Last modified: 2026-03-28 by martin karner
Keywords: kittsee |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 26 March 2026
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 26 March 2026
Slovakian: Kopčany; Hungarian: Köpcsény; Croatian: Gijeca
Official colours: blue and white
The original municipality was larger and extended into what is now Slovakia. Following the demarcation
of the border in 1919, only the western part remains within Austrian territory. The separated part is now
part of Bratislava's fifth district, Petržalka, and is known by its Slovak name, Kopčany.
Kittsee was destroyed twice by the Turks on their way to Vienna, in 1529 and 1683. In the 16th century
Croatian farmers were settled in the devastated region. The tower on the arms is the so-called Heidenturm
or Öder Turm from the late Middle Ages. It is the remnant of a small settlement and survived
all destruction. It stands nearby Kittsee, to the south-west (photo,
source).
Kittsee has a quarter called Chikago. It was built around 1910 in a relatively short time. It got
its name from a returned emigrant from America, who was amazed by this rapid construction activity. He said
things were moving just as quickly here as they were in Chicago. This became a catchphrase, following which
the then-unnamed neighbourhood was given the name Chikago. In 2017 the Viennese author Theodora
Bauer published her novel Chikago about emigrants from Burgenland.
Martin Karner, 26 March 2026
.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 26 March 2026
From the communal website:
"The Kittsee coat of arms dates back to the Middle Ages and underwent several changes after 1689. In
the 19th century, it depicted, on a blue background above a green base, a silver gate tower with a window
in the middle and two windows on the upper storey, topped by a projecting, high pointed roof covered in
shingles, featuring a finial and a spire. This emphasised the town's defensive character. The seal used in
the 20th century, in blue, depicted a simple rectangular gable tower with a rectangular gate and one window
on the ground floor and two windows on the upper floor. In 1973, the provincial government granted the
market town the right to continue using the old municipal coat of arms. Today, more than ever, this symbol
of defensive strength looks to the future."
Communal website: https://www.kittsee.at (history, German [retrieved])
Martin Karner, 26 March 2026
