Grassland gives way to concrete

Tree massacre in two Viennese districts

Excavators and chainsaws moved in on Gallitzinstrasse.(Bild: Zwefo)

Chainsaws and excavators move in on Ottakring and Simmering: Greenery is being destroyed. Once with and once without a permit.

For years, the citizens' initiative "Pro Wilhelminenberg" has been campaigning against the massive construction at Gallitzinstraße 8-16 in the Vienna Woods. On Monday, residents raised the alarm when the excavators and chainsaws suddenly arrived and one tree after another fell. "Of all times, logging is being started quietly and secretly during the vacations, the whole thing reminds me strongly of the night-and-fog action at the Steinhof site," says an angry resident in an interview with "Krone". She has spent her whole life on Wilhelminenberg, but hardly recognizes her home. "Every green space, no matter how small, is being destroyed and housing estates built instead," the pensioner complains.

How many trees have to be removed in Gallitzinstraße?
The municipal district office for Ottakring says: "Permission has been granted for the removal of 58 trees at the site. However, 56 new trees will be planted on the site." And how does this deforestation comply with the Vienna Tree Protection Act, which only recently came into force? "Following a review, the developer's application was approved with a legally binding decision in November 2023, i.e. before the amendment to the Tree Protection Act came into force," says the city council.

There is also excitement about felled trees in Leberstraße in Simmering. An inquiry by the district Greens to the city revealed that 29 trees had been felled without authorization. A scandal for club leader Sofia Palzer-Khomenko. She appeals to citizens to report observations of this kind immediately, as felling without a permit is a punishable offense. In the Simmering case, the public prosecutor's office was called in.