Industrieviertel.

The Industrieviertel region of Niederösterreich

Detailed map of the Industrieviertel.

To quote Wikipedia

"The name Industrieviertel stems from the industrial area of early industrialisation, which was already the focus of the economy in the Vienna Woods region in 1783. Because of its favorable location factors, such as proximity to raw material collected from wood, iron and coal, and hydroelectric energy sources, and wood, plus the sales-market of the nearby city of Vienna, industrial activity increased here.

Industrieviertel - Wiener Neustadt canal

The Industrieviertel is bordered on the north by Vienna and to the west and south by the borders of Mostviertel and Styria respectively.

The industrial district was severely affected by the two world wars. After the Second World War, the Industrieviertel was part of the Soviet zone of occupation. Thus, the Soviets confiscated belongings of the USIA holdings company** and uninstalled some machinery and entire plants completely, in order to build up in the Soviet Union again. There are still a number of industries located here. Especially along the Thermenlinie (thermal fault line), after 1955, many small and large industrial centers were built as the industrial center south of Lower Eco Plus. Establishments in the city of Vienna were among the first that moved into this area. This meant that the district of Mödling, although the smallest district in the state, has the highest tax base in Austria."

** USIA (Russian: Управление советским имуществом в Австрии) - The Administration for Soviet Property in Austria - was formed in the Soviet zone of Allied-occupied Austria in June 1946 and operated until the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1955. USIA operated as a de facto state corporation and controlled over four hundred expropriated Austrian factories, transportation and trading companies.

An Unfortunate Misnomer

NO! this is NOT the Industrieviertel - this is the industrial area of Venice!

With a name like “The Industrial Quarter” you would expect to see belching smokestacks, polluted rivers and monstrous concrete constructions. Nothing of the sort – the name is a leftover from the 18th century.