Trabrennbahn Krieau
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Location | Nordportalstraße 247, Vienna, Austria |
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Coordinates | 48°12′38″N 16°24′52″E / 48.21055°N 16.414347°E |
Owned by | Wiener Trabrenn-Verein |
Date opened | September 29, 1878 |
Race type | harness racing |
Notable races | Österreichisches Traber-Derby Graf Kalman Hunyady Memorial |
Official website |
The Trabrennbahn Krieau (Krieau Trotting Track), also known as the Trabrennplatz, is a horse racing track in the Krieau , a part of Vienna's Leopoldstadt district. The Prater, a large public park, lies immediately to the southwest of the Trabrennbahn Krieau. The Trabrennbahn Krieau opened on 29 September, 1878. The old grandstand and a tower for officials were finished in 1913. The Trabrennbahn Krieau is the second oldest harness racing track in Europe; only the Central Moscow Hippodrome, completed in 1834, is older.
Major annual racing events held at the Trabrennbahn Krieau are the Österreichisches Traber-Derby , which began in 1884, and the Graf Kalman Hunyady Memorial, which has been held since 1901. The Trabrennbahn Krieau is also used as a concert venue, and has hosted artists like Avicii, Robbie Williams, Green Day, and Bon Jovi.
On 11 September 1931, Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß gave a speech, the so-called Trabrennplatzrede , at the Trabrennbahn.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/DollfussEnActoDelFrentePatri%C3%B3tico19330911_ONB14694595.jpg/220px-DollfussEnActoDelFrentePatri%C3%B3tico19330911_ONB14694595.jpg)
The Trabrennbahn has also been used for motor racing. On 7 April 1935, a 23-year-old Austrian mechanic and racer named Hans (or possibly Johann) Pelikan crashed into a concrete barrier while attempting test laps on a motorcycle, and died within minutes. Pelikan was intending to compete in the Austria-Goldpokal race being held that day.