In March, we saw an advertisement for this exhibition about the building of the Danube island. As the blurb says:
This dialogue-based tour traces the development of the Donauinsel, how it became a diverse natural and recreational area by the water, and what we as residents of the city associate with this unique space today.
Elly really wanted to go but the exhibition started on the day we were to leave, so I plotted to take us back in July. I was keen to go back for a couple of reasons: I love doing things for my wife, I was interested too, and I want to spend as much time as I can in the Muttistadt.
We stayed in the Henriette, our favourite Viennese hotel. Here are the very few photos I took today:
My Vienna travel-pass. (It was much easier to display a screenshot than to delve for the e-ticket each time. shopping
Day 2 (Friday 10 July)
This video gives an idea of why Vienna needed controls and flood defences. basically, the Danube channels meandered a lot. (The wee grey blob to the south-west is the city.) By the 19th century, the main channel was to the north-east of the city, with just what was to be named the Donaukanal skirting the city at Handelskai (literally ‘trade quay’). In the middle of this century, the main channel was straightened and running almost straight northwest-by-north to southeast-by-south. A loop, known as the Alte Donau (Old Danube) remained to the northeast of that.
So this, along with some dams on the main channels banks, regulated the Danube – but not enough. In the winter of 1850 (as had happened previously), ice-induced floods were heading towards the city. (I seem to recall reading that the river had frozen upstream, holding back water. When if thawed, it released a flood.) In any case, this year, the city received warnings thanks to Austria’s telegraph network. Despite the warnings, there was a lot of harm and danger for these floods. (You’ll see some photos later.) So ways to prevent future disasters were needed.
The idea was to dig a new channel, of course called Neue Donau (new Danube), parallel to the main channel. Normally, it would only be partially full, but when floods threatened, its gates would open so it could swallow the impending flood-water and safely deliver it south-east of the main city. I guess that this also helped smooth the flow so areas downstream had more time to prepare against floods, and so that the floods would surge less. I’d like to know what the downstream counties made of this. (Right now they are desperate for water.) The area between the main and new channels would naturally be called the Donauinsel (Danube Island).
However, this work didn’t start until quite a way through the 20th century, affected by lots of arguments over practicalities, politics, how the island (if it was created) would be used, and how it would be paid for. Here are ‘before’ and ‘after’ plans.
introduction to the exhibition
These first few photos are about the need for flood defences.
blurbThe Danube island goes beyond Vienna’s boundaries, so Niederosterreich had to be involved.wrestilng with the riverThe biggest floods since 15011784 – the year of catastrophesearly hydraulic engineeringsudden inundation1830 flood-deaths register the city is floodedsome statistics about ‘before the island’major regulation: 1870-1875How this regulation was donedredger-buckets, and an 1875 cross-section through the Danube ‘One flood too many’ (1862)the city is floodedThe ice-flow – a charity performance at Josefstadt theatre
The ‘Lobau’
However, there was still flood-plain near the river, often used for recreation.
about the flood-plain…… and the freedom it brought.getting theregetting there by tramthe floodplain as an airportusing the floodplaincyclingenjoyingromance!Fussball!drinks and ice-creams(nude) bathingmore (nude) bathingswimming‘baywatch’hiding your bitsor notpoliticsWWII bombingaccommodating refugeesresisting the Nazisbut ‘Kraft durch Freude’early plansSo it’s ‘goodbye’ to the floodplain.
Planning begins
1919 ideaschronologyA city with two rivers? (Why not? Birmingham has three.)some optionscost-savingpolitics based on data!1958 ideas1962 idea – a green island1968 idea – s sport islandheated debatesbetter uses for the money?Who builds the better city?Death of the Lobau? Not if WaLuLiSo (Water, Air, Light, Sun) has any say. a slightly more legible close-upEven though the project had the go-ahead, decisions on how to use the island weren’t made. So the City Council organised a competition.It took 15 years after a devastating flood to decide to do anything.Of course the military tried to muscle in.seeking ideasclose-uppossibly using part of the island for accommodationclose-up of the blurbthe competition entriesanother entry, focussing on expanding the university onto the islandclose-up of the blurbresults of the competition’s first phasepolitics!Phase 2 begins, after. a decision not to build on the island …… but the arguments continue.more about the argumentsOne Idland, two planning teams‘the Vienna model’no more steep banks
Construction
On Vienna’s longest construction site…… work begins.Actual planning began in 1977.Here are some plans.The island emerges.And people came to see the work,The first four miles were opened in 1981.advertising the ‘Vienna Lido’Lido politics!landscape designnatural design of the northern sectionconstruction work at the middleplant-planningisland furniturethe island in 1980the island in 2026how the island became the centre of Vienna’s sewage systemmajor infrastructure for sewage. As a visitor, I had never noticed anything but the bridges.In the middle of construction, a major bridge collapsed. So the project management had to cope with this as well as the planned building. I don’t envy them! It was an opportunity to build a double-decker bridge: top deck for motor-vehicles, bottom deck for U-Bahn (including a station) footpaths, cycle-paths. (There are utility tunnels too.)construction in 1978the stationArguments about the Brigittenauer bridge
bridges
bridgesIn the middle of construction, a major bridge collapsed. So the project management had to cope with this as well as the planned building. I don’t envy them!It was an opportunity to build a new double-decker bridge: top deck for motor-vehicles, bottom deck for U-Bahn (including a station) footpaths, cycle-paths. (There are utility tunnels too.)construction in 1978the stationarguments about the Brigittenau bridgehighway along the embankmentÖMV pipe-bridge
the island, water-treatment and power-generation
waste-water treatment planVienna’s water-supply is secured.Freudenau barrageenergy-generation along the Danube
it’s never finished
not nohow!competition resultscitizen participation\? Shock, horror!The failed expo- origins of the UN cityrowingboozingmore boozingnew attractions
time to think about nature
crating a ‘natural’ habitatconnecting habitatssome statisticsoxbow lakes in the floodplainengineered natureclimate changediverse habitatshow many species?beaver activitymore about beaverseven more about beavers
lunchbreak
By now we were in need of a break. I’m sure you are too after looking at all the photos so far. (You did look at every one, didn’t you?)
Digital evidence that Bruce might have a life 