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.
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)
I took a lot of photos today, trying to capture all of the exhibition. This is mostly because my memory is very poor but partly because I wanted to share the experience and learning. Until today, I had no idea that the Danube Island (Donauinsel) wasn’t a natural phenomenon. It’s not – it’s part of flood defences built in the 1970s and 1980s. Links in the captions are bold, because otherwise they’d not be seen.
This video gives an idea of why Vienna needs 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 channel’s 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.
These 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 theatre1898 changespaying for itareas affected by significant floodsand there was more flooding stillThe basic ‘extra channel/Donauinsel’ idea had been thought of much earlier.postcards from 1929 and 1940, when the river froze overA flood in 1954 prompted the decision to actually do something. (The sign reads ‘Residents of the houses are requested not to step onto the footbridge, so that the idle gawkers have room.’)
However, there was still flood-plain near the river, often used for recreation.
about the flood-plain…… and the freedom it brought.getting to the floodplaingetting 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.
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
In this part of the exhibition, there were videos of interviews with people involved in deciding how the island was to be made and used, how habitats should be linked up, the political situation and so on. I didn’t stop to video these but we bought a book about the exhibition which may explain. (I’ve not read it yet – my German isn’t good enough to read it quickly.)
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 middle of the islandplant-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.)The island takes shape (1979)scale model from 1977construction in 1978the island’s u-Bahn stationArguments about the Brigittenauer bridge
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
not nohow!competition resultscitizen participation? Shock, horror!The failed expo – origins of the UN cityrowingboozingmore boozingnew attractionsclimate management
creating a ‘natural’ habitatconnecting habitatssome statisticsoxbow lakes in the floodplainengineered natureclimate changediverse habitatshow many species?beaver activitymore about beaverseven more about beaversfishfish-blurbsfish and birds!amphibians and insectsbeesgrasshopperstree of heavenprostate speedwellfield eryngocypress spurgeaquatic plantsaquatic plant diversityuses of aquatic plantsboat-mowing!what’s on the islandsheep and species-conservationadapting to climate-changeThe island is cool (in at least two ways, I think).climate monitoring
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?)
It was baking hot, so the café provided moisture.steaming (movie)aarrgghh! Caught short‘Einlauf’ on its own can mean ‘enema’.available in the museum shop
AKA ‘and we’re back into the exhibition for more!’. These photos are about how people use the island.
This seems like a good ideal to me, especially if it means ‘freedom from worry’ rather than ‘freedom to be an arse’introduction to this section of the exhibitionIt’s often used for events, such as the annual Doinauinselfest …… supposedly Austria’s biggest festivalDoinauinselfest postersDoinauinselfest postersDoinauinselfest postersThe festival has its own beer!There’s a school on a ship moored next to the island.You can stay (unofficially) on the island.It’s very diverse.Barbeque safety is a thing.People dive in the Danube.It’s a summer destination.People row.People fish.People fish.People enjoy themselves in many ways.People get their kit off. (We saw this later in the day.)People play cricket. Blind people can train safely.LGBT+ people enjoy the island, often in the Toter Grund area.People skate.People share food.People understand and plan.
vox populi!Of course, my opinion is very naïve and written in poor German.I believe this person said it’s too hot.These people wanted cost-free toilets.According to GiggleTranslate, ‘Relax and enjoy the Danube Near the U-Bahn station, there are many quiet spots where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the view—ideally with a good glass of wine.’
After this, it was time to spend some time on the island. I swam for a few minutes from one of the pontoons, but wasn’t brave enough to swim out to the road-bridge piles, let alone try to climb them. (I’ve seen people do this.) Here are our meanderings from the museum to the island, and back to our hotel, according to cyclemeter.
postersparty-invitationpanorama from our swim-spotThe loveliest three words are ‘food is ready’. This is Very true of Plein, our favourite fast-food restaurants in Vienna
