!!!Baden

Baden, Lower Austria, town in the district of Baden, alt. 228 m, 
pop. 23,488, area 26.89 km%%sup 2/%, medicinal bath with sulphur 
springs situated on the thermal line (fault line with thermal springs 
between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Vienna Basin) at the 
Vienna Basin end of the Schwechat Valley. District Commission, 
District Court, district office of the Chamber of Agriculture, office 
of the federal construction authorities, regional office of the Lower 
Austrian Board of Agriculture, Inland Revenue Office, Employment 
Services, Office of Weights, Measures and Surveying, garrison, 
Martinek barracks, office of the Chamber of Labour, office of the 
Economic Chamber, hydropathic residence with thermal indoor pool 
(1969-1974), mineral water pool (1847, A. v. Sicardsburg and E. van 
der Nuell), thermal outdoor pool with sandy beach (1926), drinking 
hall (1928), spa park, numerous hydropathic and convalescent homes, 
hospital, town theatre (1908-1910), Emperor Franz Joseph museum (1905, 
handicrafts, folk art), museum of the town of Baden (Rollett museum, 
town archives 1905), puppeteering and toys museum, Summer Arena (1906, 
operetta festivals), congress centre (converted from a building that 
was a hydropathic centre from 1884 to 1886, turned into a congress 
centre 1966-1969), casino run by Casinos Austria AG (housed in the 
former hydropathic centre 1934-1944 and in the former drinking hall 
1969-1991, both converted into one large gambling house in 1995). 2 
Bundesgymnasium and 1 Bundesrealgymnasium secondary schools, 
commercial school, fashion school, commercial academy, teacher 
training college, training institution for residential social workers, 
institute for advanced training in dentistry, vocational schools, 
schools for painters, decorators and bakers, adult education centre. 
Trotting course, sports and multipurpose hall (1978-1980). In 1991 
circa 82 % of the town´s 9,399 workforce were employed in 
service industries, particularly in tourism (536,922 overnight stays); 
hotel business, trading industries, personal, social and public 
services (especially hospitals and specialised sanatoria), finance and 
credit businesses, no major production firms, viticulture (bottled 
wine production).

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Roman settlement "Aquae", 869 first documented mention of a 
Carolingian palatinate "palatium ad Padun", castle documented 1125, 
town status in 1480, destroyed several times by Turks and Magyars, 
development as a Biedermeier spa owing to thermal springs and because 
Emperor Franz I had his summer residence in Baden (1811-34); 
numerous writers and composers spent part of their working life in the 
town (W. A. Mozart, L. v. Beethoven, F. Schubert, J. Strauss the 
Elder, J. Lanner, F. Grillparzer, J. Schreyvogel, I. F. Castelli, 
F. Dingelstedt, F. Raimund), town flourished in the early 19%%sup th/% 
 century (great number of Classicistic buildings are preserved, many 
of them built by J. Kornhaeusel).

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Baden has many old religious buildings: town parish church of St. 
Stephen (1477, late Gothic, oldest parts Romanesque) with altar-piece 
by P. Troger, neo-Gothic interior; late Gothic church of St. Helena 
with "potter´s altar" (a gift from the potters´ guild, 
early 16%%sup th/%  century), old and new Frauenkirche (churches 
dedicated to the Virgin Mary), former Augustinian hermitage 
(13%%sup th/%  century), Holy Trinity column, chapels of St. Anna 
(16%%sup th/% -17%%sup th/%  centuries) and St. Anthony (1708), baths: 
Johannesbad (19%%sup th/%  century), Theresienbad (1758), Josefsbad 
(1804), Leopoldsbad (1812), Frauen- and Karolinenbad (1821-1823) and 
Franzensbad (1827), town hall (1812-1815), exhibitions in the 
Frauenbad, Beethoven house, Beethoven festival days, summer theatre 
festival, rose garden.

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Nearby destinations: ruins Rauhenstein (Romanesque) and Rauheneck 
(12%%sup th/%  century) at the Vienna Basin end of Helenental Valley, 
Weikersdorf Castle (documented 1233, with remains of a Romanesque 
keep), Leesdorf Castle (documented 1114, an earlier moated castle) and 
Braiten Castle (1809), to the west of Baden Koenigshoehle cave ( Baden 
Culture).

!Literature
Oesterr. Staedtebuch, vol. IV, part 1, Die Staedte 
Niederoesterreichs, 1988.


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