48°12′38″N 16°24′52″E / 48.21055°N 16.414347°E / 48.21055; 16.414347

Trabrennbahn Krieau
LocationNordportalstraße 247, Vienna, Austria
Coordinates48°12′38″N 16°24′52″E / 48.21055°N 16.414347°E / 48.21055; 16.414347
Owned byWiener Trabrenn-Verein
Date openedSeptember 29, 1878; 146 years ago (1878-09-29)
Race typeharness racing
Notable racesÖsterreichisches Traber-Derby [sv]
Graf Kalman Hunyady Memorial
Official website

The Trabrennbahn Krieau (Krieau Trotting Track), also known as the Trabrennplatz, is a horse racing track in the Krieau [de], a part of Vienna's Leopoldstadt district.[1] The Prater, a large public park, lies immediately to the southwest of the Trabrennbahn Krieau. The Trabrennbahn Krieau opened on 29 September, 1878. The old grandstand and a tower for officials were finished in 1913. The Trabrennbahn Krieau is the second oldest harness racing track in Europe; only the Central Moscow Hippodrome, completed in 1834, is older.[2]

Major annual racing events held at the Trabrennbahn Krieau are the Österreichisches Traber-Derby [sv], which began in 1884, and the Graf Kalman Hunyady Memorial, which has been held since 1901. The Trabrennbahn Krieau is also used as a concert venue, and has hosted artists like Avicii, Robbie Williams, Green Day, and Bon Jovi.[3][4]

On 11 September 1931, Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß gave a speech, the so-called Trabrennplatzrede [de], at the Trabrennbahn.[5]

Engelbert Dollfuß's Trabrennplatzrede [de]

The Trabrennbahn has also been used for motor racing. On 7 April 1935, a 23-year-old Austrian mechanic and racer named Hans (or possibly Johann) Pelikan crashed into a concrete barrier while attempting test laps on a motorcycle, and died within minutes. Pelikan was intending to compete in the Austria-Goldpokal race being held that day.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Wiener Trabrennbahnverein - www.krieau.at". krieau.at. 2007-10-30. Archived from the original on 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  2. ^ "The Viennese Harness Racing Track Club". Krieau, Vienna. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  3. ^ "Trabrennbahn Krieau". Last.fm. Archived from the original on 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  4. ^ "Trabrennbahn Krieau". Last.fm. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  5. ^ Boyer, John W. (2022). Austria 1867-1955. Oxford History of Modern Europe. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 775. ISBN 9780192561770. OCLC 1290483526. Retrieved 2023-09-13. This latter speech, given on the afternoon of September 11, 1933 on the large race course (the Trabrennplatz) in the Prater [...] For Dollfuß's speech at the Trabrennplatz [...] see [...] Gerhard Botz, "Dollfuss' Trabrennplatzrede, 'harmonische Bauernfamilie' und die Fiktion des 'Ständestaats',"
  6. ^ The Motorsport Memorial Team. "Motorsport Memorial - Hans Pelikan". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
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