P015 NEW PENZING and its history
Table of contents
Neu-Penzing – Historical development in periods
18th century – Rural area
- Area predominantly fields, vineyards and meadows
- No closed development
- Mainly agricultural use
- Connection via early transport routes (precursor to Hütteldorfer Straße)
Before 1848 – Suburb, fields and farmland
In the 18th century, the area was still largely rural in character: it consisted mainly of fields, farmland and scattered farmsteads connected to the suburbs of Vienna. The development of the infrastructure is closely linked to the expansion of transport routes such as Hütteldorfer Straße, which at that time created important connections to the surrounding area.
1800–1848 – Suburban development
- First settlements and businesses
- Proximity to Vienna becomes economically relevant
- Area belongs administratively to the Hietzing district
1848–1890 – Industrialisation
1848–1890 – Industrialisation & preparation for incorporation
- Vienna grows rapidly through industrialisation
- Expansion of the Westbahn railway → greater development
- First systematic parcelling
- Area remains outside the Vienna city limits
1848–1890 – Incorporation and initial urbanisation
Vienna grew with advancing industrialisation. The previously independent suburbs – including Rudolfsheim and Sechshaus – were incorporated into the city of Vienna around 1890:
- Rudolfsheim became part of Vienna as the 14th district in 1892,
- Fünfhaus became the 15th district. (kv15.co.at)
Parallel to the incorporation, systematic urban development began north of the Westbahn railway line:
- From the 1860s onwards, the area was systematically developed, especially in the area now known as ‘Neu-Fünfhaus’ – with a grid layout of streets and blocks of houses instead of the traditional suburban structure. (Wikipedia)
1890–1914 – Wilhelminian style architecture
1890–1914 – Wilhelminian style development
- Rapid construction of apartment buildings
- Emergence of today’s blocks of houses and alleyway structure
- Focus on housing for workers: manual labourers and office workers
- Hardly any green spaces – functionality was the priority
1892 – Incorporation into Vienna
- Rudolfsheim is incorporated as the 14th district in 1892
- Fünfhaus becomes an independent 15th district
- The area of today’s ‘Neu-Penzing’ is still close to the district border at that time
1892–1911 – Gründerzeit development
Around the turn of the century, numerous Gründerzeit apartment buildings were constructed along Hütteldorfer Straße and the associated alleys. This development was part of Vienna’s large-scale growth as an industrial city with housing for workers, interdisciplinary social classes and families. (Wikipedia)
1911–1930 – Consolidation of building land
1911–1930 – Consolidation
- Release of former military land (Schmelz)
- Further expansion north of Hütteldorfer Straße
- Streets such as Beckmanngasse and Fenzlgasse take on their current structure
1911–1938 – Military plots and further urban expansion
In 1911, the military released around ten hectares of former parade grounds, known as the Schmelz, for development. Further blocks of houses were built on this site north of Hütteldorfer Straße. During this phase, the urban plan for the area was further densified without completely abandoning the historical identity of the surroundings. (Wikipedia)
1938 Merger and a new district
1938 – District reorganisation
- Merger of Rudolfsheim and Fünfhaus
- Area is finally assigned to the 15th district
- At the same time, the 14th district of Penzing is newly created
- The name ‘Neu-Penzing’ arises informally due to this border location
1938 – Delineation of districts under National Socialism
On 15 October 1938, the former districts of Rudolfsheim (14th) and Fünfhaus (15th) were merged as part of an administrative reorganisation of Vienna under National Socialist government authority. The area around the current blocks of flats west of Johnstraße was officially assigned to the 15th district. At the same time, the 14th district was newly created as Penzing – from parts of the former 13th district. (WIENfünfzehn)
1957 The Fifteenth District gets its name
1957 – Official district name
- The 15th district is given the name Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus
- The architectural structure remains largely unchanged
1957 – Double names and re-evaluation
After the Second World War, this district unit remained in place. On 15 February 1957, the municipal council decided on the current name Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus for the 15th district – as a reminder of its historical origins from two different suburban communities. (WIENfünfzehn)
1970–2000 – Car-friendly city
- Road space is heavily dominated by car traffic
- Hardly any green spaces in road space
- Parking space takes precedence over quality of life
From 2000 onwards – Slow reorientation
- Climate change becomes noticeable
- First traffic and greening projects
- Discussions about quality of life, heat, public space
2020 to present (2025)
From 2020 – Local initiatives & citizen participation
- Agendas, parklets, traffic calming
- Public space is being rethought
- ‘Neu-Penzing’ remains a densely built-up but vibrant urban area
- Change is taking place gradually and through dialogue
Neu-Penzing – Territory and origin of the name
The term ‘Neu-Penzing’ is used in public perception to refer to the westernmost part of the 15th district, which – unlike the formally named district – is located in the 15th district but geographically extends into the 14th district. The name is derived from this border location and is mainly used in local contexts, not as an official administrative name. (öbv)
Today, this zone consists mainly of densely built-up blocks of houses with little green space, which can be explained by Vienna’s historical development as a compact city. The area is characterised by a mixture of historic apartment buildings and later additions in the 20th century, with the use of public space – as everywhere in urban centres – remaining a central issue for residents and urban development.
In summary
Neu-Penzing is not a historically independent place, but rather an established urban area that has evolved
- from farmland
- to suburbia
- to a densely built-up Gründerzeit structure
- and today has become a future-oriented transformation area.