Lake Neusiedl Area: A Particular Lakescape at the Boundary Between Alps and Pannonian Basin

The Lake Neusiedl area is a unique lakescape, situated at the geodynamical and geomorphological boundary between the Alps, Carpathians and the Pannonian Basin, and therefore represents an important transition zone concerning terrain, climate, vegetation, fauna and cultures. We use geomorphological as well as geological data, topographical and historical maps plus historical charters to reconstruct the palaeohydrology of Lake Neusiedl and document dramatic landscape changes, especially in the last centuries. The present-day hydrological conditions of and processes at Lake Neusiedl are very different from those in the past. Virtually, all historical maps before 1780 show the Ikva River, Répce (Rabnitz) River and Kis-Rába River discharging into the connected Neusiedlersee/Hanság area that possessed a natural outlet, the Rábca River. The documented episodic variation of the water levels of Lake Neusiedl between desiccation and highest flood levels is c. 4.2 m, affecting enormous areas in this extremely low-relief region, with a huge impact on the landscape, fauna and vegetation, human settlement patterns, land use and communication routes—which should be considered in regional archaeological and historical interpretations. The numerous shallow lakes and presently dry basins in the Seewinkel originally formed as thermokarst lakes during early Lateglacial permafrost degradation after the end of the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM).