Neulengbach earthquake in 1590
On September 15, 1590 , shortly before midnight , the earth shook south of Neulengbach , Lower Austria . It was the worst known earthquake that Vienna and Lower Austria have ever suffered. The earthquake is estimated to be 6.0 according to the Richter scale , the catastrophe was announced in advance with slight foreshocks. According to reports, it was still noticeable from Saxony to Transylvania , in the Silesian Frankenstein , just under 300 km away , a bell tower, known today as the Leaning Tower of Frankenstein, was inclined .
This earthquake was relevant to numerous discussions about the construction of the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant , which is located nearby, and was therefore examined in more detail.
Damage
Serious damage and fatalities were reported from around 50 km:
- In Vienna, the earthquake caused severe damage and affected most of the well-known structures. The towers of the Michaelerkirche and the Schottenkirche collapsed in part and damaged the church roofs. From the Red tower road , near the Griechenbeisl , reported "... That the Gasthauß bey the gülden sun inputs / hostess / and jre sister / sampt verschütt / So you found dead seven Oberle Indic merchants" .
- A source reports that the quake in Zwentendorf "... the khürchen shattered and trembles so much that you are not allowed to enter ..."
- Many castles such as Rappoltenkirchen , Unterthurm and Tulbing were badly damaged or even destroyed.
- From the Mauerbach Charterhouse it is said that the vaults and the ridge turrets collapsed, as did large parts of the monastery buildings and the surrounding wall.
literature
- Rolf Gutdeutsch, Christa Hammerl , Ingeborg Mayer, Karl Vocelka : Earthquakes as a historical event. The reconstruction of the earthquake of 1590 in Lower Austria . Springer, Vienna / Heidelberg / New York 1987, ISBN 3-5401-8048-6 .