Historical details

Rust wine on board when Titanic sank in the Atlantic

Günter Triebaumer has branded a wine barrel with the historical brand.

(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

The free town of Rust can look back on a long tradition in the wine trade. Thanks to a royal Hungarian privilege, fine wines from the winegrowers' cellars were under very special protection. As an unmistakable trademark, "R" for Rust was allowed to be branded on the wooden barrels as early as the 16th century.

Specifically, this privilege goes back to Queen Mary of Hungary (1505-1558). Exactly 500 years ago, she took over the patronage of the exquisite grape juice from Rust. The regent not only placed the wine under protection, she also guaranteed the right to export it freely.

From then on, barrels and bottle corks were allowed to be sealed with the 'R' brand.

Bürgermeister Gerold Stagl verweist auf die historischen Aufzeichnungen

Containers shipped to Germany
For export, the marked containers were once loaded onto wagons and shipped to northern Germany. It was transported either via the "upper road" through what was then Austria or via the "lower road" via Bratislava, today the capital of Slovakia.

Over 400 hectares of vineyards
The vineyards in Rust cover more than 400 hectares in total. The vineyards in the free town have illustrious names such as Gertberg, Ludmaisch, Rieglband and Vogelsang. Bordered by the Rust hills, which shield the vineyards from the north and west winds, the vineyards are all located on south-eastern slopes.

"The basin-like arrangement of the vineyards, open to Lake Neusiedl, allows the grapes to fully benefit from the microclimate, which is strongly influenced by the unique body of water," explains the mayor.

The anniversary brand.

(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Anniversary celebration at the end of June
The official celebration of the R anniversary will take place on June 27 as part of the opening of a highly interesting exhibition at Rathausplatz 17. The exhibition provides exciting insights. In hardly any other municipality in Burgenland has winegrowing and the wine trade been as important as in Rust.

Wine on the Titanic
The exquisite wines from Freistadt were a must at the imperial court table in Vienna. Even the Titanic had Rust wine on board when it sank in the Atlantic in 1912. And at the ceremony to mark the signing of the State Treaty in 1955, Rust wine samples were also served. Stagl: "A piece of history resonates with every sip."