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History

The History of Schwechat

The City of Schwechat, known since Roman times as the fort of the “Ala Nova” Knights, is mentioned for the first time as a market town in 1334. Along the decades, Schwechat developed into an industrial city. The water of the river bearing the same name put mills into motion, which during the 19th century evolved into factories.

The first beer factories in Schwechat date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. During the same period, the „Oriental Trade Company“ was founded, producing fabrics to be exported to Turkey. Besides the beer factories, Schwechat was mainly the seat of textile factories.
On October 22nd 1797, Franz Anton Dreher, originating from Pfullendorf am Bodensee, purchased the Klein-Schwechater beer factory. His son, Anton Dreher I., became the founder of the Schwechat brewers’ dynasty, who developed the „Reunited Beer Factories of Schwechat, St. Marx and Simmering – Dreher, Mautner, Meichl AG“ in the 19th century, until it reached the level of an exporting company.

On August 24th 1922, by decision of the council of ministers, Schwechat was conferred the title of “City”. Only sixteen years later, on October 15th 1938, Schwechat stopped existing as an independent city and was included by the national-socialists into “The Great Vienna” as Sector 23.

On September 1st 1954, Schwechat regained its independence by becoming again part of the Region of Lower Austria and by uniting its administration with the communes of Alt- and Neukettenhof and with the cadastral communes of Kledering, Mannswörth and Rannersdorf, thus becoming „The Schwechat Urban Commune“.

On September 1st 1954 the first communal meeting of the again independent city of Schwechat took place.

Because of its industrial companies, Schwechat was gravely affected by the bombings of the Second World War. In the ‘50s it started a difficult reconstruction process. In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s the citizens were already laying the foundations of several enterprises and public institutions.

From those days on, Schwechat has been presenting itself both as a modern and industrial city, as well as one very much involved in the field of culture and leisure-time activities.

Historical archive

The historical archive of the Schwechat town community offers today to all those interested, both from Austria and abroad, the possibility of finding out more about Schwechat’s history.

Address: Historical Archive
Schwechat Town Community
Rathausplatz 9, Zr. 111
2320 Schwechat
Contact: Dr. Christina Pal
e-mail: c.pal@schwechat.gv.at
Tel.: +43 (0)1 701 08 – 284