Gartensiedlung 'Am Freihof'; a text book garden village in Vienna

Apart from the typical Gemeindebau, consisting of urban superblocks around a communal garden court, several housing estates (Siedlungen in German) were built after 1918 on instigation of the Viennese Council that consisted primarily of family housing with private gardens. These estates are known as Gartensiedslungen, as they consist of houses with gardens. This is a misinterpretation of the English term Garden City (as this term was aimed at bridging the gap between an urban and rural living environment). These Gartensiedlungen were without exception, built in the newly annexed outer districts of Vienna. Most can only be reached by bus or, sometimes, tram.

Kagran was a medieval village north of the Danube some 6 kilometres from central Vienna. It was first mentioned in 1199 as Chagaran and comprised of a central village green, the current Kagraner Platz, with some scattered housing around it. East of the green stood a large building from the 1100s onwards: the Freihof Kagran. In 1494 the owner of the building is mentioned as Freiherr von Liechtenstein (a baron). The building was destroyed by plundering Bohemian soldiers in 1619. The present building is the rebuilt version and is now used as a restaurant. This stately building in two storeys with ochre render underneath a mansard roof is distinctly different from the surrounding buildings. On the fields once belonging to this manor house the Gartensiedlung Am Freihof was built. 

Between 1923 and 1927 the Siedlung Am Freihof was developed by the social democrat council of Vienna (Rotes Wien) for housing families that flocked to the city from the countryside. This was not done directly by local government, but via a Baugenossenschaft (a Building Society) that received direct loans and bank guarantees from the city of Vienna. One such building society was founded for this housing estate: Baugenossenschaft Freihofsiedlung. It cooperated with Baugenossenschaft  Mein-Heim in developing this housing estate. The design was made by Karl Schartelmüller along the lines of both Muthesius and Unwinesque principles. As such it is a very German example of a text book garden village (in Austria).

Am Freihof is the largest garden village within Vienna with 1.014 dwellings, several community buildings and diverse amenities. Between 1938 and 1945 is was extended eastwards. This extension fits quite snugly the rest of the garden village as the Stuttgarter Schule (the historicising style of architecture favoured by the Nazi's) also relied heavily on reinterpreting vernacular examples.

For the most part the garden village consists of long curved streets lined by long terraces of row houses with a staggered building line to create visual interest. De houses often have facades partly executed in brick. Also ornamental details are commonly used. In some places gateways and particularised corners a an Unwinesque feature of the housing. The streets lead to a small central square surrounded by higher buildings and shops. As such it is a direct derivative of Muthesius.

The garden village was built in several phases incorporating two older streets (1921). It is best characterised as a social overall concept with a primary school (1), bath house and swimming pool (2), sporting facilities (3), secondary school (4), central square with shops (5) and kindergarten (6). The very Unwinesque spatial layout is striking with axial shifts (*), bayoneting side streets and closes (c).