Austria-Hungary and in fact the local noble family Harrach owned the land on both sides.
Rohrau and Haydn
The composer Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau in 1732. His father Mathias was a master wheelwright who served as Marktrichter of the village; something akin to mayor. His mother had previously worked as a cook in the Harrach palace. Haydn lived in Rohrau only until about 1738, when he was sent away to attend boarding school in nearby Hainburg.
The composer's birth home (it is also the birth home of his brother Michael Haydn) is today a museum; it only partially reflects its original form since it has been repeatedly restored following fires and floods. It has also been expanded to serve its purpose as a museum.
A monument to Haydn was erected by Count Karl Leonhard Harrach in 1793, during the composer's own lifetime; it is thus the oldest of all Haydn monuments. It was originally placed in the park of Harrach Palace, on an artificial island (the "Haydn-Insel") in the Leitha River, created for the purpose. The monument was later transferred to the center of the village, where it stands today. When Haydn returned from London in 1795, he visited the monument; this was the occasion for an emotional return to his old home town.
Historical population of Rohrau
• 1971: 1,341
• 1981: 1,258
• 1991: 1,224
• 2001: 1,455
