Zistersdorf#

Zistersdorf, Lower Austria, town in the district of Gaenserndorf, alt. 199 m, pop. 5,524, area 88.61 km2, in the eastern Weinviertel region, in the Lower Austrian oil production region. - Local court, branch office of the District Commission, Labour Market Service (with training centre), local chamber of agriculture, branch office of the EVN (short for "Energie-Versorgung Niederoesterreich AG"/Lower Austrian Power Supply), soil conservation station of the Lower Austrian local agricultural authority, local health and social insurance agency with dental clinic, project office of the Lower Austrian Bildungs- und Heimatwerk (educational and local history organisation), social-welfare centre, cultural centre, vocational school; 1,473 people employed (1991), construction of vehicles (trailers), wood processing, surface technology, petroleum and natural gas production (Maustrenk production plant of the OMV (short for "Oesterreichische Mineraloelverwaltung"/Austrian Mineral Oil Agency), office of Rohoelaufsuchungs Ges. m. b. H. - Documented mention 1160, foundation of a town planned from the 1st half of the 13th century (town wall, documented mention 1284, town fortification partly preserved), used to be an important border stronghold, opened up to traffic early on, economic upswing since the first successful oil explorations in 1931. - Baroque parish church (former Franciscan church), parish since 1160, present church building 1627-1640, high altar from the 18th century, Baroque side altars (1750) with altar pieces by B. Altomonte; former Franciscan monastery (today parsonage); Maria Moos pilgrimage church outside the town wall, parish church of Zistersdorf until 1811, originally Romanesque building (mid-12th  century), rebuilt in Gothic style in 13th /14th  centuries, splendid Baroque interior, richly decorated high altar with altar painting by P. Troger, Baroque St. Anna altar (mid-18th  century, Holy Trinity altar (1698), Baroque organ with case by J. G. Hueber; four-winged town palace (documented mention 1278, altered mainly in 17th and 18th  centuries, today vocational school); old town hall with late historicist façade; plague column (1747).

Literature#