By naming the buildings after female personalities, aspern Seestadt is once again setting a visible example for equality.

Seestadt is growing – and with it the network of streets and paths. Eight more women will lend their names to future streets and paths in Seestadt.

East of the future co-creative mile between Zaha Hadid Square and Nelson Mandela Square, these are the renowned Austrian artists Senta Wengraf and Friederike Mayröcker. The inventor Mária Telkes and researcher Edith Neumann are the new namesakes of the southeastern commercial district, which focuses on production and innovation. Wien Energie's geothermal plant, the technology giant HOERBIGER, and the internationally successful biopharmaceutical company Biomay have already settled there. On the opposite side of Seestadtstraße, adjacent to Seestadt's eastern green belt, sports enthusiasts will in future think of soccer pioneer Edith Klinger and swimmers Judith Deutsch and Bertha Zahourek when they walk to the Austrian Football Federation's training campus and, from 2030, to the City of Vienna's new indoor swimming pool.

The path recently renamed after Olympic swimmer Bertha Zahourek will lead to the planned indoor swimming pool there. The street between Sonnenallee and Zaha Hadid Square in the west of Seestadt was already dedicated to Jina Mahsa Amini in 2023. The avenue named after her represents solidarity with all Iranians who stand for freedom and democracy.

About the namesakes of the newly named streets:

Friederike Mayröcker Street: Friederike Mayröcker (1924–2021) is one of the most important voices in Austrian literature. She is the winner of the Georg Büchner Prize and the Austrian Book Prize, among others.
Senta-Wengraf-Gasse: The theater and film actress Senta Wengraf (1924–2020) appeared in around 20 films and shaped the stages and television screens of Austria and Germany for decades.
Judith Deutsch's journey: Multiple swimming champion Judith Deutsch-Haspel (1918-2004) was already an Austrian champion at the age of 15 and held numerous national records. She was named Sportswoman of the Year in 1935 and received the "Golden Decoration of Honor of the Republic of Austria" in 1936.
Bertha Zahourek Way: Bertha Zahourek (1896–1967) was also an Austrian pioneer of women's swimming and one of the first Austrian Olympic medalists.
Edith Klinger's Way: Viennese-born Edith Klinger (1911-1993) is considered a pioneer of women's football. She was not only an active player but also the first woman to be certified as a referee by the Austrian Football Association.
Mária Telkes Trail: Mária Telkes (1900–1995) received her doctorate in chemistry and physics. During her time in the United States, she designed, among other things, a solar-powered desalination plant that made seawater drinkable and was involved in the development of the first house heated exclusively with solar energy.
Edith Neumann Street: The Austrian-American microbiologist Edith Neumann (1902–2002) was considered one of the most respected scientists in the medical laboratory field of the 20th century. After fleeing to the USA, she served, among other roles, as Medical Director of the Jetti Katz Clinical Laboratory.
Jina Mahsa Amini Avenue: Student Jina Mahsa Amini (1999-2022) was fatally injured during her arrest by the Iranian morality police, resulting in worldwide protests against the mullah regime and for women's rights.

Supplemented edition of the publication “The Seestadt is female”

The biographies of all women who gave the city its name can be found in the revised digital brochure “The Seestadt is female” at www.aspern-seestadt.at can be read.

A total of 64 streets, squares, parks, and buildings in Seestadt are now named after women. "The streets and squares in Seestadt are dedicated to women whose life's work has left a lasting mark. Whether in science, culture, politics, sports, or social engagement – not only well-known personalities are honored. We particularly like to bring to public attention those who have long been under-visible," says Ingrid Spörk, Head of Communications at Wien 3420.

Across Vienna's entire street network, there are currently 620 female names compared to 4,080 male names, representing 13 percent of all names. Since the decision to increasingly encourage women to name streets, around 220 female names have been implemented in Vienna between 2013 and 2025. Seestadt accounts for a significant share of these.

City naming à la Seestadt

With two exceptions (Sonnenallee and Nelson Mandela Square), all traffic areas in Seestadt bear women's names. While this contribution to improving the gender balance in the naming of Vienna's streets is small, Seestadt is nevertheless setting a major example. The Vienna Institute for Social Science Documentation and Methodology (WISDOM) initially developed strategies for street naming in the new district on behalf of the development company for Seestadt, Wien 3420 aspern Development AG. In a participatory, scientifically supported process with 30 experts, six naming schemes were developed – always under the premise that if a personal name is used, it must be feminine. Following the Donaustadt district council's decision to name the streets in Seestadt with feminine names, a total of 22 street names were established for the first phase of Seestadt on February 28, 2012. As the urban development progresses, more names will be added successively.