Hermannskogel
Encyclopedia
The Hermannskogel is a hill in Vienna
. At 542 metres above sea level, it is the highest natural point in the city of Vienna. It lies on the border to Lower Austria
.
The Habsburgwarte
, which stands atop the Hermannskogel marked until 1918 the kilometre zero
in cartographic measurements used in Austria-Hungary
.
. It is both the highest point in the Kahlengebirge and in the city of Vienna. The Hermannskogel is part of a north-eastern chain of foothills belonging to the eastern Alps
. It is composed of flysch
containing quartz
, limestone
, marl
, and other conglomerates
. The many cliff-like layers on the south-western approach to the Hermannskogel clearly show the hill’s geological make-up.
The Kahlenberg
and Leopoldsberg
, behind which lie the Wiener Pforte, where the Danube
breaks through the Wienerwald, are three kilometres to the east of the Hermannskogel. The Vogelsangberg stands nearby, as does the Dreimarkstein (to the southwest).
register. It dates from 1355 and names the hill hermannschobel. The name is composed of the personal name Hermann, which was common in the Middle Ages
, and Kobel (which appears elsewhere as Kogel), a common designation for cone-shaped
hills.
In the Middle Ages, the Hermannskogel was covered in vineyards. On the side of the hill, in a depression between Sievering
and Weidling, is the probable former site of the village Kogelbrunn, which lived from viticulture
and which is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1237 as chogelbrunne. In 1256, Albero von Feldsberg accorded the village to the Klosterneuburg Monastery. In 1346, is was still inhabited, but it was destroyed at the end of the 15th century, probably a victim of Magyar raids. The village’s demise also spelt the end of the vineyards and the Hermannskogel was reclaimed by woods.
The relief army summoned from the Kingdom of Saxony
and other parts of the empire that lifted the second siege of Vienna
camped here in 1683.
In the 19th century, several requests made by the Klosterneuburg Monastery to erect a watchtower on the Hermannskogel were turned down. The 27-metre tall Habsburgwarte
(known from 1938 to 1974 as the Hermannskogelwarte) was first built in 1888 and opened a year later.
of cartographic measurements in Austria-Hungary
at the start of the 19th century. In the 1920s however, Austria adopted the Gauss–Krüger coordinate system. Thereafter, the Hermannskogel had the same function as a trigonometric reference point as the Rauenberg point on the Marienhöhe in Berlin
. The transition to the 1989 European Territorial Reference System will take place soon.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. At 542 metres above sea level, it is the highest natural point in the city of Vienna. It lies on the border to Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
.
The Habsburgwarte
Habsburgwarte
The Habsburgwarte is a 27 metre-tall tower that stands on Hermannskogel hill in Vienna. It was built by architect Franz von Neumann to resemble a medieval tower....
, which stands atop the Hermannskogel marked until 1918 the kilometre zero
Kilometre Zero
In many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
in cartographic measurements used in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
.
Geography
The Hermannskogel is a forested ridge in the WienerwaldWienerwald
The Vienna Woods are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The long and wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese....
. It is both the highest point in the Kahlengebirge and in the city of Vienna. The Hermannskogel is part of a north-eastern chain of foothills belonging to the eastern Alps
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Splügen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.-Geography:The...
. It is composed of flysch
Flysch
Flysch is a sequence of sedimentary rocks that is deposited in a deep marine facies in the foreland basin of a developing orogen. Flysch is typically deposited during an early stage of the orogenesis. When the orogen evolves the foreland basin becomes shallower and molasse is deposited on top of...
containing quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
, and other conglomerates
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
. The many cliff-like layers on the south-western approach to the Hermannskogel clearly show the hill’s geological make-up.
The Kahlenberg
Kahlenberg
Kahlenberg is a mountain located in the 19th District within Vienna, Austria .-General:Kahlenberg lies in the Wienerwald and is one of the most popular destinations for day-trips from Vienna, offering a view over the entire city. Parts of Lower Austria can also be seen from Stefaniewarte at the...
and Leopoldsberg
Leopoldsberg
The Leopoldsberg is perhaps Vienna’s most famous overlook, towering over the Danube and the city. Leopoldberg’s most prominent landmark is the church which stands at the top, and which is clearly visible from Vienna below...
, behind which lie the Wiener Pforte, where the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
breaks through the Wienerwald, are three kilometres to the east of the Hermannskogel. The Vogelsangberg stands nearby, as does the Dreimarkstein (to the southwest).
History
The first documentary reference to the Hermannskogel can be found in the Klosterneuburg Monastery’s titheTithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
register. It dates from 1355 and names the hill hermannschobel. The name is composed of the personal name Hermann, which was common in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and Kobel (which appears elsewhere as Kogel), a common designation for cone-shaped
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
hills.
In the Middle Ages, the Hermannskogel was covered in vineyards. On the side of the hill, in a depression between Sievering
Sievering
Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden.- Geography :...
and Weidling, is the probable former site of the village Kogelbrunn, which lived from viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and which is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1237 as chogelbrunne. In 1256, Albero von Feldsberg accorded the village to the Klosterneuburg Monastery. In 1346, is was still inhabited, but it was destroyed at the end of the 15th century, probably a victim of Magyar raids. The village’s demise also spelt the end of the vineyards and the Hermannskogel was reclaimed by woods.
The relief army summoned from the Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
and other parts of the empire that lifted the second siege of Vienna
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
camped here in 1683.
In the 19th century, several requests made by the Klosterneuburg Monastery to erect a watchtower on the Hermannskogel were turned down. The 27-metre tall Habsburgwarte
Habsburgwarte
The Habsburgwarte is a 27 metre-tall tower that stands on Hermannskogel hill in Vienna. It was built by architect Franz von Neumann to resemble a medieval tower....
(known from 1938 to 1974 as the Hermannskogelwarte) was first built in 1888 and opened a year later.
The kilometre zero
The Habsburgwarte that stands atop the Hermannkogel was established as the kilometre zeroKilometre Zero
In many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
of cartographic measurements in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
at the start of the 19th century. In the 1920s however, Austria adopted the Gauss–Krüger coordinate system. Thereafter, the Hermannskogel had the same function as a trigonometric reference point as the Rauenberg point on the Marienhöhe in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The transition to the 1989 European Territorial Reference System will take place soon.