Tulln an der Donau

Tulln stands on the Danube west of Vienna. In Roman times it was the cavalry fort of Comagena and a base for the Danube flotilla. Recorded as Tullina in 859, it gained prominence under the Babenberg margraves as a residence and trading centre on the river. In 1280 Rudolf I founded a Dominican convent here in gratitude for his victory over King Ottokar of Bohemia.

The rise of Vienna and shifts in trade routes diminished Tulln's earlier importance. Fires, flooding and warfare added to its difficulties over the following centuries. In 1683, during the Ottoman siege of Vienna, Tulln became a gathering place for the imperial relief army before it marched to the battle on the Kahlenberg. The Danube town thus served as a staging point for the forces assembled to aid the capital.