Valla
Valla, Moson Megye, Hungary, Austria-Hungary
(now Wallern im Burgenland, Austria)
The Seewinkel (Lake-corner)
&
The Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl)
from
"The Political Geography of Burgenland"
By Andrew F. Burghardt
© June 1958
Pages 20-23
3. The Seewinkel (Lake-corner)
This area, east of the Neusiedler See, differs from the Haidboden
and the Parndorfer Heide principally in elevation. It too is flat
and loess-covered, but lies only a few feet above the surface of
the See and the water table. A characteristic feature of its terrain
is the large number of ponds, the "Zickseen." Like the adjacent See,
these ponds seem to derive their water from ground-water sources;
none of them has either an inlet or an outlet. They are salty,
variable, and shallow, occupying basins that are the result of wind
deflation. Portions of the surface near Ilimitz and Apetlon show
salt deposits where ponds have evaporated.
Towards the southeast the surface slopes gradiaally and uniformly
into the great swamp area of the Hanság. Frauenkirchen is at 418
feet, Andau at 388 feet, and the southeastern corner at 376 feet
elevation (approximately the level of the See). The southern limit
of the Seewinkel is characterized by numerous drainage ditches, the
largest of which forms the international boundary.
Like the other flat areas of the northeast, this area was exposed
to wind and foe (notably the Turks) so that it was sparsely populated
until the 18th century. In order to bring it into production,
the Habsburg monarchs gave much of it to noble landowners, and above
all to Prince Eszterházy. Frauenkirchen alone has six manorial
work centers (höfe) within its gemeinde limits. Despite the problem
of inadequate drainage, most of the area has been brought into
cultivation and is highly productive.
Maize thrives throughout the area, while sugar beets are an
important money crop in the wetter southern parts of the area.
Along the northern edge of the Neusiedler See, adjacent to
Neusiedl city, is one of the most important vegetable raising
areas in Austria. Early lettuce, onions, peas, and marjoram
(a spice) are grown for the Viennese market.
4. The Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl)
Few natural phenomena have intrigued European geographers as much
as has the Neusiedler See. Between 1919 and 1949, there were 196
published works dealing with the See. Singularly intriguing have
been the questions concerning its source and its marked and
unpredictable fluctuations in water level.
The lake occupies the lowest portion of the Kis Álföld. It has no
basin of its own, but literally lies on the surface. It is,
consequently, very shallow and subject to enormous fluctuations
in area. Its area is approximately 120 square miles, of which 93
square miles are in Austria. It is 22 miles long and between 4 and
9 miles wide. Its surface level is about 375 feet above sea level
and its maximum depth is about 3 feet. All of these figures are,
however, only vague generalizations. It has no natural outlet.
The volume of water in the See has fluctuated in cycles of
indefinite and unpredictable duration. According to a local legend
the present lake area was, at one time the site of five villages
(which are actually named). After attaining a high level in 1677,
the lake shrank slowly until, in 1740, it had virtually dried out.
By 1786 it had extended to its greatest area in recorded history,
198 square miles. Between 1831 and 1840 it was again at a low stage,
but returned to 137 square miles in 1850. In 1868 it had disappeared
except for a few pools, and the salty lacustrine bottom was divided
among the surrounding gemeinden; peasants began trying to farm the
lake bed. The water soon returned, however, and by 1883 had attained
a maximum depth of 8 feet. Its most recent minimum was in 1934 when
its greatest depth was only 16 inches; that year the water heated,
in summer, to a temperature of 93 degrees (F), and, in winter, was
frozen solid.
Only one permanent stream, the Wulka, empties into the See. It has
been estimated that the water added to the lake by streams and
precipitation on its surface does not equal half the amount evaporated
from the surface. The lake must therefore, also be fed by ground
water, which here, in the lowest portion of the Kis Álföld, forms a
standing lake.
The lake need not dry out to lose most of its water. At times a
strong persistent wind from the north has pushed the water into
the southern end of the lake, thus flooding the reeds in Hungary
and leaving the north end dry.
Prior to 1918, drainage of the lake waters had been attempted.
The Einser Kanal was constructed to connect the south end of the
See to the Danube. Unfortunately, the difference in elevation
between the surface of the See and the level of the Danube is so
slight that in times of high water, the river has fed water back
into the See. With the drawing of the international boundary across
the lake, the possibility of permanent drainage of the lake bed
ceased. Since Hungary, at Mexiko M.H., retained a foothold north
of the Einser Kanal, and since the Kanal serves the purpose of
helping drain the Hanság, most of which remained in Hungary, the
entire length of this ditch was left to Hungary. The international
boundary now parallels the Kanal, running about ten feet north of
the north bank. The Hungarians have, of course, made no further
attempts to drain the lake and the, See-mouth of the Kanal is now
plugged with silt and reeds.
Tall reeds form a belt, averaging a mile and a quarter in width,
which almost surrounds the See. This belt is absent only along
the northeast shore, and reaches its greatest width at the
southwestern end. The reeds act as a barrier between the lake and
adjacent settlements, but are of special interest in sheltering
one of the richest and most varied collections of bird and animal
life in Europe.
During the 1920's Burgenland publications frequently discussed the
possibilities of developing the See as a bathing resource. There
has, however, been little development to date, and little can be
expected. Four gemeinden have constructed "Bad"s on the lake shore,
but these are insignificant and have had little effect on the economy
of the communities themsleves, much less on the entire area. Swimming
is out of the question, and as a health bath the See cannot compete
with the many spas of Austria.
Except for its slight influence upon the vineyards and vegetable
gardens along its north and west shores, the See is of little
economic value to the population living around it. Fishing is poor,
and hunting is discouraged in the interests of the preservation of
the rarer species of birds. The dense stands of reeds are utilized
by local craftsmen in the making of baskets. Transportation across
the lake is attempted between Rust and Podersdorf but the "ferries"
are small motorboats and traffic is negligible.
The principal role played by the See is that of a barrier. Because
of its location, it separates the Seewinkel from the provincial
capital and turns it, instead, towards Vienna. Pamhagen and Andau
are as far from Eisenstadt in distance and in travel time as is
Lockenhaus at the southern end of middle Burgenland.
E-mail: dwagner2@isd.net
©2004 DJW
Last Modified:
January 25, 2004