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Two small towns c. 5½ miles (9 km) west-north-west of Vienna in the Vienna Woods, situated on opposite sides of the Wien River and the Western Railroad line to St. Pölten, c.2 miles (3 km) west of Hütteldorf and c.2½ miles (4 km) east of Purkersdorf.

Grieben's travel guide Vienna and its Environs for 1913 describes them and their surrounding features thus, much as Schenker must have known them: Hadersdorf‒Weidlingau,the next station on the Western Railroad after Hütteldorf, is a much loved summer vacation resort (restaurants Fieldmarshall Loudon, At the Rehböckl, Rouland, Laye, and Audel. ‒ Railway Restaurant Josef Starnberger; restaurants Hullesch; Pisecker, and Karl Grosser). In the Hütteldorf direction [west] lies Mariabrunn, a much visited place of pilgrimage. From the church in Mariabrunn on the northward-branching road can be reached Hadersdorf, with its castle and park belonging to the Loudon family; in the park is the statue of the famous army commander. Continuing on this road leads in half an hour into the delightful valley of the same name northwest toward Vorder-Hainbach; a quarter hour further on are the restaurants Reinwald, a good restaurant, and Josef Riedl. — Hinter-Hainbach and the Sofie Alp (Gasthof and Dairy) [one hour from here, the Franz-Karl Viewpoint, 486 meters] lie [north] in a narrow wooded valley, in which the roadway leads into the idyllically situated small village of Steinbach; the path in the valley itself leads [northwest] toward Mauerbach. From here northward, the 495-meter-high Tulbingerkogl (yellow-marked path) can comfortably be reached in one hour. On it is a look-out point, erected by the Austrian Mountaineering Association, from which a lovely vista opens up.

To the south of Weidlingau in Schenker's day lay the village of Auhof and the Imperial Zoo, and southwest lay Baunzen.

Hadersdorf‒Weidlingau and Schenker

During the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s Schenker made many weekend excursions into the Vienna Woods, either on his own or with friends, and later with Jeanette. Taking the train either to Hütteldorf or to Hadersdorf‒Weidlingau, he would take his choice from among the many marked footpaths; and he recorded these walks in his diaries. From October 13, 1907 is recorded: "First excursion: Purkersdorf, Baunzen, Weidlingau (with the Pollaks)." A typical example from June 19, 1919 reads: didn't leave until 9:30 to Hütteldorf, then to Weidlingau for lunch; ate very well, some dishes prepared just as in peacetime. — After lunch in Laudon Park, which we incidentally enter for the first time; it remains private property, just the open gate gave rise to the idea that it might possibly have recently been opened to the public. The Count's servant informed us to the contrary, but was kind enough to permit us to continue walking through the park. Through the woods first back to the Weidlingau train station and then, despite high heat, by foot to Hütteldorf, since the next train would have brought us there two hours later.

Source

  • Griebens Reiseführer: vol. 68, Wien und Umgebung 1923 (Berlin: Verlag von Griebens Reiseführern, 25th edn, 1923), pp. 75‒76

Contributor

  • Ian Bent