CHRONIC
After more than ten years of conflict, the entire Hörndlwald in Vienna-Hietzing is now to be redesignated as a grassland conservation area. A citizens’ initiative protested against the building sites in the local recreation area. The construction plans for a rehabilitation clinic were already given up in 2019.
Part of the forest has been registered as a natural monument since 1973. Now the building areas belonging to the City of Vienna that were previously dedicated under “special building regulations” have been redesignated. In this way, future construction projects in the Hietzinger Hörndlwald should also be prevented. The rededication was already announced in 2021. The forest is to be integrated into the Vienna Woods biosphere reserve as a landscape protection area.
A home for children and international cultural exchange was built in a part of the forest in the 1950s. The forest area has been part of the Hietzing landscape protection area since 1998 and is therefore subject to the Vienna Nature Conservation Act. The building was used as refugee accommodation until 2011, and it was demolished in 2020.
Planning for rehabilitation center already completed in 2019
Nevertheless, the “pro mente” association still owned the rights to the specially protected building sites. In the meantime, the rededication to regular building land was in the room. A rehabilitation clinic for burn-out sufferers on the outskirts of Vienna was planned.
The existing contract with pro mente was not extended in 2019, and so the clinic plans were shelved. The association had previously complained about the long planning and rededication time for the building site in Hörndlwald. Since 2014, a citizens’ initiative and the Hietzing district council have been campaigning for the preservation of the forest. They feared an increase in traffic.
SPÖ and ÖVP emphasize good cross-party cooperation
The chairman of the planning committee in the Vienna City Council, Erich Valentin (SPÖ), emphasized in a broadcast the good cooperation between the city and the district in the current rededication. There had previously been several cross-party discussions.
The same applies to Hietzinger ÖVP local councilor Michael Gorlitzer: “Now the entire Hörndl Forest is being placed under the highest protection and the construction areas dedicated to it are being deleted forever. This ensures that this valuable local recreation area will be preserved forever for future generations.”