In earlier times, nearly every generation was struck by a major catastrophe of one kind of another. Here is a short list of the major catastrophes:

o) 1462, 1477 and 1484: Destruction of Baden in the Hungarian Wars

o) 1529 and 1532: Destruction of Baden in the Turkish Wars

o) 1562, 1613, 1644: Plague (To counter the great danger of infection, the city set up two hospitals: one at Antonsgasse 25 and the other at Mühlgasse 28.)

o) 1679-1680: Plague killed 1200 of the 3500 people in Baden parish!

In the Turkish War of 1683, the city was virtually burned to the ground. Three-fourths of the population perished. Of the 1176 inhabitants, 848 were dead or missing; only 328 survived. It was the biggest catastrophe that Baden has ever had.

From April to October 1713 the Plague claimed 74 victims in Baden. To ward off the epidemic, the city promised to erect a trinity column and to stage an annual pilgrimage to Gutenstein (that is still conducted today!).
A fire that broke out on 24 February 1714 destroyed 100 of the 182 buildings in Baden. No one ever found out what caused it. In a fire occurring a century later on 26 July 1812, a total of 137 buildings were destroyed! With the help of the military, the city was rebuilt within a year. This turn of events explains why the center of the city is so thoroughly Biedermeier in character, a trait that many visitors feel is its main source of charm. In the two World Wars of the 20th century Baden was spared major destruction because of its designation as a military hospital center.