timeline

Ca. 1140 The name "Perchtoldsdorf" is first mentioned in records; the fortress houses vassals of the Babenbergs ("Herren von Perchtoldsdorf").

1217 Parish established by Bishop Ulrich II of Passau and the local lord Otto von Perchtoldsdorf.

Ca. 1236 Destruction of the parish church during a feud between Duke Friedrich II of Austria and Otto von Perchtoldsdorf.

1267 Certificate of indulgence. Probably connected to the reconstruction of the parish church.

1270 Bishop Petrus of Passau consecrates the rebuilt parish church.

Um 1284 Otto von Perchtoldsdorf, presumably a son of the parish founder, “voluntarily” renounces feudal rights that go the Habsburg Duke Albrecht I of Austria. Destruction of Kammerstein Castle near Perchtoldsdorf.

1286 Death of Otto von Perchtoldsdorf, "Chamberlain" of Austria. Since he dies without male issue, the Habsburgs inherit the right of dominion.

1308 Perchtoldsdorf is first mentioned as a “market town” on the occasion of a forfeiting of feudal land.

1332 Duchess Johanna von Pfirt takes residence in Perchtoldsdorf.

1386 Duchess Beatrix von Zollern takes residence in Perchtoldsdorf.

1400 Granting of first town fair-holding privilege.

1404 Granting of second town fair-holding privilege.

1406 Duke Wilhelm grants a coat of arms and seal to the people of Perchtoldsdorf.

Ca. 1407 Duchess Beatrix establishes the hospital.

1414 First certificate of donation (Stiftbrief) for the hospital; death of Duchess Beatrix.

1415 Duke Albrecht V of Austria grants Perchtoldsdorf Blutgerichtsbarkeit (right to convene criminal court capable of inflicting corporal punishment including the death penalty).

1420-1421 Persecution of Jews in Vienna and Lower Austria, decline of the medieval Jewish community of Perchtoldsdorf.

1435 Thomas Ebendorfer is made parish priest of Perchtoldsdorf.

Ca. 1440 Representatives of Perchtoldsdorf attend the Lower Austrian Diet (Assembly) for the first time.

1446 Johann Hunyadi, regent of Hungary, invades Lower Austria with his troops. Numerous homes in Perchtoldsdorf are destroyed by fire.

1449 Consecration of the parish church whose western nave was then completed.

Ca. 1450 Construction of Peel tower started.

1452 Pope Nicolas V grants indulgence to the participants of the Corpus Christi procession in Perchtoldsdorf.

1464 Death of parish priest Thomas Ebendorfer.

1465 Mercenaries in the service of the emperor and the city of Vienna lay siege to and finally conquer the castle of Perchtoldsdorf that had been occupied by the earls of St. Georgen and Pösing.

1475 The parish is joined to the Cathedral Chapter (Dompropstei) of Vienna.

1476 The Turkish nobleman Bajezid Otman takes over the right of dominion of the castle from Emperor Friedrich II.

1477-1490 Perchtoldsdorf is occupied by mercenaries of the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus.

1490 Death of Matthias Corvinus. Maximilian I wins Vienna and Lower Austria back for the Habsburgs.

1493 Maximilian I founds the Lower Austrian Vizedomamt, which is in charge of the crown estate and thus also of Perchtoldsdorf.

1512-1520 Construction of Martinikapelle (Chapel of St Martin).

Ca. 1521 Completion of the Peel tower. Outbreak of the plague; conflict between the parish priest of Perchtoldsdorf and the municipal council; first complaint about “Luther’s erroneous teachings” having contaminated Perchtoldsdorf.

1528 Climax of the ecclesiastic dispute of Perchtoldsdorf; claims arise to have “German sermons at the hospital” and to give citizens a say in the administration of the parish finances.

1529 Turkish troops reach Perchtoldsdorf and wreak heavy damage. The fortifications around the castle, church and Peel tower are successfully defended.

1537 A well is dug in the Peel tower.

1554 The building on Marktplatz No. 10 is used as the town hall.

1556 The attachment of the parish to the Vienna Cathedral Chapter of 1475 is rescinded. The town is granted the right to propose a Catholic priest for the office of parish priest and to appoint the schoolmaster.

Ca. 1580 First repression of protestants.

1588 A “Reformation Commission" demands that citizens return to Catholicism. Official residence is granted only to Catholics.

1597 Some vintners from Perchtoldsdorf take part in a vineyard workers’ rebellion which is violently suppressed.

1605 Rebellion of the Hungarian magnate Stefan Bocskay. Troops are stationed in Perchtoldsdorf.

1619 During a blockade of Vienna by troops of the Bohemian Protestant General Heinrich Matthias Gf. v. Thurn, contacts develop between Thurn’s soldiers and inhabitants of Perchtoldsdorf.

1623-1624 Expulsion of Protestant citizens reproached for having collaborated with Thurn’s troops.

1630 A devastating fire rages in Perchtoldsdorf.

1639 Another fire disaster in Perchtoldsdorf.

Ca. 1650 The town, having suffered greatly from billeting of troops, cannot pay its dues. Forced sales of municipal property.

1679 Severe plague outbreak in Vienna and Lower Austria, claiming many victims in the area surrounding Perchtoldsdorf and presumably in the town as well.

1682 In the course of an inspection of “places of refuge”, the church fortifications of Perchtoldsdorf are found to be in good condition.

Ca. 1683 On 16 July, “Turks and Tatars” who have invaded Lower Austria wreak carnage among the inhabitants who had believed they were able to defend themselves. The town is completely plundered, numerous inhabitants are dragged off into Turkish captivity, and many die during attempts to escape. Most of the town’s 260 buildings burn down in fires set by the enemy and looters.

November 1683 Balthasar Kleinschroth, prefect of the boys’ choir of Stift Heiligenkreuz, visits Perchtoldsdorf and witnesses the unburied victims of the Turkish attack on the market square. Return to town of inhabitants who had fled.

1684 Reconstruction starts.

1686 The Türkenglocke (Turks’ Bell) is cast.

1691 The town council asks the ruler for a 20-year moratorium to be able to pay off the municipal debts.

1701 The roof of the Peel tower is rebuilt; the oriels are crowned with Baroque-style onion-shaped roofs.

1713 Plague outbreak in Austria. Perchtoldsdorf is largely spared; plague memorial column erected on market square.

1718 More and more pilgrims find their way to Leonhardikapelle. The chapel is enlarged.

1719 Start of Baroque popular drama performances in Perchtoldsdorf.

1744 Maria Theresia and Franz Stephan v. Lothringen attend a passion play performance in Perchtoldsdorf.

1745 The Vizedomamt is dissolved; in 1762 the estate falls to the Abbey of Montserrat.

1771 The passion plays are banned.
The parish is taken over by the Vienna archdiocese.

1783 Restrictions applied to processions and pilgrimages. Josephinian parish restructuring: Rodaun and Kaltenleutgeben are taken out of the Perchtoldsdorf parish.

1777 Establishment of manufacturing at Eisenböckhof: Lafontaine wax-cloth factory; Sire corduroy factory.

1784 Dissolution of fraternities; their assets are seized by the religious fund and the parish institution for the poor. The infirmary church is closed, the inventory sold, demolition started.

1785 The town council constitution is abolished; the judge and council are replaced by the "regulated municipal council".

 

1786 Market gates razed, with the exception of the Wiener Tor.

1787 A flax mill is established at Knappenhof.

1788 Construction of the school at Marktplatz 2 starts (completed in 1797).

1791 Demolition of the fortification walls around the church.

1793 Establishment of the Chazel cotton printing mill at Knappenhof.

1799 Ambros Rieder is appointed schoolmaster.

1800 Municipality purchases patrician houses and converts them into army barracks.

1809 Billeting of French troops.

1818 Razing of Wiener Tor.

1820 Establishment of a spa.

1826 Re-consecration of the Infirmary Church.

1832 Cholera epidemic.

1833 Restoration of parish church crypt.

1841 Emperor Ferdinand I visits Perchtoldsdorf.
Establishment of a station on the southern railway line.

1842 Establishment of a factory school at Knappenhof.
Formation of a national guard.
Banus Jellacic and his Croat troops are stationed at Perchtoldsdorf.
Lifting of the state of subjugation. Separation of justice and administration, Perchtoldsdorf loses the right to convene court.

1852 Establishment of a postal service.

1854 Jesuit mission.

1861 Parish church is re-gothicised.

1869 Gendarmerie service established.

1870 Volunteer fire fighting service founded.

1876/77 Cemetery is relocated.

1883 Establishment of a steam tramway line Vienna - Perchtoldsdorf.
Introduction of a branch-line Liesing - Kaltenleutgeben.

1886 Dr. Josef Hyrtl founds the children’s home.

1887 Vine fretter blight. As a consequence, many vineyards are abandoned and sold as building land. Exclusive residential neighbourhoods develop.

1896 Introduction of gas-lights.

1902 Establishment of a school for girls.

1914-1918 First World War. Perchtoldsdorf mourns 178 of its men killed in action.

1914 Opening of the new school building on Leonhardiberg (Roseggergasse).

1920-1930 Severe shortage of housing.

1921 Street lighting is electrified.
Start of an independent community life of adherents to the Protestant faith.

1928 Extensive construction and settlement activities in the east of the municipality.

1931 800 unemployed people in Perchtoldsdorf.

1932 The local NSDAP group of Perchtoldsdorf demands the dissolution of the municipal council.

1933 Celebration at memorial of the liberation from the Turks.

1936 Consecration of the new church bells acquired after WWI.

1938 Austria’s annexation (Anschluss) to the Third Reich. Perchtoldsdorf is incorporated into the 25^th District of Vienna.

1938-1945 Second World War. The town mourns 258 deaths and 60 missing persons. Withdrawal of SS battle units, advance of the Red Army reaches Perchtoldsdorf. Establishment of a provisional town administration.

1945 Classes open again at the school which had served as a military hospital.

1948 Typhoid epidemic.
The lending library is opened.

1954 Perchtoldsdorf is reintegrated into the Land of Lower Austria.
Perchtoldsdorf regains the status of a local authority.

1955 Municipal elections. Resulting distribution of seats: ÖVP (Cons.) 17, SPÖ (Soc.) 16, WDU 1, KLS 1. Franz Kamtner (ÖVP) is elected mayor.

1976 Inauguration of the culture and education centre in Beatrixgasse. The re-design of the town-hall function rooms by architect Hans Hollein is awarded a prize by the Austrian association of architects.

After 1955 Surge in ooperative, municipal and private construction activities.

1957 Part of the area of the local authorities of Gießhübl and Kaltenleutgeben is assigned to Perchtoldsdorf. Settlement of the newly emerging "Tirolerhof" neighbourhood as of 1960.

1960 Municipal elections: ÖVP 16, SPÖ 14, FPÖ 3, KLS 1, Liste Braun 1; Franz Kamtner is re-elected mayor.

1961 Adoption of the zoning plan (central vision: "Perchtoldsdorf – a wellspring of recreation ") and simultaneously establishment of an industrial zone east of the southbound railway line.

1962 Consecration of the Protestant Christkönigs-Kirche.

1964 Purchase of the former community hospital incl. the church (Spitalskirche).

1964-1966 Restoration of the former castle, conversion into impressive premises for functions.

1965 Municipal elections. Distribution of seats: ÖVP 20, SPÖ 14, FPÖ 1. Franz Kamtner is re-elected mayor again.

After 1966 Restoration of the historical buildings in the town centre (incl. town hall, Peel tower, parish church)

1967 750^th anniversary celebrations of the parish of Perchtoldsdorf. Consecration of the Maria Königin church.

1968 Opening of the newly built primary school at Sebastian Kneipp-Gasse.

1969 Publication of Perchtoldsdorf im Mittelalter by Silvia Petrin.

1970 Municipal elections. Distribution of seats: ÖVP 21, SPÖ 13, FPÖ 1. Franz Kamtner stays mayor until 1975.

1970 Introduction of Kulturtage (“Culture Days”, now Kulturherbst) in Perchtoldsdorf.

1973 Twinning with Donauwörth.

1974 Establishment of the sports facilities on Höhenstraße.

1975 Municipal elections. Distribution of seats: ÖVP 23, SPÖ 12, FPÖ 2. Siegfried Ludwig elected mayor of Perchtoldsdorf.

1975 Introduction of the annual Sommerspiele (summer theatre).
 

1978 Inauguration of the secondary school.

1979 Construction of the Freizeitzentrum (leisure-time centre).

1980 Municipal elections. Distribution of seats: ÖVP 24, SPÖ 11 and FPÖ 2. On 13 April, Siegfried Ludwig is re-elected mayor.

1980 Opening of the senior citizen’s home in Elisabethstraße. Two new nursery schools are established at Sebastian Kneippgasse.

1981 9 February: after being elected Governor of Lower Austria, Siegfried Ludwig steps down from office as mayor of Perchtoldsdorf. On 19 February, the deputy mayor Paul Katzberger is unanimously elected mayor of Perchtoldsdorf.

After 1981 Focus on cultural activities, enhanced protection of ensembles of historical buildings.

1982 The local authority founds the "Franz Schmidt-Musikschule".

1983 Commemorative celebrations on the occasion of the 300^th anniversary of the Turkish invasion. Historical pageant. Publication of the two-volume history of Perchtoldsdorf, "Geschichte des Marktes Perchtoldsdorf", by Silvia Petrin and Gertrude Ostrawsky to conclude the anniversary year.

1985 Municipal elections. Distribution of seats: ÖVP 25, SPÖ 9, FPÖ 1, VGÖ 2. Paul Katzberger is re-elected mayor.

After 1985 Town planning and improving the appearance of the town are given top priority; a new spatial planning concept is developed; environmental concerns are put on the municipal agenda; numerous publications are produced.