Wiener Neustadt (German pronunciation: [ˈviːnɐ ˈnɔʏʃtat]) is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in north-east Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land. The city is the site of one of the world's oldest military academies, the Theresian Military Academy, which was established by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in 1752 to train officers for the Austrian army.

History

The area once belonged to the County of Pitten, which had been inherited by Margrave Ottokar III of Styria in 1158. After the dynasty of the Otakars became extinct with the death of his son Ottokar IV, the Duchy of Styria passed to the Austrian House of Babenberg according to the Georgenberg Pact. Duke Leopold V of Austria established the town in 1194 and financed the construction of a fortress close to the Hungarian border with the ransom paid for the English king Richard the Lionheart, whom he had previously captured and held as a hostage at Dürnstein Castle. In 1241, a small Mongol squadron raided Neustadt during the Mongol invasion of Europe.

Wiener Neustadt is a city located south of Vienna.

Other articles

The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria existed from 1469 to 1785. In 1990, it was re-established as a titular see which is held by the bishop for the Military Services in Austria.

History

Upon the request of the Emperor Frederick III, it was erected by Pope Paul II on 14 January, 1469, and was immediately subject to the Holy See. At first it was coterminous with the town of Wiener Neustadt.

In 1769 the new parish of Theresienfeld was added and in 1784 its territory was extended from Wiener-Neustadt to the boundary of Styria. On 21 April, 1785, the see was incorporated in the Archdiocese of Vienna by Emperor Joseph II. Its last bishop, Johann Heinrich von Kerens, S.J. (1775–1785), and his cathedral chapter were transferred to the newly erected Diocese of Sankt Pölten.

Cathedral

The Late-Romanesque Dom or Cathedral was consecrated in 1279AD and remained the cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir stalls and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini.