Löbau

• 1. Napoleon's Island Headquarters

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  On the 21st of May 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered his army to cross the Danube near Kaiserebersdorf. The river branches were wide and no bridges existed for the crossing operation. Austrian troops led by Archduke Charles waited on the northern bank to stop the French advance. Fighting erupted in open fields and nearby villages like Aspern and Essling. This engagement became Napoleon's first defeat in a major battle. Marshal Jean Lannes died during the fighting north of the Lobau area. After the battle, Napoleon retreated with his remaining forces into the Lobau island. He established his headquarters there for several weeks while the floodplain served as a temporary refuge. On the night of the 5th of July 1809, Henri-Gatien Bertrand constructed multiple bridges across the water. These structures allowed 150,000 men to move to the left bank within hours. Napoleon then launched an immediate attack that decisively defeated the Austrian army at Wagram.

• 2. Nazi-Era Canal Construction

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  Construction of the Danube-Oder Canal began in 1939 under Nazi rule. By the time work stopped, engineers had completed 4.2 kilometers of navigable channel through the floodplain. The canal split the Lobau into Upper and Lower sections. The Lower Lobau remained largely untouched while the Upper Lobau developed for agriculture. Forced laborers including Soviet prisoners and Jews built the Lobau Oil Harbor refinery complex. Large tank storage facilities surrounded the refinery site. The oil harbor became a target for Allied bombing raids during the war. Small areas of the floodplain also hosted military exercises throughout the conflict period. Vienna's drinking water supply relies on the Lobau Groundwater Works facility built nearby. The concept for this canal project dates back to 1719 but only materialized decades later under authoritarian rule.

• 3. From Hunting Reserve To National Park

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  Emperor Franz Joseph I visited the Lobau with King Edward VII of Britain in 1903. Crown Prince Rudolf frequently hunted within these royal grounds before his death. In 1905 authorities designated the area as a protected zone for conservation purposes. Emperor Charles I gifted the Upper Lobau to Vienna city in 1918 after World War One ended. UNESCO recognized the region as a Biosphere Reserve from 1977 until 2016. Since 1978 it has maintained nature reserve status covering parts of Donaustadt district. The Lower Lobau received Ramsar Wetland designation in 1983 acknowledging its international importance. Danube-Auen National Park incorporated the area starting in 1996. This park extends downstream into Lower Austria creating an ecological corridor connecting to Slovak and Czech Republic wetlands. A trilateral cross-border Ramsar area now links all three nations through shared conservation efforts.

• 4. Tram Lines And Naturist Communities

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  Tram line 317 transported visitors from Kagran station to the Lobau recreational area after World War One. People enjoyed long hikes along water edges without encountering large crowds during early decades. Naturism groups established meeting spots along old river arms in the 1920s whether officially permitted or not. These naturist communities continue operating today at their original locations near Dechantlacke and Panozzalacke swimming areas. A nature trail called Obere Lobau runs from Saltenstraße entrance to Dechantweg access point. Hikers can follow the Ostösterreichischer Grenzlandweg long-distance path through the floodplain. European long-distance trails E4 and E8 also connect to this protected region. The Josefsteg pedestrian bridge spans the Schröderwasser stream surrounded by common reed vegetation. This 135-meter structure was rebuilt in 2020 for public safety and accessibility.

• 5. Desiccation And Heißländen Habitats

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  River straightening altered the Lobau hydrology transforming flood-prone landscapes into groundwater-fed wetlands. Many Danube side arms became stagnant water bodies gradually filling with sediment deposits. Large-scale flooding reduction disrupted ecological connections between main river channels and floodplain ecosystems. Groundwater levels dropped steadily while surface waters frequently dried out completely. Rapid desiccation affects the Lower Lobau section due to deepened Danube riverbed conditions. Hydropower development intensified these changes throughout the twentieth century. Oxbow lakes occasionally dry out creating extensive mudflats during particularly dry years. Specialized plant species colonize these temporary mudflats when water recedes. Heißländen habitats develop on thick gravel deposits where trees grow only if soil retains sufficient moisture. These savanna-like areas remain extremely dry despite their location within a floodplain ecosystem.

• 6. Endangered Species In The Floodplain

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  Eurasian beavers were reintroduced to the Lobau region in the 1970s after extinction from Austria. Over thirty mammal species now inhabit the area including wild boar European otter roe deer red fox and European hare. Bat populations include common noctule Natterer's bat and Daubenton's bat species. Reptiles found here range from European pond turtle to smooth snake and Aesculapian snake. Amphibians thrive including European tree frog agile frog fire-bellied toad and Danube crested newt. Fish diversity includes European bitterling common carp pigo and European mudminnow. Bird species serve as key stopover sites for migration with great cormorant grey heron kingfisher and white-tailed eagle present. Invertebrates populate the wetlands with duck mussel noble crayfish zebra spider stag beetle and dragonflies. Carnivorous bladderwort plants survive alongside water violet and various pondweed species in drying waters. Lichens mosses hawthorn sea buckthorn and feather grass dominate the dry Heißländen gravel terraces.