) in the 4th district (Wieden). The customs facilities at the original southern border of Vienna were known as the Favoriten-Linie (Favoriten Line), and the houses nearby were known as the Siedlung vor der Favoriten-Linie (Settlement behind the Favoriten Line).
In 1874, the former settlement of Favoriten was annexed by Vienna as the 10th district. The first district director was the well-known Johann Steudel, who ran a tavern in the former settlement. The district expanded its borders quickly as industries and the associated housing grew in the area. After World War II, Vienna was divided into quarters and split among the Allies, and Favoriten belonged to the Soviet-occupied sector. Favoriten was last expanded in 1954, when the former villages of Rothneusiedl, Oberlaa and Unterlaa were annexed to the district.
Favoriten is the most populous of the districts of Vienna. Most of Favoriten's residential area is composed of a variety of houses that are over 100 years old as well as community housing developments (such as the Hansson-Siedlung). The district also has numerous industries. There are recreational areas in the southern part of the district, such as the Kurpark Laaer Berg (Treatment Park of Laa Mountain), which, in 1974, joined the Kurzentrum Oberlaa (Treatment Centre of Upper Laa), a sulphur springs, and the recreational centre at Wienerberg. On the north side of Laaer Berg, a small theme park, the Böhmischer Prater, was built in 1882. Furthermore, the Ernst Kirchweger Haus (EKH), a squatted social centre, is situated in Favoriten.
The coat of arms of the 10th district is a shield divided into six parts:
In the upper-left corner is the coat of arms of the former village of Favoriten. It shows the Apostle John, the patron saint of the Pfarrkirche church at Keplerplatz, wearing a green cape and a blue robe. He is holding a quill and the Gospel. An eagle is shown next to him.
In the upper-right, a well made of shell stands against a blue background and symbolises Oberlaa. This reminds us of the healing springs and the treatment centres of the district.
In the lower-left, a red kiln and a flowing stream symbolise Rothneusiedl. It reflects the importance of the brick industry at Wienerberg and Laaerberg.
In the lower-right, Inzersdorf-Stadt is represented by golden wine grapes with spikes from the top, reminiscent of the once economically-important vineyards.
The lower part shows a red Maltese Cross on a golden background, and symbolises Unterlaa and the Knights Hospitaller that ruled the area until the end of the 13th century.
The centre part symbolises the district as a whole, an attribute not shared by any other district, and displays the Spinnerin am Kreuz, a symbol of Favoriten.
Encyclopedia
top
