Coats of arms of Vienna's municipal districts
Each of Vienna's 23 municipal districts has its distinctive features, including a unique coat of arms that reflects the character and traits of the respective municipal district.
1st municipal district / Innere Stadt
The coat of arms of the 1st municipal district shows a white cross in a red field. This shield is the coat of arms of both the City of Vienna and the Federal Province of Vienna.
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Meaning
From the 13th to the 19th century, the city of Vienna comprised only what today is the 1st municipal district. This is the old core of the city, so the district still uses the characteristic bar cross for its coat of arms. The coat of arms of the City of Vienna first appeared on local coins ("Wiener Pfennige") from the 1270s.
It is likely that the shield goes back to the banner of the imperial troops during the Middle Ages. The standard of the troops used during the reign of Rudolph I of Habsburg (1218-1291) had a similar design. We may therefore assume that this banner served as the model for the coat of arms.
2nd municipal district / Leopoldstadt
The coat of arms of the 2nd municipal district is tripartite. The background colours of the fields are silver, green and blue (argent, vert and azure in heraldic vocabulary). The three fields of the shield symbolise the formerly independent villages of Leopoldstadt, Jägerzeile and Zwischenbrücken.
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Meaning
Leopoldstadt
The motif of St Leopold stands for the Leopoldstadt district section.
St Leopold is depicted standing in a green meadow against a silver background. He wears a blue gown with a golden sword, a red cloak trimmed with ermine and the Austrian ducal hat. His right hand holds the model of a church, while his left hand clutches the banner of Lower Austria (five golden eagles in a blue field).
St Leopold is both the patron saint of Leopoldstadt parish church and the imperial patron saint.
The area was originally referred to as "Werd opposite the Red Tower" ("Werd" is an old word for "island"), then "Niederer Werd" and finally "Unterer Werd". In 1670, the local Jewish population was expelled. In the spot that formerly had housed the New Synagogue, a church was built and dedicated to St Leopold, the patron saint of Emperor Leopold I. The name "Leopoldstadt" came into being in this period.
Jägerzeile
The stag of St Hubert symbolises the Jägerzeile (literally, "Hunters' Row") area of the district.
In a green field, a silver stag with twelve-pointed, golden antlers stands on three legs in a green meadow. A golden cross grows from between the antlers.
The stag of St Hubert is the symbol of hunters and hunting.
The name is derived from a settlement of retired court hunters of Emperor Maximilian II (1527 until 1576), which sprang up in the Venediger Au area.
Zwischenbrücken
The symbol of St John of Nepomuk stands for the Zwischenbrücken (literally, "Between the Bridges") section of the district.
In a blue field, we see a red tongue encircled by a golden halo sporting five five-pointed golden stars. According to an old legend, the halo of this patron saint of bridges, glittering with five shining stars, surfaced in the precise spot where he had perished. The priest John of Nepomuk was drowned in the Vltava River because he refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional.
St John of Nepomuk is the patron saint of bridges.
The name of this part of the 2nd municipal district refers to the area situated between the main bed of the Danube and its middle branch. When bridges were built across the river in the area, the name of this section of today’s Leopoldstadt developed logically, as it was situated "between the bridges".
3rd municipal district / Landstrasse
The coat of arms of the 3rd municipal district is tripartite. The background colours of the fields are silver, blue and red (argent, azure and gules in heraldic vocabulary). The fields of the shield symbolise the union of the three formerly independent villages of Landstrasse, Erdberg and Weissgerber.
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Meaning
Landstrasse
St Nicholas symbolises the Landstrasse section of this municipal district.
In a silver field, St Nicholas, wearing a bishop's regalia, stands in a green meadow. He wears a silver cassock and a red cloak with blue lining. In his right hand, he holds three golden balls resting atop a book. His left hand grasps a golden crosier.
According to a legend, the three golden balls were given by this 4th-century saint to the daughters of an impoverished nobleman to rescue them from a life of prostitution.
St Nicholas was the patron saint of the convent of Sankt Niklas once situated along the Landstrasse.
Inspired by the name of the convent, the emerging settlement was called Niklasvorstadt ("Suburb of St Nicholas"), a name that can be traced back to 1200. Moreover, the name "Landstrasse" (which simply signifies "country road") derives from the Roman road crossing the area. The name "Landstrazz" was first mentioned in a document dating from 1302.
Erdberg
The strawberry symbolises the former village of Erdberg. (This is due to the similarity of the words "Erdberg" and "Erdbeere", i.e. strawberry, in German.)
In a blue field, two silver strawberry flowers grow from a green meadow; above them, the coat of arms depicts one red strawberry with two green leaves.
This is a case of canting arms, i.e. a symbol representing a pun or similar-sounding name, and is due to an incorrect etymological derivation of "Erdberg", a former village that is reality owes its name to a fortified structure.
"Ertpurch" (which translates as "Earthwork Fort") is first mentioned in a document from 1192. At the time, a fortified earthwork structure was used as a place of refuge and later referred to as "Erdberg" ("Earth Mound"). In the 12th century, such a fort was situated close to modern-day Kardinal-Nagl-Platz.
Weissgerber
The rams as motifs of the tanners' guild symbolise tawers, i.e. tanners specialising in the manufacturing of white leather.
In a red field, we see two rams rampant, the key motif of tawers. The coat of arms shows two silver rams rampant, facing each other in a green meadow, with a green bush between them. The rams go back to different emblems of the tanners' guild and represent the leather worked and dressed by these craftsmen, while the bush stands for the extraction of tanbark, a tanning agent of vegetable origin.
The name of this district section recalls the tanners and tawers who had been ordered to settle downriver, outside the city proper, due to their malodorous work and its dependence on water resources.
4th municipal district / Wieden
In its current form, the coat of arms of the 4th municipal district, Wieden, only dates back to the 19th century. It represents a combination of the coats of arms of the three suburbs of Wieden, Schaumburgergrund and Hungelbrunnen, all of which were situated in the area today occupied by this municipal district.
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Meaning
Wieden
Wieden is symbolically represented by a willow. This is due to an incorrect interpretation of the name "Wieden" (which resembles the German word for willow, "Weide"). In reality, the name derives from a "Widum" (benefice) of the parish of St Stephen, which owned the major part of today's Wieden from 1137 to 1723.
Schaumburgergrund
The Schaumburgergrund suburb (delimited by today's Favoritenstrasse - Rainergasse - Schaumburgergasse – Wiedner Hauptstrasse - Schönburgstrasse without the Austrian Economic Chamber - Rainergasse - Johann-Strauss-Gasse - Schelleingasse - Schönburgstrasse - Wiedner Gürtel) emerged in 1813 when the land around Starhemberg Palace in Rainergasse was parcelled up into individual lots. The name goes back to the Counts of Schaunberg, a powerful Upper Austrian family, who in the 16th century bequeathed a local manor with vineyards to the house of Starhemberg. The estate was later converted into the imperial pleasure palace Favorita (today’s Theresianum, a higher-education campus). This part of the coat of arms shows the spire of St Stephen's Cathedral encircled by walls and resting atop the Starhemberg coronet. It is also part of the Starhemberg family coat of arms and recalls Vienna's defence by Rüdiger von Starhemberg, who owned the Wieden Freihaus estate, during the Turkish siege of 1683.
Hungelbrunnen
A section of this smallest suburb of Vienna was situated in today's Wieden district, left of Wiedner Hauptstrasse between Schönburgstrasse, Rainergasse and Trappelgasse. The coat of arms shows a well flanked by St Peter and St Florian (St Florian's Church in the Matzleinsdorf suburb). An effigy of the patron saint of Lower Austria, St Leopold, is depicted hovering above the well.
5th municipal district / Margareten
The coat of arms of the 5th municipal district is composed of six parts (hexapartite). The background colours of the fields are red, silver, blue, gold and red (gules, argent, azure, or and gules in heraldic vocabulary), with gold (or) as the background colour of the central shield (inescutcheon). In its six fields, the coat of arms unites the formerly independent villages of Margareten, Nikolsdorf, Matzleinsdorf, Hundsturm, Laurenzergrund and Reinprechtsdorf.
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Meaning
Margareten
St Margaret of Antioch symbolises Margareten as one part of this municipal district.
The coat of arms of Margareten serves as the inescutcheon of the composite coat of arms of the 5th municipal district. An effigy of St Margaret is shown against a gold background. Holding a black cross, she is enthroned on a cloud; a green dragon coils supine at her feet. These are canting arms, in this case depicting a legend: during the persecution of Christians in the 3rd century, St Margaret was imprisoned in a dungeon. According to legend, the devil appeared to her in the guise of a dragon. When she raised her cross to ward off the monster, it burst into a thousand pieces.
In the late 14th century, a chapel at Margareten Castle was dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch and thus gave its name to this formerly independent village.
Nikolsdorf
St Nicholas symbolises Nikolsdorf, another part of this municipal district. In a red field, the saint stands in a green meadow. He wears a silver cassock and blue cloak adorned with gold; a blue mitre is on his head. His right hand holds a crosier, while his left hand clasps an open gospel book.
The name "Nikolsdorf" goes back to Nikolaus Oláh, Archbishop of Gran, today's Esztergom in Hungary. In the mid-16th century, he was lord of the Margareten domain. Since he had a planned settlement constructed, it was named "Nikolausdorf" ("Nicholas's Village") in his honour. Over time, this name was corrupted to become today's Nikolsdorf.
Matzleinsdorf
St Florian represents the Matzleinsdorf district section. Against a silver background, St Florian is shown standing in a green meadow. He wears the golden armour of a Roman warrior with a blue cloak and a helmet with a red plume. With his right hand, he empties a wooden water pail, while his left hand holds a silver standard with a red cross.
St Florian is the patron saint of Matzleinsdorf parish church.
The former village of Matzleinsdorf was first mentioned in a document of 1130 as "Mazelinestorf", which goes back to a male first name, Mazo or Mazelin.
Hundsturm
This part of the 5th municipal district is represented by canting arms designed to symbolise the name: the Hundsturm tower. In a blue field, we see a silver tower in a green meadow. The front half of a bolting silver unicorn projects from open golden gates.
The name "Hundsturm" goes back to 1632 at least and was inspired by a former mill called "Hundsmühle" ("Dog Mill"), known since 1408 as "Hunczmühle in der Scheibenried". Possibly, the name "Hundsturm" may be related to a kennel for hunting dogs erected here in 1602 under Emperor Matthias. In 1672, the Hundsturm manor was rebuilt in a spot formerly occupied by a hunting lodge, giving its name to the settlement that sprang up around it.
Laurenzergrund
The symbol of St Lawrence stands for the municipal district section Laurenzergrund. A black gridiron palewise is set against a golden background. It recalls the martyrdom of St Lawrence, who was tortured to death on a red-hot rack.
Originally, the convent of Sankt Maria Magdalena vor dem Schottentor (the Schottentor was one of Vienna's city gates) owned an estate in the village of Matzleinsdorf. In 1533, it was merged with the nunnery of Sankt Laurenz, giving rise to the name of this former village.
Reinprechtsdorf
The symbol of an imperial orb represents Reinprechtsdorf in the coat of arms of the 5th municipal district.
A blue imperial orb with golden adornments and with a golden cross atop is depicted in a red field. This charge (heraldic motif) was taken from the seal of the Wiener Bürgerspital, a civic hospital that owned this suburb until the late 18th century. In 1786 and 1795, the property was sold to the City of Vienna.
The name of this part of the 5th municipal district harkens back to the former village of "Ramprechtsdorf" (first documented in 1270), which in its turn took its name from a man called "Reinprecht".
6th municipal district / Mariahilf
The district coat of arms shows the five suburbs forming today's 6th municipal district: Laimgrube (left upper corner), Windmühle (right upper corner), Magdalenengrund (left lower section), Gumpendorf (right lower section) and Mariahilf (centre).
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Meaning
Laimgrube
The coat of arms shows the effigy of St Theobald wearing a brown monk's habit and standing in a green meadow against a golden background. To the figure's left, we see an altar adorned with a crucifix, while a red-tiled church is depicted to his right.
Windmühle
This coat of arms again shows St Theobald, this time wearing a bishop's regalia and standing in a green meadow with a silver background. A red-tiled church is depicted to the left of the saint.
Magdalenengrund
St Mary Magdalene, wearing a blue cloak, kneels at the feet of crucified Jesus, who is depicted to her left, against a silver background.
Gumpendorf
Against a black background with a golden tip inverted embowed (i.e. pointing upward), this coat of arms shows three lilies in countercharged colours (black on gold, gold on black). This is the coat of arms of the Muschinger family, the lords of Gumpendorf village in the 16th century.
Mariahilf
This coat of arms features a blue background; a brown ship with a silver sail is floating on swirling waves. The stern of the ship flies a flag with a double-headed eagle; an effigy of Don Juan d'Austria (or John of Austria, a general and illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) is shown standing on the deck. He wears a golden suit of armour and holds a golden sword in his right hand. According to legend, he owed his victory over the Turks in the naval battle at Lepanto (1571) to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
7th municipal district / Neubau
The coat of arms of the 7th municipal district Neubau is composed of five parts. The predominant background colour of the shields is red (gules in heraldic vocabulary), as this colour features in three fields including the central shield (inescutcheon). The background of one field is blue (azure), another is silver (argent).
The Neubau coat of arms is a composite of the shields of the five former suburbs making up this municipal district, namely Neubau, Altlerchenfeld, Sankt Ulrich, Schottenfeld and Spittelberg.
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Meaning
Neubau
A crescent moon and a cross symbolise the Neubau district section.
The inescutcheon placed at the centre of the coat of arms shows a silver crescent moon against a red background. The golden cross towers above the moon, whose horns are pointing upward. It is highly likely that this symbolises the victory over the Ottoman Empire and the successful defence of Vienna against the two Turkish sieges of 1529 and 1683.
The name of this suburb (literally, "New Building") sprang up in the "Auf der Neustift" area. The name "Neubau" gradually caught on after the emergence of a small settlement on some of the plots forming part of the local estate "Oberhof" ("Sankt Ulrichs-Hof").
Altlerchenfeld
Altlerchenfeld, another section of the 7th municipal district, is symbolised by canting arms in the form of golden larks.
A silver cross extends across the entire width and height of the shield against a red background. Four golden larks with their wings spread are depicted in the four corners of the shield.
The name "Lerochveldt" (or "Lark Field") is first documented for this area in the late 13th century; it referred to a sprawling zone of cultivated fields. In 1704, this "Lark Field" was bisected in the wake of the construction of the "Linienwall", a suburban fortification wall around Vienna. Altlerchenfeld ("Old Lark Field") was situated within its boundaries. Today, this neighbourhood is located in the 7th and 8th municipal districts. Conversely, the Neulerchenfeld ("New Lark Field") area is situated outside the boundaries of the Linienwall, in today's 16th municipal district.
Sankt Ulrich
This part of the 7th municipal district takes St Ulrich of Augsburg as its symbol.
Wearing a bishop's regalia with a red cloak, St Ulrich stands in a green meadow with a blue background. He holds a golden crosier in his right hand, while his left hand grasps a silver fish. According to an old legend, a piece of roast goose was given by the bishop to a messenger. The next fast day, it had changed into a fish (it is permitted to eat fish, but no meat, on fast days).
St Ulrich is the patron of the parish church consecrated in his name.
Originally, the village that had sprung up in this area was called "Zeismannsbrunn". This is the oldest documented Viennese suburb (since 1202). From the early 14th century onward, however, the patron saint's name gradually established itself as the standard designation of the Zeismannsbrunn area.
Schottenfeld
The figure of a Scottish priest - again a case of "canting arms", i.e. a coat of arms expressing the name of its holder as a pun or visual rebus - embodies the Schottenfeld ("Scottish Field") section of this municipal district.
Against a silver background, the shield shows a wandering priest in a green meadow. This Scottish priest (a Benedictine; monks originally from Ireland founded many monasteries in today's Austria, including the Viennese "Schottenstift", and were often referred to as "Scots") wears a brown monk's habit and holds a staff in his right hand.
The area formerly called "Oberneustift" was only built up in the 19th century. The settlement emerged in the wake of the development of local properties owned by the Schottenstift.
Spittelberg
The Spittelberg area of the 7th municipal district, too, is symbolised by canting arms.
The charges (heraldic motifs) are shown against a red background. A blue imperial orb with golden adornments rests on a rocky mountain. A golden cross juts from the orb. Above the rocky mountain, the Holy Spirit hovers in the shape of a silver dove, surrounded by a golden halo.
The dove and imperial orb were taken from the seal of the civic hospital "Wiener Bürgerspital".
The name likewise derives from the local civic hospital, as the area was purchased by the Wiener Bürgerspital from 1525 onward, resulting in the name "Spitalberg" ("Hospital Hill"). The current name has been established since the early 19th century.
8th municipal district / Josefstadt
The coat of arms of the 8th municipal district is pentapartite, taking the shape of four separate shields with a central shield (inescutcheon) superimposed in the middle. The backgrounds of the individual shields are red, gold, blue, red and blue (gules, or, azure, gules and azure in heraldic vocabulary). This composite combines the arms of the five formerly independent villages of Josefstadt, Altlerchenfeld, Alsergrund, Breitenfeld and Strozzigrund.
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Meaning
Josefstadt
The charge (effigy) of St Joseph symbolises the former village of Josefstadt.
St Joseph stands in a green meadow against a blue background. He wears a red robe with a brown mantle. His right hand clasps a lily stem with three buds and four open flowers, while his left arm cradles baby Jesus.
The area was purchased by the City of Vienna in 1700 and named "Josephstadt" in honour of then Crown Prince Joseph (Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I from 1705).
Alsergrund
As "canting arms" (i.e. arms reflecting a pun or play on words), the magpie ("Elster" in German) represents the Alsergrund section of this municipal district.
A magpie is shown against a golden background, sitting on the bough of a leaved shrub growing on a green meadow.
The name is actually derived from a brook called "Als", "Alsbach" or "Alsterbach", which is the second-longest brook originating in the Vienna Woods after Wien River. The area called "Alsergrund", i.e. the zone surrounding Als brook, was first mentioned in a document from 1044.
Altlerchenfeld
As canting arms, golden larks symbolise the Altlerchenfeld section of the 8th municipal district.
Against a red background, a silver cross extends over the entire shield. Four golden larks with their wings spread are shown in the four corners of the shield.
The name "Lerochveldt" (or "Lark Field") is first documented for this area in the late 13th century; it referred to a sprawling zone of cultivated fields. In 1704, this "Lark Field" was bisected in the wake of the construction of the "Linienwall", a suburban fortification wall around Vienna. Altlerchenfeld ("Old Lark Field") was situated within its boundaries. Today, this neighbourhood is located in the 7th and 8th municipal districts. Conversely, the Neulerchenfeld ("New Lark Field") area is situated outside the boundaries of the Linienwall, in today's 16th municipal district.
Breitenfeld
St Mary as Queen of Heaven symbolises the former village of Breitenfeld.
Against a blue background, the Virgin Mary is shown standing on a cloud above a green meadow. St Mary, represented here as the Queen of Heaven, wears a golden robe, a red cloak and a crown. There is a radiant nimbus, or halo, around her head. Her right hand holds a golden imperial orb with a cross jutting from its top, while her left hand clasps a golden sceptre. This charge, or heraldic motif, was taken from the coat of arms of the Schottenkloster ("Scottish Abbey" in Vienna).
The name "Breitenfeld" ("Broad Field") resulted when permission was given to build houses on a large cornfield in the area. The development of this "broad field" between Hernals and Lerchenfeld began in the early 19th century.
Strozzigrund
The Strozzigrund section of this district takes its coat of arms from that of the noble Strozzi family.
A silver horizontal fess (a horizontal bar in heraldic vocabulary) is shown against a red background.
The name of this part of the municipal district dates back to Countess Maria Katharina Strozzi. After the Second Turkish Siege of Vienna, extensive construction activities in the area were initiated by this noblewoman. A garden palace erected on her orders triggered the further development of the surrounding zone.
9th municipal district / Alsergrund
In 1904, Hugo Gerald Ströhl created the coat of arms for the 9th municipal district based on the seals of the former suburbs occupying the area. The seal of the Alservorstadt suburb adorns the centre of the coat of arms, while the others are grouped in a circle around the magpie. In 1991, the left upper field (which in heraldry is actually is the right - or dexter - upper field, i.e. seen from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield), which stands for Michelbeuern, was modified for reasons of heraldic neatness. Before that, this field, too, had depicted a magpie.
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Meaning
- Alservorstadt: magpie, sitting on a tree
- Althangrund: a stag passant (i.e. striding, with its right forepaw raised) facing left, with a cross between its antlers
- Himmelpfortgrund: a lamb carrying a banner with the cross
- Lichtental: on the right and left, one mountain each with a house atop it, with a valley between and a resplendent sun above
- Michelbeuern: the silver wings of Archangel Michael (the patron of Michelbeuern Monastery near Salzburg, which owned land in this area)
- Rossau: a meadow with willows
- Thurygrund: St John the Baptist, carrying a church in his right hand and a standard with the cross in his left, with a lamb standing by his side
10th municipal district / Favoriten
The coat of arms of the 10th municipal district is hexapartite. In addition to the emblems of the individual district sections Favoriten, Oberlaa, Rothneusiedl, Unterlaa and Inzersdorf-Stadt, which occupy five shields, the central shield (inescutcheon) shows the coat of arms of the 10th municipal district Favoriten as a whole.
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Meaning
Municipal district Favoriten
The Spinner at the Cross symbolises the municipal district Favoriten. This shield representing the 10th municipal district is divided horizontally into one red and one silver section (gules and argent in heraldic vocabulary). The centre of the shield depicts a Late Gothic stone monument, the "Spinner at the Cross", which in addition to the Water Tower is perhaps the most famous landmark of the 10th municipal district. The monument was created in 1452 by Hanns Puchspaum. The 10th municipal district owes its name to the architectural complex today called "Theresianum", which occupies the area formerly accommodating an imperial pleasure palace called "Favorita".
Favoriten (old part of the municipal district)
St John the Evangelist embodies the old part of the modern municipal district likewise called Favoriten. The coat of arms dates from 1905. A white cross extends on a red background, with St John the Evangelist in front of the cross. The saint wears a blue robe and a green cloak. His right hand holds a golden quill, while his left hand clasps a golden Gospel Book. He is accompanied by an eagle sitting to his right. The church in Keplerplatz square is dedicated to St John the Evangelist.
Oberlaa
The Oberlaa section of the 10th municipal district is represented by a silver fountain against a blue background. Two water jets facing away from each other gush from the basin of the fountain; they symbolise the medicinal springs and spa facilities of Oberlaa. Originally, the name "Laa" was reserved for Unterlaa, the lower part of the village, first mentioned in documents from 1182/85. "Laa" (also "Lâ", "Loch" or "Lach") means "low brushwood". In the Middle Ages, the slopes of Laaerberg Hill were overgrown with shrubs and bushes.
Rothneusiedl
The charge (heraldic motif) of a red ring kiln stands for the Rothneusiedl section of this municipal district. Against a blue background, we see a red ring kiln, with a silver brook winding below. This coat of arms represents the industries of Favoriten, whose first flourishing dates back to roughly the mid-19th century and was triggered by the mining of clay deposits on Wienerberg and Laaerberg Hills for brick production. The name "Rothneusiedl" refers to a "new settlement", i.e. "Newsidel", first mentioned in a document from 1301. The prefix "Roth" (which may signify "red") possibly relates to the red soil typical of part of the area. However, other interpretations assume that the name might be due to local buildings erected with raw bricks, as the words "roh" ("raw") and "rot" sound similar.
Unterlaa
The Maltese Cross symbolises Unterlaa. A red Maltese Cross is displayed against a golden background. It makes reference to the Maltese Cross on the spire of Unterlaa Church. In the late 13th century, the chivalric order of the Knights Hospitaller - later on the Order of Malta - purchased the domain of "Lô" and built a church and a hospital here. Originally, Unterlaa was a linear village emerging along a frontage of Liesing Brook.
Inzersdorf-Stadt
A bunch of grapes adorned with ears of wheat is the symbol of the Inzersdorf-Stadt section of the 10th municipal district. A golden bunch of grapes with one green leaf is shown against a red background. It is topped by three golden ears of wheat. This motif symbolises agriculture and viticulture, typical of this area since the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, the independent village Imicinesdorf developed here; there also exist other variations of this name, all going back to the putative founder of a local community, a man called "Imizi".
11th municipal district / Simmering
The coat of arms of the 11th municipal district is tripartite. The backgrounds of the shields are blue, yellow and red (azure, or and gules in heraldic vocabulary). In its three fields, the coat of arms combines the emblems of the three former villages of Simmering, Kaiserebersdorf and Albern.
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Meaning
Simmering
The silver "S" symbolises Simmering.
Set against a blue background, the silver capital letter "S" stands for Simmering. This name is first mentioned in a document from 1028, where it was spelled "Simanningen". It is likely that this was a settlement established by a certain Simon or Sindman.
Kaiserebersdorf
The unicorn salient ("leaping" in heraldic vocabulary) symbolises Kaiserebersdorf.
The leaping black unicorn against a golden background depicted here was taken from the coat of arms of the lords of Hintperg-Ebersdorf, who owned these lands before they passed into the property of the imperial family.
"Ebersdorf" is documented as the residence of this powerful house already since 1162. In 1499, it was swapped for other properties, thus passing to Emperor Maximilian I, which led to the addition of the prefix "Kaiser" to designate the area as an imperial domain.
Albern
Crossed fishes serve as the emblem symbolising Albern.
Two crossed silver fishes are depicted inside a blue circle against a red background. They symbolise fishing, which has a long tradition in the village of Albern.
The name of the area goes back to the local while poplar (abele) stock and was first mentioned in a document from 1162.
12th municipal district / Meidling
The municipal district coat of arms of Meidling is composed of five parts; the background colours of the shields are red, silver, blue and gold (gules, argent, azure and or in heraldic vocabulary), with an inescutcheon (centre shield) in the middle. The individual shields stand for the former villages of Untermeidling, Gaudenzdorf, Hetzendorf, Obermeidling and Altmannsdorf, which together make up today's 12th municipal district.
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Meaning
Untermeidling
A nymph rising from the waves and a Roman altar stone represent Untermeidling.
The golden inescutcheon is divided horizontally. The upper part shows a naked, long-haired nymph emerging from blue waves. Her hands hold silver pitchers with blue decorations - a reference to Wien River and the medicinal springs found in this area.
The lower part of the golden shield shows a square Roman stone with a black inscription (Nymphis sacrum T. Vettius Rufus leg. III.), which recalls the Roman altar stone found here, close to Wien River, in 1853.
The name of this neighbourhood was first mentioned in 1146 as "Mwerlingen"; a manuscript of 1183 refers to this area as "Muerlingen". The roots of the name are unclear. It is assumed that it derives from the Middle German word "Were" (property, fortification); a Slavic or Celtic origin cannot be excluded either.
Gaudenzdorf
St John of Nepomuk symbolises the Gaudenzdorf section of this municipal district.
Against a red background, this coat of arms shows a silver bridge structured by arches, with a blue base representing water. St John of Nepomuk, clad in black robes with a silver surplice and a red stole with golden ornaments, stands on this bridge. Moreover, the saint wears the black biretta of a Catholic priest and is surrounded by a halo set with five golden stars. His right hand holds a brown cross, while his left rests against his breast.
Apart from being the patron saint of the local parish church, St John of Nepomuk is also considered a protector against floods. This indicates that, before the training of Wien River, floods were a dangerous possibility in the area.
This very young part of the 12th municipal district only came into being after 1812. Its name goes back to Gaudenz Andreas Dunkler, Provost of Klosterneuburg Monastery.
Hetzendorf
The cross of the Teutonic Order is the emblem of Hetzendorf.
Against a silver background, a black cross extends across the entire height and width of the coat of arms. This is the coat of arms of the Teutonic Order, which owned the domain of Hetzendorf from 1456 onward.
The designation "Hercendorf" appears for the first time in a document dating from 1156 and is derived from a man called "Herco", who gave its name to this former village.
Obermeidling
A golden mill wheel and a green mountain symbolise the Obermeidling section of the 12th municipal district.
The shield of Obermeidling is divided horizontally. The upper part shows a golden mill wheel against a red background, which recalls the mills on Wien River formerly found in the area.
The lower part of the shield depicts a green mountain against a silver background. Above the mountain, a golden half moon with a face and a golden, six-pointed star are shown, indicating the vineyards formerly found on the slopes of Grüner Berg (literally, "Green Mountain").
Altmannsdorf
A rising black raven with a golden ring in its beak - the symbol of St Oswald - is the emblem of Altmannsdorf.
Against a blue background, a back raven takes to the sky with its wings spread and a golden ring in its beak. This image recalls the courtship of King Oswald of Northumbria in England. Legend has it that he sent a raven trained to speak Latin to the prospective bride's father, who in the past had had all suitors of his daughter put to death.
Altmannsdorf Church is dedicated to St Oswald.
First mentioned in a 12th-century document, the name "Altmannidorf" was probably inspired by Bishop Altmann of Passau.
13th municipal district / Hietzing
The coat of arms of the 13th municipal district Hietzing is composed of five shields: Hietzing (centre), Hacking (left upper corner), Sankt Veit (right upper corner), Speising (left lower section) and Lainz (right lower section). The central inescutcheon shows a tree standing on a green meadow against a silver background. Inside its crown, we see the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus surrounded by a golden aureole and flanked by two winged, naked angels. Four peasants are praying below the tree.
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Meaning
Hietzing
According to a folktale, an effigy of St Mary hidden in a tree freed four peasants chained to it by saying "Hüats enk" (vernacular for "Beware"). Supposedly, this happened in 1529. Some authors also derive the name "Hietzing" from this legend.
Hacking
The coat of arms of the Hacking district section is composed of three axes ("Hacke" in German) arranged one atop the other. The coat of arms features countercharged colours, i.e. a red background and white axe alternate with a white background and red axe.
Sankt Veit
Against a blue background, St Vitus raises his right hand in benediction while holding a palm branch in his left hand. The saint stands inside a brown cauldron positioned above a raging fire pit. According to legend, St Vitus was martyred by being immersed in a cauldron filled with boiling oil.
Speising
Against a blue background, this coat of arms shows a golden-beaked, silver pelican "in her piety". This is a heraldic term describing a pelican depicted while nourishing its young - in this case, there are three of them, perching in a golden nest - with its own blood.
Lainz
A silver stag with twelve-pointed, golden antlers stands in a green meadow. A golden cross juts from its head; the background is red. This coat of arms makes reference to the Lainzer Tiergarten, Vienna's vast wildlife preserve.
14th municipal district / Penzing
The five shields of this municipal district coat of arms are derived from the five seals of the former villages of Breitensee, Hütteldorf, Hadersdorf, Baumgarten and Penzing.
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Meaning
Breitensee
The symbol shown in the left upper section of the coat of arms of the 14th municipal district represents St Lawrence, the patron of the parish church of Breitensee. Already in the 18th century, the palace chapel of Breitensee had chosen St Lawrence as its patron saint; after the new church was consecrated in 1898, this "patrocinium" (patronage) was transferred to it.
Hütteldorf
The right upper corner of the coat of arms depicts town walls with a gate. This motif was taken from the official seal of the village of Hütteldorf.
Hadersdorf
The left lower symbol represents the Hadersdorf-Weidlingau section of the 14th municipal district and depicts St Mary with baby Jesus. Since St Mary was the patron saint of Mariabrunn parish church, her effigy was integrated into the official seal of the village in 1851, concomitantly with the transformation of Hadersdorf into part of an incorporated Lower Austrian municipality.
Baumgarten
The seal of Baumgarten (literally, "arboretum") shows a conifer behind a wickerwork fence.
Penzing
The centre of the coat of arms shows the official seal of Penzing. It depicts the imperial orb taken from the arms of the civic hospital "Wiener Bürgerspital" and also features the letters "DP" for "Dorf Penzing" ("Village of Penzing"). For several centuries, the Wiener Bürgerspital was the sovereign owner of large tracts of land in this village.
15th municipal district / Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus
The coat of arms of the 15th municipal district Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus is composed of four parts (tetrapartite). It bears witness to the formation of this district out of the formerly independent villages of Rustendorf, Reindorf, Braunhirschen, Fünfhaus and Sechshaus. The colours of the shields are blue, green, silver and red (azure, vert, argent and gules in heraldic vocabulary). The upper half of the coat of arms symbolises Rudolfsheim and is composed of three shields, while the lower half stands for Fünfhaus and features only one shield.
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Meaning
Rustendorf
Rustendorf is symbolised by a silver half moon with a face, set against a blue background. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "rust" (elm tree) as a reference to the numerous elms found in this area. A vineyard "Under the Elms" is first mentioned in documents dating from around 1700.
Reindorf
The golden bunch of grapes represents the Reindorf section of the 15th municipal district. Against a green background, the coat of arms depicts a hanging golden bunch of grapes with two golden leaves. It recalls the vineyards formerly cultivated in this area. The area "in der Rhein" ("in the Valley" or "in the Hollow") was first mentioned in a document of 1344. From 1360 onward, it was called "Reintal"; after 1411, "Reindorff".
Braunhirschen
A brown stag serves as the motif of these "canting arms" (i.e. an emblem representing a pun or play on words). It denotes the former village of Braunhirschen. A twelve-pointed, brown stag with majestic antlers is shown against a silver background. In fact, the name of the area derives from a local tavern - "Zum braunen Hirschen" ("The Brown Stag") - that used to stand here and was first mentioned in 1754.
Fünfhaus
The Archangel Michael is the symbol of the former suburbs of Fünfhaus and Sechshaus ("Five Houses" and "Six Houses"). Their shield is the biggest in the coat of arms of the 15th municipal district. Against a red background, it depicts a scene involving the Archangel Michael. The Archangel wears a silver gown with a golden cross on his breast. His head is adorned with a golden helmet crested with ostrich plumes. His right hand grasps a golden lance with a cross at its top. The Archangel is in the process of slaying a green, fire-breathing dragon stretched supine on the brown-coloured ground.
The villages of Fünfhaus and Sechshaus were properties of the Barnabite College of St Michael in Vienna, which explains the use of the Archangel as charge (heraldic motif). The name of the area derives from a tiny settlement that until around 1708 was composed of only five houses.
Sechshaus
The former coat of arms of Sechshaus was practically identical to that of Fünfhaus and thus was absorbed into it.
In the past, Sechshaus was a small village composed of no more than six houses. It was first mentioned in a document of 1769.
16th municipal district / Ottakring
The coat of arms of the 16th municipal district symbolises the formerly independent villages of Ottakring and Neulerchenfeld.
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Meaning
Ottakring
The coat of arms of Ottakring recalls the period before 1848, when Klosterneuburg Monastery exercised sovereign rights over this village. Since 1777, a great part of Ottakring was a property of the Schottenstift (the Benedictine "Scottish Abbey" of Vienna). The coat of arms depicts a trimount (a heraldic motif composed of three rounded hills) topped by a shield with a cross, which in its turn is adorned with a mitre (bishop's headdress).
Neulerchenfeld
The coat of arms of Neulerchenfeld shows three birds (larks; an indication of the name) and a tree (a larch; again indicated by the name). Thus the coat of arms reflects the two possible origins of the name "Lerchenfeld". Some historians believe that it derives from a pastime pursued by the imperial court: allegedly, some nobles were wont to catch larks on the rolling fields in this area. Yet others are convinced that the name is due to a larch forest that presumably extended between Ottakring and Neudeggergrund (an area that today forms part of the 8th municipal district). However, both etymologies are only conjectures.
17th municipal district / Hernals
Between 1890 and 1892, three former suburbs – Hernals, Dornbach and Neuwaldegg – were combined to form the 17th municipal district of Vienna. Already long before this, however, there had been close contacts between the villages. The coat of arms of the municipal district Hernals thus presents a composite of the emblems symbolising these three historically documented villages.
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Meaning
Hernals
A blue bunch of grapes against a red background symbolises viticulture as the key economic foundation of Alt-Hernals. Until the last century, the vineyards of Hernals extended to the Alsbach, a local brook. Today, this is where the street Hormayrgasse ends at Elterleinplatz square, and the brook - still there but vaulted over - flows deep below the road surface.
Dornbach
The left lower field of the coat of arms shows two crossed church keys against a yellow background. This references the formerly dominant position of Dornbach parish as a property of the Benedictine St Peter's Abbey of Salzburg; its name "Rupertipfarre" recalls St Rupert, the first bishop of Salzburg and abbot of St Peter's. To this day, the priest of Dornbach, a Benedictine monk of St Peter's Abbey, puts up a "Heurigenbuschen" (a bunch of brushwood or pine tree branches) outside the parish as soon as the new wine from the parish's own vineyards has matured in the cellars and is ready for drinking.
Neuwaldegg
The right lower field of the coat of arms depicts a house between two trees. In the past, the small village of Ober-Dornbach boasted a manor that was refurbished several times over. Finally, the famous Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach gave Neuwaldegg Palace its current shape and an independent village evolved around it.
18th municipal district / Währing
The coat of arms of the 18th municipal district Währing is composed of four individual fields with silver, blue and red (argent, azure and gules in heraldic vocabulary) backgrounds and a blue-and-silver chequered inescutcheon (central shield). The fields depict the various patron saints of the former suburbs of Währing, Pötzleinsdorf, Gersthof and Weinhaus. Independent villages until 1 January 1892, they now form the municipal district Währing.
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Meaning
Währing
As the patron saint of Währing, St Lawrence represents this part of the municipal district.
St Lawrence stands in a green meadow against a quartered blue-and-silver background. He wears a silver alba (long tunic) and a red dalmatic (overgarment) trimmed with gold. He holds a palm leaf in his right hand and a black gridiron - the symbol of his martyrdom - in his left.
The name "Warich", whose origins are unclear, was first mentioned in documents dating from 1161/76.
Pötzleinsdorf
The charge (heraldic motif) of St Giles symbolises the former village of Pötzleinsdorf. Against a silver background, the saint, dressed in a brown monk’s habit, stands in a green meadow. His left hand clasps a red book, while his right hand rests on the back of a deer. A conifer stands to the right of the two figures. St Giles is the patron saint of the old church of Pötzleinsdorf.
The name of this village - first mentioned in chronicles of 1112 as "ad Pezelinisdorf" - derives from that of a man called "Pezili".
Gersthof
St John of Nepomuk is the patron saint of Gersthof and symbolises this part of the 18th municipal district in the composite coat of arms.
Clad in a silver surplice with a red stole trimmed with golden ornaments, St John of Nepomuk stands in a green meadow against a blue background. His halo is adorned with five golden stars. His right hand holds a green palm leaf; his left, a crucifix. St John of Nepomuk is the patron saint of the church of Gersthof.
As early as in the 15th century, the area was referred to as "zu Gersthof". It was named after the family of Hanns Gerstler, who already for some time before 1455 had owned a big local farmstead. This property formed the nucleus of a linear village.
Weinhaus
Two vintners with a bunch of golden grapes represent Weinhaus.
This emblem shows two vintners walking on a green meadow with a red background. They wear brown jackets, dark breeches and green hats. On their shoulders, they carry a wooden pole, from which a gigantic bunch of golden grapes with green leaves is dangling. As this is a case of "canting arms" ("speaking arms"), the scene symbolises viticulture - a typical feature of the area – as well as the traditional "vintners’ crown", which is carried in this manner even today at festivities. The Biblical scouts Joshua and Caleb are the patron saints of Weinhaus.
"Weinhovs" was first mentioned in a document of 1266. The name is derived from a single, renowned wine tavern (literally, "wine house").
19th municipal district / Döbling
The coat of arms of the 19th municipal district comprises nine individual emblems. The dominant background colour is silver (argent in heraldic vocabulary), which is used four times. Two fields each are blue (azure) and golden (or); one is red (gules). The nine fields represent the former independent villages of Oberdöbling, Heiligenstadt, Unterdöbling, Nussdorf, Salmannsdorf, Neustift am Walde, Sievering, Kahlenbergdorf and Grinzing.
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Meaning
Oberdöbling
The Oberdöbling district section is symbolised by a bunch of golden grapes. The former village of Oberdöbling occupies the central position (inescutcheon) on the coat of arms of the 19th municipal district. A bunch of golden grapes with one green leaf and tendrils is shown against a blue background to symbolise the abundant vineyards in this area.
The name appears for the first time in 1114 as "Teopilic". In the past, it was believed that this name had its origin in the Middle High German word "tobl" (ravine, wooded valley). Today, historians are convinced that it is derived from the Slavic word "toplica" (marshy water, humid site).
Heiligenstadt
The Archangel Michael is the symbol of the Heiligenstadt suburb of the 19th municipal district. Shown against a silver background, he is depicted holding the scales of judgment to weigh the souls of the dead. Behind him, a two-legged green dragon with a red tongue and a red spiked tail lies prostrate. The Archangel wears blue scale armour with a golden cross on his breast and a golden helmet. His right hand grasps a golden sword, while the left holds the golden scales. St Michael is the patron saint of Heiligenstadt.
The name "Heiligenstadt" was first mentioned in a document towards the end of the 12th century. Legend has it that St Severinus preached as an apostle to the local pagans. Once converted, they called this site "holy place" (sanctus locus), which gave its current name to the area.
Unterdöbling
St James is the charge (heraldic motif) representing Unterdöbling. Wearing a green gown and wrapped in a red cloak, he is shown standing against a golden background. His right hand holds a brown cross-staff, while his left clasps a black book. He is the patron saint of the parish church of Heiligenstadt.
Far into the 17th century, this location was actually referred to as "Krottendorf" due to the Krottenbach, a local watercourse. The origin of the present-day name is the same as that of Oberdöbling (see above).
Nussdorf
The golden nuts are "canting arms" (i.e. expressing a pun or play on words) representing Nussdorf. Against a blue background, we notice a golden tree trunk with two golden branches sprouting three golden nuts and eight golden leaves. This coat of arms recalls the numerous walnut trees planted here by the Romans.
The name "Nuzdorf" first appears in a document dating from 1114 and references the typical walnut groves of the area. 2,000 years ago, the Romans in fact chopped down the local forest to plant walnut trees.
Salmannsdorf
St Sebastian stands for Salmannsdorf, another section of the 19th municipal district. A green meadow with two trees is shown against a silver background. Clad in a blue loincloth, St Sebastian is bound to the larger tree on the left hand (in heraldry, though, this would be the right-hand tree, as coats of arms are interpreted from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield). His body is pierced by five black arrows with red fletching. St Sebastian is the patron saint of the chapel at Salmannsdorf.
The oldest document mentioning the name "Salmanstorf" dates back to 1279. It is likely that a steward or bailiff ("salman" in Middle High German) of the margraves who were the local lords of the manor owned a property here, giving rise to this name.
Neustift am Walde
St Roch symbolises the Neustift am Walde neighbourhood. The saint is depicted standing in a green meadow against a silver background. He wears a brown gown, a blue cloak and a brown pilgrim’s hat. His right hand clasps a pilgrim’s staff. A yellow/brown-spotted dog lies behind the saint. St Roch is the patron of the parish church of Neustift.
Neustift was first mentioned in a document dating from 1315. The name refers to a settlement that sprang up near a new endowment ("Neustift"), i.e. a new church or monastery, close to a wood.
Sievering
St Severinus also serves as the heraldic emblem of Sievering, another neighbourhood of the 19th municipal district. Wearing a red cloak with blue lining and a silver alba (long tunic), the saint stands in a green meadow against a golden background. His left hand clasps a crosier, while his right hand is raised in blessing. St Severinus is the patron of the parish church of Sievering.
In 1114, this former village was first mentioned in a document a "Sufringen" and later as "Suueringan". The name indicates a settlement inhabited by retainers of a man called "Sufro" or "Sufr".
Kahlenbergdorf
The coat of arms of Kahlenbergdorf features St George, the dragon slayer. The scene of the saint slaying the monster is presented as taking place on a brown hill against a red background. St George wears a golden suit of armour and a golden helmet and sits astride a silver horse with a blue blanket. With his golden spear, he slays a green dragon lying supine on its back. St George is the patron saint of the church of Kahlenbergdorf.
The name derives from modern-day Leopoldsberg Hill, which was called "Kahlenberg" far into the 17th century. The name of this settlement can be dated back to around 1115.
Grinzing
As another case of canting arms, the former village of Grinzing is symbolised by a man holding a bunch of grapes. The figure stands in a green meadow against a silver background. He wears a red coat trimmed with gold, brown breeches and silver stockings. In his right hand, he holds a big bunch of blue grapes with two green leaves. This image represents viticulture, a typical activity of Grinzing.
The vineyards of "Grincing" were first mentioned in a document dating from 1114. It may be assumed that the origin of the name goes back to a man called "Grinzo", who inhabited this area together with his retainers.
20th municipal district / Brigittenau
The coat of arms of the 20th municipal district is bipartite (a composite of two fields). It stands for the coats of arms of the two formerly independent villages of Brigittenau and Zwischenbrücken. The upper half of the coat of arms is blue (azure in heraldic vocabulary), while the lower one is silver (argent).
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Meaning
Brigittenau
A silver anchor represents Brigittenau.
An upright silver anchor with a ring is shown against a blue background to symbolise navigation on the Danube and Danube Canal.
The name "Brigittenau" ("Au" signifies "wetland landscape") goes back to the Brigittakapelle, a chapel erected here in 1650.
Zwischenbrücken
St John of Nepomuk is the symbol of the Zwischenbrücken section of the 20th municipal district.
Against a silver background, we see a red tongue encircled by a golden halo sporting five five-pointed golden stars. St John of Nepomuk is the patron saint of bridges and in this case symbolises the area originally situated between the Danube proper and the Kaiserwasser, an old branch of the river now used as a lake for leisure and recreation.
The name "Zwischenbrücken" goes back to the time of bridge construction. When bridges were built across the river, this area was suddenly situated "between the bridges", precisely as the name says.
21st municipal district / Floridsdorf
The coat of arms of the 21st municipal district is hexapartite (composed of six parts). The central shield (inescutcheon) is positioned in the middle, surrounded by five others. Among the background colours of the individual fields, three are silver (argent in heraldic vocabulary), two are blue (azure) and one is red (gules). This composite unites the coats of arms of the former independent villages of Floridsdorf, Leopoldau, Stammersdorf, Jedlesee, Strebersdorf and Grossjedlersdorf.
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Meaning
Floridsdorf
A vase with red flowers is the heraldic symbol of the former village of Floridsdorf. This shield – the inescutcheon – shows a green flower vase with two handles against a silver background. The vase is filled with tendrils and, between them, three red flowers. The charge (heraldic motif) references the name of this municipal district, which seems to allude to the Latin word for "flower": "flos".
Actually, the name of the 21st municipal district goes back to a settlement named after Floridus Leeb, Provost of Klosterneuburg Monastery. Previously, the settlement had been known as "Am Spitz" due to the acute angle ("Spitz") formed by the junction of two main roads.
Leopoldau
The ""golden ears of wheat"" symbolise the former village of Leopoldau. Against a blue background, the shield depicts a right human arm holding a bunch of golden ears of wheat. The five ears of wheat grasped in the fist recall the numerous farms of Leopoldau.
The name of this part of the 21st district was inspired by Emperor Leopold I (who reigned 1658 until 1705), as the monarch wished to change the name of the village, which had first appeared in documents from 1120/36 as "Alpitowe". This original name (later also transformed into "Elpeltaw" and "Eypeltau") has Slavic roots and means "Swan Village".
Stammersdorf
This is a case of "canting arms" (i.e. a coat of arms that includes some sort of pun or play on words). Trees are to symbolise the former village of Stammersdorf (in German, "Stamm" means "tree trunk"). Against a silver background, four trees stand side by side in a green meadow: one leaf tree and three conifers extend to the upper edge of the field. The powerful tree trunks were adopted as the heraldic motif of these canting arms due to a misinterpretation of the name of this erstwhile village.
First mentioned in documents of 1177/85, the place names "Stueumarstorf" and "Stevmarisdorf" are actually derived from the Slavic male name "Stojmir".
Jedlesee
An effigy of the Blessed Virgin of Loreto cradling baby Jesus in her arms is the symbol of Jedlesee. Clad entirely in gold, St Mary with her child occupies the centre of the silver shield. The figures are wrapped in a golden mantle adorned with strings of pearls and crowns. Left and right, there are two red letters: M (for Mary) and L (for Loreto). Our Lady of Loreto is the patron saint of Jedlesee Church, and the coat of arms replicates the Marian statue exhibited in the original pilgrimage church in Italy.
The name "Jedlesee" derives from a body of water (a lake) that in its turn was named after a man called "Vci". Jedlesee was first mentioned in a document from 1120/25 as "Vcinse".
Strebersdorf
A tower represents the former village of Strebersdorf. The background of the shield is blue; a tower with two red banners stands in a green meadow. The tower itself is white, has a red roof and moreover features two round black windows and a black gate with two golden door wings.
The name was inspired by that of a person, a man called "Strob(e)li". The first mention of Strebersdorf in a document dates back to 1250/60.
Grossjedlersdorf
The heraldic motif of Grossjedlersdorf is the image of two crossed sacks. Two silver sacks are shown against a red background. They are tied and piled crosswise atop each other. The sacks symbolise farming, which used to be the predominant economic activity of Grossjedlersdorf.
The village was first mentioned in documents around 1150 as "Vrliugestorf"; from 1590 on, it was called "Jedledorff". It is likely that its name goes back to a man with the byname "Vrliug".
22nd municipal district / Donaustadt
The coat of arms of the 22nd municipal district is octopartite (composed of eight parts). The dominant colours are red and blue (gules and azure in heraldic vocabulary) with three shields each. The background of one shield is silver (argent), one has a horizontally divided ("party per fess", in heraldic vocabulary) silver and red background. With its eight fields, the coat of arms of Donaustadt represents the former Marchfeld villages of Stadlau, Aspern, Süssenbrunn, Breitenlee, Kagran, Essling, Kaisermühlen and Hirschstetten. The Marchfeld is a fertile plain adjoining Vienna to the east.
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Meaning
Stadlau
A barn (Stadel) amid a wetland (Au) landscape symbolises this part of the 22nd municipal district as "canting arms", i.e. arms that represent a play on words, a pun or similar. Against a blue background, a wooden barn stands in a green meadow with trees. The barn has a straw roof with two red banners; its door is bolted. The name "Stadelowe" (literally, "Wetland with a Barn") was first mentioned in documents from 1147/67. Such barns were used to store grain given as tithe to the local feudal lord.
Aspern
As another case of canting arms, an aspen tree represents the former Marchfeld village of Aspern. Against a silver background, a green tree stands in a green meadow. The aspen tree clearly symbolises this part of the 22nd municipal district, whose name is in fact derived from it. The first mention of Aspern is made in documents dating from 1250/60.
Süssenbrunn
The symbol of Süssenbrunn is a golden draw well. Against a blue background, the image shows a golden draw well standing on grey stone flooring. The well is roofed over; a golden bucket dangles from a rope. This charge (heraldic motif) makes reference to a well that once stood in this area. In the beginning, the settlement was simply called "Brunn" ("Well"). Its name changed in the Late Middle Ages to reflect that of a local squire, a man called "Süss" or "Siehs". Thus the name actually means "Well of Squire Süss".
Breitenlee
A silver Austrian shield with a crosier and a girdle book represents Breitenlee. This heraldic motif taken from the coat of arms of the Schottenstift (the Benedictine "Scottish Abbey" of Vienna) is depicted against a red background. A red book with golden hasps is shown against a silver fess (bar) at the centre of this shield. This is a girdle book, a portable book worn by monks and nobles in the Middle Ages. A golden crosier is positioned perpendicular to it. To this day, the Schottenstift operates a farming estate in Breitenlee. "Preitenlee" first appears in documents around 1200. Its name is derived from a natural levee of a branch of the Danube; this "Lee" gave its name to the former village, which thus can be translated as "Broad Ridge".
Kagran
St George, the dragon slayer, is the figure shown in the coat of the arms for Kagran, another part of the 22nd municipal district. The scene of the saint slaying the monster is presented against a red background. St George wears a golden suit of armour and a golden helmet and sits astride a silver horse with a blue blanket. With his golden spear, he slays a green dragon lying supine on its back. St George is the patron saint of the Kagran parish church. The name "Kagran" is derived from a related name, "Wagram", and designates the "edge of the Danube waves" (i.e. a river terrace). The first mention of "Chagaran" dates back to before 1200.
Essling
A patterned golden eagle’s wing symbolises Essling. The shield is divided horizontally ("party per fess", in heraldic vocabulary) into one silver and one red field (argent and gules), with the image of a golden eagle’s wing decorated with a patterned sash: a lozenge pattern is created by black triangles superimposed on a silver background. This heraldic motif was taken from the coat of arms of the lords of Eslarn. "Eselaren" appears first in documents from 1250/60. The name "Essling" dates back to 1590, although its origins are not entirely clear. It may be derived from that of a family ("Ezelaren") or from a settlement where donkeys ("Esel" in German) were used or traded.
Kaisermühlen
A golden ship mill represents the Kaisermühlen district section as canting arms. The golden ship mill is shown against a blue background to recall these mills, once typical of the area. Thus the name refers to the ship mills on the Danube and its branches. Since these mills were imperial property, the area was called "Kaisermühlen" ("Emperor’s Mills").
Hirschstetten
Canting arms depicting a leaping stag represent Hirschstetten. A golden stag with ten-pointed antlers is shown leaping across a green meadow against a red background. The stag symbolises the former village of Hirschstetten ("Hirsch" means "stag") as a result of faulty etymology. The area, which was first mentioned in a document from 1258/59, was originally referred to as "Hertensteten"; from 1277 on, its name was "Hetsteten". The true origin of the name, however, is unclear. It is conceivable that the settlement was named after a man called "Harto". Other possibilities include a derivation from "hearth" ("Herdstelle" in German) or from "herenter", a dialectal expression for "this side of the Danube".
23rd municipal district / Liesing
The coat of arms of the 23rd municipal district is octopartite (composed of eight parts). The background colours are blue and silver (azure and argent in heraldic vocabulary). The lower part of the escutcheon (central shield) is silver and presents a tip inverted embowed (i.e. pointing upward). The eight fields of the coat of arms of Liesing represent the eight parts of this municipal district: Atzgersdorf, Erlaa, Inzersdorf, Kalksburg, Liesing, Mauer, Rodaun and Siebenhirten. The lower silver section of the escutcheon shows a hazel branch above a flaming base and the date "1683". Three green leaves and four fruits are arranged in a star pattern. These symbols make reference to the Turkish sieges of Vienna (in 1529 and 1683).
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Meaning
Atzgersdorf
St Catherine (patron saint of the parish church of Atzgersdorf) with a palm branch and a sword, standing in a green meadow. A man called "Luitwin de Azilinesdorf" is mentioned in a document from 1171, the first-ever record of this place in the annals of Vienna. Atzgersdorf is situated on both sides of Liesing Brook. The Liesing neighbourhood of the 23rd municipal district (which in its turn is likewise called "Liesing") is located upstream, while the neighbourhoods of Erlaa and Inzersdorf extend downstream. Atzgersdorf was the point of confluence of the small creek Knotzenbach, which originates in the Mauer section of this municipal district, and Liesing Brook. This creek still exists but today is largely vaulted over and hence can only be glimpsed near its source in the Maurer Wald, a green recreation zone.
Erlaa
Alder leaf (the name is derived from alder trees). As with all parts of the 23rd municipal district, tracing back the origins of Erlaa is near impossible. Nowadays the mention of a certain "Heinrich von Erila" in a Klosterneuburg cartulary (a medieval compilation of document copies mainly relating to property transactions) dating from 1114 is considered the first record of the place name "Erlaa". The manuscript documents a land donation to the Augustinian Canons of Klosterneuburg.
Inzersdorf
Three ears of wheat growing from a red heart held by a golden horse forcené (rearing up) and a golden lion rampant (likewise rearing up). Inzersdorf is situated in an alluvial plain with extensive deposits of loam and clay, which provided copious resources for the local brickworks and Vienna’s nascent building materials industry. Ponds today used for bathing, such as the Steinsee or Schloss-See, bear witness to this past. The clay extraction pits of erstwhile brickworks were converted into leisure zones.
Kalksburg
Gate of Kalksburg Castle. Kalksburg is situated in the valley of Liesing Brook, which skirts the southern edges of the Vienna Woods. The name derives from the Chalbsperger family. The village was also referred to as "Kalbsberg", "Kalksdorf" and "Kadoltsperg". In 1188, Kalksburg became a possession of the House of Babenberg, a medieval Austrian dynasty of margraves and dukes. In the mid-14th century, Kalksburg was united with Mauer to form one domain. From 1609 to 1773, the village was a property of the Jesuit order; in 1790, it was sold by the "Staatsgüteradministration" ("State Property Administration", an authority that inter alia disposed of the property of dissolved monasteries) to Franz von Mack, jeweller to the Imperial Court, who became the most important benefactor of the village.
Liesing
Golden basket and cogwheel representing industry, agriculture and viticulture. The lower silver section of the central shield (escutcheon) shows a hazel branch above a flaming base and the date "1683". Three green leaves and four fruits are arranged in a star pattern. These symbols make reference to the Turkish sieges of Vienna (in 1529 and 1683).
Most historians date the first appearance of this settlement in a document back to 1002, as Liesing Brook was first mentioned in that year as "Liezniccha". The name is probably derived from the Slavic word "Lieznicka" ("Forest Creek"). It may be assumed that the village itself developed in that period. During the First and Second Turkish Sieges of Vienna, it was devastated and had to be completely rebuilt and resettled. In due course, however, Liesing evolved into one of the most important settlements on the watercourse. Until the early 19th century, it was mainly a farming community. A major economic upturn was triggered by industrialisation. In 1838, for example, the Liesing Brewery established its headquarters here.
Mauer
Red brick wall with bricklayer. The village of Mauer (literally, "Wall") was founded in the Middle Ages. The oldest traces of human settlement in the 23rd municipal district were found here. The actual origins of the settlement are somewhat difficult to establish since two different names have come down to us: the name "Gereut", which was in use into the 15th century, appears for the first time already in the late 12th century. The name "Mauer" was first mentioned in a document from 1210. Already in the 15th century, chronicles speak of two villages "In der Maur". It is likely that the current name was used after 1529. Perhaps this place name can be explained by the presence of ancient remnants of possibly Roman masonry in the village.
Rodaun
Rodaun Castle on Schlossberg/Kirchenberg (Castle Hill, or also Church Hill). The name of this settlement first mentioned in documents from around 1170 has Slavic roots. Multiple appearances of the name "Rodaun" in the late 12th century make reference to a family of - very likely - Babenberg ministeriales (- the Latin term for unfree noblemen whose tasks included administering royal properties), and hence to the castle. The castle itself was first mentioned in a document dating from 1405. On the occasion of the Third Crusade and the departure of Babenberg Duke Leopold V of Austria for the Holy Land in August 1190, it is reported that his retinue included one of the "brothers of Radun".
Siebenhirten
Number seven with shepherd. The name "Siebenhirten" (which could be literally translated as "Seven Shepherds") actually derives from "Subinhirten", which was first mentioned in chronicles dating from between 1140 and 1150. In 1559, the village was annexed by the Rodaun domain; it only became an independent village again in 1848. In the past, grain farming was the main source of income for most of its inhabitants.
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