Lohnwagen#

Lohnwagen (hackney carriages), early form of public transport in Vienna. The so-called "Fliegenschuetzen" (one-horse, hooded hackney cabs with wooden seats, first mentioned in 1500) were replaced by hackney coaches at the end of the 17th century. The first regulations for Viennese coachmen date back to 1720 (the stationing of coaches was prohibited at the Freyung). In 1760 all coachmen were assigned 7 places, 1786 all city and suburban coaches were given numbers ( Fiaker). At the end of the 18th century the Zeiselwagen, later the Janschkywagen and the horse-drawn omnibuses (Gesellschafts- and Stellwagen) were inexpensive means of transportation between the city, suburbs and outskirts. On certain days they also travelled to Moravia and Pressburg. In 1848, 680 "Fiaker" (fiacres) were counted in Vienna, 24 one-horse carriages, 19 overland coaches (Landkutschen), 70 urban hackney coaches (Janschkywagen), 100 omnibuses and 700 one-horse carriages (Zeiselwagen). From 1851/52 English-style, two-wheeled vehicles drawn by one horse were in use, later one-horse, four-wheeled "Comfortables". Horsedrawn omnibuses for public transportation were not introduced until the 1st half of the 19th century and continued to be used up to the end of the 1870s. Several different companies were in charge of the individual routes (including English firms). Trams, the Stadtbahn transit lines and motor buses, as well as the railway in rural areas, slowly replaced the hackney coaches. Only the "Fiaker" has survived until today, but only as a tourist attraction or for special occasions.

Literature#