Niederösterreich

Lower Austria (Niederösterreich): area 19,173.76 km²; pop. 1,473, 813; population density: 77 per km²; capital: St. Pölten; buildings: 494,198; households: 555,726; 4 statutory towns, 21 administrative districts, 46 judicial districts, 573 municipalities (71 towns and 317 market towns); Higher Regional Court in Vienna, Regional Courts in Korneuburg, Krems, St. Pölten, Wiener Neustadt.

Location: Lower Austria is situated in the northeast of Austria and is the largest Austrian province according to size and the second-largest after Vienna according to the number of inhabitants; Vienna was its capital until 1986, since then it has been St. Pölten. Lower Austria is situated to the north and south of the River Danube between the confluence of the River Enns and the Danube in the west and the River March/Morava in the east. It borders on Upper Austria in the west, on Styria in the south, on Burgenland in the southeast, on Slovakia in the northeast and on the Czech Republic in the north. The separate province of Vienna (from 1920 and again since 1922) lies in the middle of Lower Austria. Up to the 19^th century Lower Austria was called "Österreich unter der Enns" (Austria south of the River Enns).

Geography: Geographically, Lower Austria is divided into four "Viertel" (quarters). The region north of the Manhartsberg hill (Waldviertel, most important town: Krems), the region south of the Manhartsberg hill (Weinviertel, most important town: Korneuburg), the region north of the Vienna Woods (Mostviertel, most important town: St. Pölten), the region south of the Vienna woods (Industrieviertel, most important town: Wiener Neustadt).

Lower Austria reaches from the Bohemian Massif in the north to the Alps in the south on both sides of the River Danube; the Alpine Foreland is situated in between. The Vienna basin and the Marchfeld area extend to the east, in the northeast the Austrian granite tableland reaches over the River Danube, which separates the Neustadtler Platte in the Strudengau region and the Dunkelsteinerwald Hill Region in the Wachau area. An undulating tableland (alt. 500 - 800 m) with forests, moors and ponds ( Waldviertel Region) lies north of the River Danube. In the east, the Bohemian massif is bounded by the edge of the Manhartsberg hill, which separates the north of Lower Austria into the Waldviertel and Weinviertel regions. The Manhartsberg hill has some limestone cliffs and descends in the south in a precipice ( Wagram) towards the Tullnerfeld Plain and the Marchfeld Plain areas. North of the River Danube, the Rivers Ysper, Krems and Kamp and the streams Weitenbach, Schmidabach, Göllersbach and Rußbach flow into the Danube; the Rivers Thaya, Pulkau, Zaya and the Weidenbach stream flow into the River March. The Rivers Lainsitz and Braunaubach in the extreme northwest drain into the River Vltava (Czech Republic). The Alpine foothills extend on top of a substratum from the Tertiary period, drained by the Rivers Ybbs, Erlauf, Melk, Pielach, Traisen, Perschling and Tulln which flow into the Danube. The alpine sand-stone zone extends from the Vienna basin to the Alpine foothills down to the Danube ( Vienna Woods), and is continued to the north of the Danube in the Michelberg and Bisamberg hills. The Vienna basin is situated to the east of the fault line ( Thermenlinie) at the east edge of the Alpine foothills and is traversed by the Rivers Wien, Schwechat, Triesting, Piesting and Schwarza (which forms the River Leitha together with the River Pitten). The Leithagebirge mountains and the central alpine Rosaliengebirge mountains and Hundsheimer Berge hills form the boundary of the basin. The Wiener Neustädter Pforte gap and the Bruckner Pforte gap are connections to Burgenland and the Small Pannonian plain. In the south, the lower sand-stone zone of the outer edge is connected to the Styrian-Lower Austrian limestone alps (mainly steep ridges such as the Hochkar mountain (alt. 1,808 m) and the Dürrenstein mountain (alt. 1,878 m) with steep edges and a few valleys (Höllental valley) above the plateau surfaces of the Hohe Wand massif (alt. 1,132 m), the Schneeberg massif (alt. 2,076 m) and the Rax massif (alt. 2,007 m) Heukuppe mountain on Styrian territory. The broad crest of the Wechsel mountain (alt. 1,743 m) and the lower heights of the Bucklige Welt region (alt. 800-900 m) form part of the crystalline formations of the central zone. - The climate in Lower Austria varies considerably from region to region: The Vienna basin and the Carpathian foothills are influenced by continental climatic factors (light precipitation), annual average rainfall in the Marchfeld region only reaches 550 mm. Pannonian climate prevails from the hills of the Weinviertel region, the basins and the river plains to the eastern edge of the Alps. The Alpine foothills are situated in a zone influenced by the Atlantic climate, the annual amount of precipitation is between 800 mm and 1,000 mm. The south of Lower Austria is determined by alpine climate (temperature inversion). Mixed forests are predominant in the southern mountaineous areas and in the Waldviertel region, large oak and hornbeam forests are typical of the lower areas (which today are mainly used for agriculture) the Weinviertel region and the Vienna basin. Large beech forests are peculiar to the Vienna woods; the Austrian pine, which can only be found in the area of Mödling and Vöslau and in the Steinfeld area, is a particularly interesting feature of local flora.

Population: According to population figures, Lower Austria is the second most densely populated province of Austria after Vienna (18.9% of the total population). Between 1981 and 1991 the population increased by 3.2%; however, this increase was exclusively caused by immigration from other provinces and from abroad. In 1991 83.7% of the population were Roman Catholics (1961: 94.1%), 3.3% Protestants, 1.5% Islamic and 6.8% did not belong to any denomination (1961: 2.1%). The former "ui" - dialect ("Muida" instead of standard "Mutter" (mother)), has disappeared and has been replaced by the "ua" - dialect (Muada).

The majority of all towns (71) and 45% of all market towns on Austrian territory can be found in Lower Austria; 44.5% of all municipalities have between 1,001 and 2,000 inhabitants, 27.1% between 2,001 and 5,000. Street villages are predominant in the Alpine Fore-Land and in the plains, small rural settlements and settlements consisting of isolated farms are typical of mountaineous areas ( Farmhouse Types). Four-sided farmhouses (Vierseithof) can be found in the Waldviertel area, in the Alpine foothills, the Semmering mountains and the Wechsel mountains, tetragonal (Vierkanter) farmhouses on the Upper Austrian border (Mostviertel region); three-sided farmhouses in the Tullnerfeld area, the Vienna woods and the Waldviertel area, stretched (Streckhof), hook-like (Hakenhof) and three-sided farmhouses (Dreiseithof, often with pergolas) in the Weinviertel region. In the wine-growing regions of the central and western Weinviertel area the so-called "Zwerchhaus" is typical of self-contained rows of houses; wine cellars usually built in loess hollows ("cellar alleys") are peculiar to these wine-growing regions. The settlements in the Vienna basin along the edge of the Alpine mountain range and at the ends of the valleys are heavily urbanised. The community structure was changed completely in the 1970s as municipalities were merged and reduced to a third (January 1, 1998: 573) of their original number, of which 317 are market towns and 71 are towns. Measures such as the renovation of old villages, zoning plans and master plans help prevent urban sprawl and the maintenance of village structures.

Agriculture: Lower Austria is the traditional agricultural province in Austria: Although the number of people employed in agriculture decreased from 1951 to 1992 by 220,950, the percentage of employed persons in this sector (11.6%) was relatively high in comparison to the Austrian average (6.9%). Almost half of the Austrian farmland and 56% of all area under vine are in Lower Austria. Cultivation of grain is the predominant form of agriculture, but alternatives such as the cultivation of oilseed and proteins help diminish the over-production of breadgrain and fodder cereals. Animal keeping is also of importance in Lower Austria; 28.7% of all pigs, 23.8% of all cattle, 32.7% of all chicken and 16.1% of all sheep were kept by Lower Austrian farmers in 1997. In many parts of the province, viticulture exerts a strong influence upon the landscapes and the general appearance of villages and towns (terraced vineyards in the Wachau region, typical vintners' houses along the tracks of the southern railroad line and cellar alleys in the Weinviertel area). Small and medium-sized family farms produce about two thirds of the entire amount of Austrian wine. The Lower Austrian wine-growing regions are divided into 8 areas: Carnuntum (961 hectares), Kamptal valley (4,129 hectares), Donauland area (2,783 hectares), Thermenregion area (2,883 hectares), Wachau region (1,434 hectares), Kremstal valley (2,379 hectares), Traisental valley (710 hectares) and Weinviertel region (17,558 hectares). The Marchfeld is the main growing area of field vegetables and also the main petroleum and natural gas extraction area. As well as vineyards, the Wachau region also has fruit orchards (especially apricots); flowers are grown in the Tullnerfeld area and cider fruit in the Mostviertel area (several fruit-processing facilities). Forestry: Lower Austria (20% of the total Austrian forest area) ranks second after Styria; large forests cover the Alpine foothills and the Waldviertel area. The percentage of coniferous wood is 59%, of hardwood 41%. Forest statistics show that the forest area has grown slowly, but reafforestation outweighs land clearance. In the Steinfeld area resin is harvested from Austrian pines.

Economy: Seen from the historical and political point of view and compared to other provinces, industrial development in Lower Austria was long very disadvantaged. After World War I and resulting from the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Lower Austria was disconnected from the Hungarian and Bohemian/Moravian markets, and World War II left Lower Austria more damaged than any other province: In 1945 alone 145 manufacturing plants were completely destroyed, 71% of all damaged Austrian industrial facilities were on Lower Austrian soil. A large number of companies (armament industry) were dismantled during the 10 years of Allied occupation after the war. In addition, 252 plants (formerly "German" property) and the entire petroleum exploitation were put under Soviet administration; the infrastructure in the remote areas at the "dead frontier" on the Czechoslovakian border was underdeveloped. The number of manufacturing plants in "historical" locations is relatively high due to the early industrialisation of the province, but the structure of the industries in these traditionally industrial areas is rather bad. In spite of this unfavourable initial position, Lower Austria has become a fairly dynamic economic area and a central zone of industrial production in Austria. From the beginning of the 1960s the area experienced a strong economic upwards trend, changing structures and an increase in growth that is still continuing. The value of the Lower Austrian economy (without agriculture and forestry) increased nominally by 8.7% per year from 1961 to 1990. Compared to other Austrian provinces Lower Austria has managed better to divest itself of traditional manufacturing branches such as textile and primary industry; the number of people employed in textile industries decreased to 25% from 1970 to 1993. Large parts of Lower Austrian industries developed more dynamically and much faster than nation-wide Austrian investment trends between 1981 and 1986; this process of modernisation took place especially in the area surrounding Vienna and in parts of the former traditional industrial areas. Centres of transfer and innovation (Seibersdorf Research Centre, Wiener Neustadt Innovation Centre, St Pölten Technology Centre) contributed much to this development. Especially in the second half of the 1980s Lower Austria achieved a significant lead in economic growth (4.6%, Austria: 3.6.%). In recent years Lower Austria has been among the provinces with the strongest economic growth due to industrial production and export and the expanding services sector. Lower Austria has benefited from the establishment of numerous new businesses in the area surrounding Vienna as well as in the regional business parks of the provincial agency ECO Plus; businesses are also promoted and supported by regional innovation and founding centres. This is one of the reasons Lower Austria is among the few provinces which have been able to increase its percentage of gainfully employed (1997: 1%, Austria: 0.3%).

The most important petroleum and natural gas fields are situated in the Vienna basin and in the molasse area north of the Danube; the natural gas storage facilities set up in the fields of Matzen, Tallesbrunn and Schönkirchen-Reyersdorf are of high economic importance. The extraction of crude oil, however, has been declining for years; crude oil is processed in the refinery at Schwechat. Further natural resources include gypsum near Preinsfeld and Puchberg, graphite near Mühldorf, kaoline in Aspang-Zöbern, limestone for the production of cement and the production of building lime in the Leithagebirge mountains and the limestone Alps, siliceous sand for glass production near Melk and Krems and various clay pits for the manufacturing of bricks. Granites are exploited in Schrems (district of Gmünd); the main exploitation areas of gravelly sand for the building industry can be found in the districts of Wiener Neustadt, Neunkirchen, Gänserndorf, Amstetten and in the Tulln Basin and the Traisental valley.

Electricity is mainly provided by the provincial power supply company EVN which owns (1997) 52 run-of-river power stations and 5 storage power stations (several power stations (called DoKW) on the River Danube, chains of power stations on the Rivers Kamp and Erlauf and a number of power stations on small rivers all over Lower Austria), 3 thermal power plants (in Korneuburg, Theiß and Dürnrohr), 3 district heating central plants, one district-heating station and 2 combined heating and power plants. In 1997, the entire production of these plants amounted to 1147 MW. The use of energy from biomass has been increasing, in 1997 there were more than 100 biomass district-heating plants.

Tourism: Tourism in Lower Austria is not as predominant as in the western provinces but still an important economic factor marked by day tourism from the large urban conglomerations. In the tourist season of 1997, the number of overnight stays (5,445,495) was slightly lower than in the years before World War II (1936/37: 5,728,000 overnight stays). However, the trend has been towards overnight stays in high quality accommodation. Thanks to health tourism, spas such as Baden, Bad Schönau and Harbach and municipalities with winter sports facilities and those close to Vienna (addition to city tourism) have managed to improve their situation. The Wachau area, the Semmering, Schneeberg and Rax regions, municipalities along the Mariazellerbahn railway line and at the east edge of the Alps are still renowned centres of tourism, traditional summer resorts in the limestone Alps on the other hand have hardly developed in the past few decades. Characteristic is the low percentage of foreign guests (about one third); the trends among Austrian tourists, apart from one-day trips, are developing towards multiple and short vacations (bicycle and mountaineering trips). The concept of sustainable tourism aims at bringing tourism into regions such as the Weinviertel and Waldviertel areas. Economically important are fairs and festivals in Krems (Austrian Wine Fair), Hollabrunn, Wieselburg, Wiener Neustadt and Tulln (Flower and Horticulture Fair, Leisure Fair).

Traffic and Transport: Lower Austria lies at the geographical centre of Central Europe and lost its isolated position after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Important European transport routes meet in Lower Austria: The Danube and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (since 1992) form a west-east connection between North and Black Sea; the ports of Krems and Enns-Ennsdorf are of great regional importance. Railway lines cross Lower Austria west and eastwards, railway lines from the northeast of Europe cross Lower Austria and are continued in the Südbahn railway line to the south and southeast. Lower Austria has a road network comprising 31,000 km (about 30% of all Austrian roads). In Lower Austria and Vienna there are important highways from west to east and from the south cross the country, also important Federal roads. About 16 billion road kilometers were covered by motor vehicles in 1990. The urban area around Vienna is the region of highest traffic concentration in Lower Austria. The most important Austrian airport is situated on the territory of the Lower Austrian town of Schwechat and it connects Austria to international air traffic. Apart from passenger traffic (about 9.7 million passengers in 1997), the airport has become increasingly important as an airfreight transshipment centre (Freight transshipment total of about 149,000 tons, including trucking, in 1997). It is estimated that air traffic will further increase by the year 2000 owing to constant enlargement of the airport (1997 compared to 1996: 1.2%).

Art and Culture: 40,000 monuments of art are listed in Lower Austria. Important prehistoric and Roman sites are Willendorf (Venus von Willendorf), Stratzing, Franzhausen, Carnuntum (Heidentor) and Tulln.

Important Romanesque buildings can be found in Zwettl, Heiligenkreuz and Schöngrabern, art monuments from the Gothic period in Klosterneuburg, Lilienfeld, Krems-Stein and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. Schallaburg Castle and Greillenstein Castle are examples of Renaissance architecture, while Melk Abbey, Altenburg Abbey and St. Pölten are fine examples of the Baroque. Important buildings from the Biedermeier period are in Baden, historicist buildings in Grafenegg; also remarkable buildings from other periods.

Mediaeval literature: the poetess Frau Ava is of particular importance. Religious plays from the 16^th century, important cities with theatres (from the 18^th century): Baden, St. Pölten, Wiener Neustadt and Berndorf. Also important representatives of dialect poetry since the 19^th century (J. Misson, K. Pschorn, T. M. Vogel).

Several composers and musicians originated from Lower Austria (J. Haydn and M. Haydn, J. G. Albrechtsberger, C. Zeller, J. M. Hauer, Theodor Berger and others), also traditional folk music (collected and published by the "Niederösterreichisches Volksliedwerk" association). 46,000 music students attend 182 music schools; in 1997 there were 461 brass bands. Choral and musical societies are united in the Sängerbund für Niederösterreich und Wien (Lower Austrian and Viennese Singers' Association) and in the Arbeitersängerbünde (Workers' Singers Associations). The most important Lower Austrian orchestra is the "Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler" orchestra.

Cultural weeks, local festivals and theatre summers take place e.g in St. Pölten, Amstetten, Berndorf and Wiener Neustadt. Since 1988 the Donaufestival (Danube Festival) has been held every other year, in 1994 the "Niederösterreichische Kulturszene" (Lower Austrian Cultural Scene) was founded.

Adult Education: organised by the Niederösterreichische Volksbildungsverein (Lower Austrian Adult Education Association, founded in Krems in 1885). After 1945 the Bildungswerke educational institution and community colleges took over adult education, the WIFI (Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut, Institute of Economic Promotion) and the BFI (Berufsförderungsinstitut, Vocational Training Institute) of the Chamber of Labour concentrate on vocational training. Instead of regional vocational training schools, Lower Austria is divided into 21 sections of provincial vocational training schools. Libraries are within the purview of the municipalities, the Provincial Library was transferred from St. Pölten to Vienna in 1997, some town archives have scientific libraries. The Niederösterreichisches Landesmuseum has several branches: since 1980 there has been the Ostarrîchi-memorial, now Ostarrîchi cultural centre in Neuhofen an der Ybbs. The collegiate museums (especially in Melk, Klosterneuburg, Heiligenkreuz, Seitenstetten, Göttweig and Altenburg) founded an association in 1994. In St. Pölten there is a museum of the diocese, town museums exist in St. Pölten, Krems, Wiener Neustadt, Stockerau, Horn, Tulln, Waidhofen an der Thaya, Waidhofen an der Ybbs and Baden, also several museums in villages and castles and museums of local history and culture. Approximately 300 artists have formed a provincial association, St. Pölten hosts a documentation centre of modern art, in Krems there is the Kunsthalle Art Centre, in Baden (Frauenbad) and Wiener Neustadt (in the Carmelite church) important exhibition rooms are available.

Centres of regional studies are the Lower Austrian Institute of Area Studies (Niederösterreichisches Institut für Landeskunde) and the Association of Area Studies (Verein für Landeskunde). Apart from Institutes of the University of Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, there are scientific institutions such as the IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) in Laxenburg and the Lower Austrian Landesakademie in Sankt Pölten (founded in 1988). The Donau-Universität Krems, opened in 1995, is the only university in Austria exclusively offering post graduate education and training, it is operated by the province and the Federal Government. Fachhochschule colleges exist in St. Pölten, Krems and Wiener Neustadt, in Tulln an Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology has been created. In Wiener Neustadt there is the Military Academy, in St. Pölten a theological-philosophical college. Heiligenkreuz Abbey and St. Gabriel in Maria Enzersdorf also maintain theological colleges. The educational infrastructure of Lower Austria has been improved enormously.

History: Prehistoric finds (Gudenus Cave, Venus vom Galgenberg, Venus von Willendorf) prove that Lower Austria has been settled since the Ice Age; many locations from the Bronze Age (Weinviertel area, Mannersdorf, Pitten, Franzahausen in the Traisental valley). The Kalenderberg mountain near Mödling is one main site from the early Iron Age, a gigantic burial mound from this epoch has been preserved in Großmugl. In the late Iron Age the Celts constructed fortified castles with ramparts.

From 15 B.C. the Romans were in control of the area to the south of the Danube and built castellets at the riverside (Ybbs, Pöchlarn, Melk, Mautern, Traismauer, Zwentendorf, Klosterneuburg), later large cities developed. Lower Austria formed part of the Roman provinces Pannonia (later Pannonia I) and Noricum (later divided up among other provinces). Town settlements: Carnuntum, Vindobona, Aelium Cetium, later Favianis. The upper class took over Roman customs; Germanic tribes lived north of the Danube (Marcomanni, Quadi), which tried to invade the area for the first time in 167 but were driven back by Marcus Aurelius. After that, Roman posts were also erected in the Weinviertel area. From the 4^th century federated Germanic peoples settled on Roman territory, the Rugi established the first Germanic state around 480 (centre: Stein bei Krems). Christianization started at the beginning of the 4^th century; one of the first martyrs was St. Florian, who lived near Aelium Cetium and was drowned in the River Enns in 304.

At the time of St. Severinus (d. 482) Roman organisational structures were dissolving and the Danube area was finally abandoned in 488. During the Germanic Peoples, Migration of the the Herulii, Langobardi and Ostrogoths were in control of the territory, from the 6^th century the Slavs, under the command of the Avars, settled in the region, the Bavarians in the west. The first monastery was founded in St. Pölten around 760. After the empire of the Avars was destroyed by Charlemagne between 791-797, Lower Austria became part of a Carolingian march. Bavarian bishoprics (Salzburg, Passau, Regensburg, Freising, Eichstätt) and other monasteries were given estates, secular landlords also settled in the area. After 850 the Weinviertel region belonged to the Great Moravian empire, from 907 it was governed by the Hungarians. After their defeat in the Lechfeld area near Augsburg in 955, a march was founded around 970, which was granted to the Babenbergs in 976. Around 991 this March extended to the Vienna woods, until around 1050 the Rivers Leitha and March formed the eastern boundary. There, two marches (Hungarian march and Bohemian march) were established temporarily, but they fell to the Babenbergs around 1055. The Nordwald forest from the Danube valley to the Horner Bucht area was made accessible from 1050 up to the 13^th century. During the investiture struggle and the time of Leopold III monasteries were founded, the country was increasingly populated and municipalities were given the status of towns. On September 17, 1156, the march was given the status of a duchy in the Privilegium minus. The Babenbergs were followed by the ruler Otakar II Pøemysl, who had the province separated into quarters ("Viertel"), in 1254 the border with Styria was determined.

After the victory of Rudolf von Habsburg over Otakar in 1278 the Habsburgs ruled the province until 1918 (enfeoffed 1282). Due to the Privilegium maius the name "Archduchy of Austria east of the River Enns" became customary.

From the age of the Babenbergs the population spoke German and from the end of the 13^th century German was also used in administration. After the high-free nobility had died out, the leading families (Kuenringer, Wallseer, Puchheimer, Maissauer, Pottendorfer, etc.) became the Estate officials. These and other high-ranking families constituted the high nobility ("Herrenstand") from the beginning of the 15^th century, who formed part of the Estates together with the knighthood, the high clergy (prelates) and the princely towns and market towns. They were called upon for consultation by the Princes during the sessions of the Administrative Assembly. The Estates had their own Provincial Parliament in Vienna from 1513.

In the 15^th century Lower Austria had to suffer various feuds and Hussite invasions (1427-1430) (Hussite Wars), in 1451/52 the Estates rose against Emperor Friedrich III (Mailberg Federation), Between 1482-1490 Matthias Corvinus of Hungary occupied the eastern part of Lower Austria. A large portion of the population converted to Protestantism in the 16^th century, during the Counter-Reformation Lower Austria was re-Catholicised and Church institutions were enlarged (new monasteries, churches, small monuments, pilgrimage sites). In 1529 Vienna was besieged by the Turks for the first time, parts of the country were devastated; in 1532 the Turks invaded again. After the defeat of the heaviest Turkish attack in 1683 Lower Austria became the core of the Habsburg empire, which found its artistic expression in many buildings of the Baroque In the 18^th century the first manufacturing plants were set up (Manufaktur, Mercantilism). The decade of Emperor Joseph II brought about many changes (Josephinism) in terms of church organisation. Lower Austria did not recover from the setbacks of the Napoleonic Wars until the Biedermeier period. Vienna profited more than any other regions of the province from the economic developments in the 19^th century. In 1838 the first railway line was opened between Floridsdorf and Deutsch-Wagram (Railway) and the railway network was soon extended to the south and north (line across the Semmering Pass from 1854). In the second half of the 19^th century the main lines meeting in Vienna were enlarged and local lines were added. The Revolution of 1848 freed the peasants and ended the influence of the Estates, in 1861 the Landtag was established. Most industries were set up in the second half of the 19^th century (Age of Promoterism).

After World War I municipalities near Gmünd and the town of Feldsberg had to be ceded to the ÈSR, in 1922 the province was divided into Lower Austria and Vienna. However, the Landtag and provincial administration remained in Vienna until 1997. From 1938 to 1945 Lower Austria was named "Niederdonau" ("Lower Danube"), the north of Burgenland and Southern Moravia were attached to it. On the other hand 97 municipalities were added to "Greater" Vienna (including Klosterneuburg, Mödling, Perchtoldsdorf and Schwechat) which were again ceded to Lower Austria in 1954. During National Socialist rule, the area between Allentsteig and Döllersheim was evacuated and an army training area built. Lower Austria was heavily damaged in air raids between 1943 and 1945 Bomb Warfare. From 1945 the province was occupied by the Soviet army and remained under Soviet control until 1955. Industrial sites, petroleum production and many other assets were seized (USIA), which slowed down industrial development until the 1960s; Lower Austria remained an isolated peripheral area until 1989 due to the Iron Curtain. In 1986 St. Pölten became the provincial capital and a large new administrative district was built. In 1997 the Landtag, the provincial government and the provincial administration moved to St. Pölten from Vienna.

The Provincial Constitution of 1920 was replaced by a new one in 1978. The Landtag, which is elected every 5^th year and has 56 members, is the main legislative body. The provincial government consists of the Landeshauptmann, two deputies and 6 Landesräte. Lower Austria has 12 representatives in the Bundesrat, 33 in the Nationalrat. Landeshauptmann: member of the Christian Socialists between 1920-1938, of the ÖVP (Austrian People's Party) since 1945 (absolute majority in the Landtag until 1993). The provincial government has consisted of 5 ÖVP, 3 SPÖ (Austrian Social Democratic Party) and one FPÖ (Austrian Freedom Party) representatives since 1993. Church organisation: The eastern part of Lower Austria belongs to the Archbishopric of Vienna (37 archpresbyterates with 492 parishes), the west to the diocese of St. Pölten (25 deaneries with 424 parishes). The Protestant church has one superintendency with 21 parishes, 6 of them belong to Vienna.

Literature: Bibliographie zur Landeskunde von Niederösterreich, data processed documentation of the Institut für Landeskunde; Bibliography of publications of the Lower Austrian Verein für Landeskunde, 1975-1989 in the journal of the Verein für Landeskunde NF 56, 1990; journal of the Lower Austrian Verein für Landeskunde, 1869ff., NF 1902ff.; Blätter des Vereins für Landeskunde von Niederösterreich 1867-1902; Monatsblatt des Vereins für Landeskunde von Niederösterreich, 1902ff. (since 1928 "Unsere Heimat"); Forschungen zur Landeskunde von Niederösterreich (last volume 1994); Studien und Forschungen aus dem Niederösterreichischen Institut für Landeskunde, 1980ff.; Wissenschaftliche Schriftenreihe Niederösterreich, ed. by the Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus, 1973ff.; Kulturberichte aus Niederösterreich, Monatsschrift für Kultur und Wissenschaft, 1950ff.; Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ed.), Theatergeschichte Österreichs, Niederösterreich, vol. IV, 1 issue, 1973; Die Römer in Niederösterreich, exhibition-catalogue, Pottenbrunn 1989; K. Gutkas, Geschichte des Landes Niederösterreich, ⁶1983 and volume of pictures 1984; idem, Geschichte Niederösterr. (Landesgeschichte Österr.), 1984; G. Stenzel, Niederösterreich, Geschichte und Kultur in Bildern und Dokumenten, 1982; L. Kammerhofer, Niederösterreich zwischen den Kriegen 1918-39, 1987; 4 blau-gelbe Jahrzehnte. Niederösterreich seit 1945, 1985; F. Schragl, Geschichte der Diözese St. Pölten, 1985; Ortsnamenbuch von Niederösterreich, ed. by the Verein für Landeskunde von Niederösterreich, 7 vols. and supplement, 1965-1981; E. Schuster, Die Etymologie der niederösterreichischen Ortsnamen, 3 vols., 1983-1994; Atlas von Niederösterreich, 1957; Handbuch der historischen Stätten, Österreich, vol. 1, 1985; Österr. Städtebuch, ed. by A. Hoffmann and O. Pickl, vol. 4 (3 parts), 1976-1988; Dehio, Handbuch der Kunstdenkmäler nördlich der Donau, 1990, südlich der Donau, ⁵1953; Österr. Kunsttopographie, vol. 1 (Krems), 1907, vol. 2 (Waidhofen an der Thaya), 1908, vol. 3 (Melk), 1909, vol. 4 (Pöggstall), 1909, vol. 5 (Horn), 1911, vol. 18 (Baden), 1924, vol. 29 (Monastery of Zwettl), 1940; W. Zotti, Kirchliche Kunst in Niederösterreich, diocese of St. Pölten, 2 vols., 1983-1986; J. Twaroch, Literatur aus Niederösterreich, 3 vols., 1984-1993; F. Neuwirth, Klimazonen in Niederösterreich, 1989; Niederösterreich (series: Die österreichischen Bundesländer, ed. by the CA Bank, issue 4), 1987; Statistisches Handbuch des Landes Niederösterreich, 17 Nos., 1992/93; F. Oswald and H. Waldhauser, Stichwort Niederösterreich, ³1993.