Favoriten#
Favoriten, 10th district in Vienna, 31.8 km2, pop. 147,636 (1991), by far the most populated district of Vienna, separated from the 4th district (Wieden) in 1874; extended after the addition of portions of Inzersdorf, Oberlaa and Unterlaa in 1890. Contains the Laaer Berg and Wienerberg mountains. Until 1938 the Arsenal was also located here; in 1954 Rothneusiedl and the centres of Oberlaa and Unterlaa (together 9.79 km2) were added. - The name comes from the imperial summer residence Favorita. The transformation into a working-class and industrial district began in the second half of the 19th century, when Favoriten was inhabited primarily by Czech immigrants; today there is a large number of Turkish-speaking and Serbian or Croatian-speaking residents in the heavily built-up areas.
The Sued -und Ostbahnhof stations (originally separate buildings and
terminus of the "Raaberbahn" railway to Gyoer, Sopron and Ebenfurt),
the freight railway station Matzleinsdorf, Kaiser-Franz-Joseph-Spital
hospital, Arbeiterheim Favoriten (factory workers' community centre)
(built in 1901/02), the Starhemberg-Kaserne barracks, built in
1911/1912 under the name Franz-Ferdinand-Kaserne and later also called
Trostkaserne; Volkshochschule adult education centre (since 1962),
PaedAk teacher training college (1968). - Amalienbad public indoor
swimming pool (1926), Laaerberg open-air swimming pool (1959). Large
parks for leisure and relaxation: Laaer Berg park (WIG grounds 1974)
with Oberlaa spa (1974), Laaer forest (Bohemian Prater),
Wienerberg-West, Wienerberg-Ost conservation area, Goldberg,
Heubergstaetten. Council housing and apartment complexes of the
Municipality of Vienna: Viktor-Adler-Hof (1923), Pernerstorferhof
(1925/26), Jean-Jaurès-Hof (1925/26), George-Washington-Hof
(1927-1930), Per-Albin-Hansson-Siedlung-West (1947-1955), -Nord
(1964-1971) and -Ost, as well as Hanssonzentrum (1966-1977),
Karl-Wrba-Hof (1979-1983). City development area Wienerberg-Ost.
Oberlaa parish church (1744-1746), Laaerberg church (1984-1986), St.
Salvator church am Wienerfeld (1977-1979); Waldmueller park with old
tomb stones (from the 18th and19th century) at the site of
the former Matzleinsdorf Catholic Cemetery; Museum of Local History
(founded in 1927); Old Matzleinsdorf Protestant Cemetery (F. Hebbel is
buried there); Spinnerin am Kreuz (1375, 1451/52). - Schnellbahn
suburban service; eastern railway line (Ost-bahn); Suedosttangente
motorway.
Several industries and businesses: Ankerbrot AG bakery factory,
Philips-Haus, Computer-Center (Austrian Philips Industrie GmbH),
Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG brick works; water tower and
reservoirs; administrative offices of Austrian Airlines; Business Park
Vienna in the Wienerbergstrasse; high-rise office buildings belonging
to the firm Porr AG.
Literature#
H. Tschulik, Favoriten, Wr. Bezirkskulturfuehrer, 1985; F. Czeike, Historisches Lexikon Wien, 5 vols., 1992-1997.