Observatory Park
The observatory park (also: observatory area ) is a green area owned by the Austrian Federal Real Estate Company (BIG) in Vienna - Währing , at the center of which is the Vienna University Observatory . In 1973, a conflict with political expansions broke out around a planned partial development of this area.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the new building for the university's zoological institute was to be built on the 58,891 m² area around the Vienna University Observatory in the so-called Cottage Quarter of Währing, which would have meant a reduction in the green area by 3,615 m². A citizens' initiative of neighbors turned against the building project and called for the park to be opened to the public. Mayor Felix Slavik arranged for a referendum to be held - a novelty for Vienna, whereby he and his party, the Viennese SPÖ , got involved on the part of those interested in building. The citizens' initiative, on the other hand, won the high-circulation Kronenzeitung as a powerful allied , which carried out a massive media campaign against the construction in the months before the vote.
The vote in May 1973 resulted in a majority of 57.4% of the votes cast against building the park property, with a vote participation of about one third of the Viennese eligible to vote. As an immediate consequence, Mayor Slavik resigned and left his place to Leopold Gratz . The conflict over the observatory park is regarded as an important document of the development of environmental awareness in Vienna, but also as an example of the consistent use of private media power.
The observatory area is now a natural monument 713 among the recognized Viennese natural monuments. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Türkenschanzpark, which is around three times its size .
In 2012, the Kronenzeitung launched a campaign to open up the area to the public. Shortly afterwards, the responsible city councilor for the environment, Ulli Sima , began preparing the opening of the park. A citizens' initiative founded by local residents feared the long-term destruction of the natural area and spoke out against the opening. After a previously closed circular path was reactivated in April 2013 and around 50 trees were felled, marked areas of the area have been open to the public since May 2, 2013 on weekdays during the day.
Web links
- Observatory park: A piece of wilderness in the middle of Vienna - The standard about the observatory park
- Observatory park - sensitive nature with a view of the stars
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official list of natural monuments in Vienna-Währing (PDF file, 8 KB)
- ↑ Observatory park in Vienna remains a protected natural monument , Der Standard, May 24, 2012
- ^ Protest against the opening of the observatory park in Vienna is forming , Der Standard, May 22, 2012
- ^ Observatory park in Vienna: 50 trees fell victim to the opening of the park , Der Standard, April 22, 2013
Coordinates: 48 ° 13 ′ 55 ″ N , 16 ° 20 ′ 1 ″ E