!!!Donau, Fluss
Danube, River (German: Donau): With a total length of 2,850 km,
the Danube is the second longest river in Europe after the Volga. It
springs as the two small streams of Brigach and Breg in the Black
Forest and flows into the Black Sea through a five-armed delta.
Contrary to custom, the flow rate of the Danube is counted from the
estuary to the source and not vice versa as with other rivers. The
name Danube or Donau is of Celtic origin (Indo-European: danu =
river). The Danube is the only European waterway flowing from west to
east. The upper Danube goes back to the "primal Danube",
which may have arisen in the Miocene (Tertiary) period.
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Together with the eastern Alps ( Alps), the Danube has been the most
important factor in shaping the Austrian landscape. Frequent changes
between narrowing and widening valleys are characteristic of the
Danube landscape: From West to East, these valleys are: Passau Valley,
Eferding Basin, Linz Gates, Linz-Ardagger Basin, Machland,
Strudengau Valley, Nibelungengau region, Wachau Valley, Tulln
Basin, Wiener Pforte Gap, Vienna Basin, Marchfeld Plain and the
Hungarian Gates. Here the Danube leaves Austrian territory between the
Hundsheim mountains and the western Carpathian Mountains (Thebner
Kogel mountain). The mean rate of volume at the Vienna Reichsbruecke
amounts to 1922 m%%sup 3/%/sec., the average inclination of the
Danube riverbed on Austrian territory is 156 m. The water quality of
the river ranges from Class II west of Vienna to
Class II-III (of four classes) east of Vienna.
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The Danube is Austria's main river and has the highest water level in
mid-summer and the lowest in January. Hydrographically, 96% of the
Austrian territory belongs to the Danube catchment area (the
Drau/Drava river also flows into the Danube). The main right-bank
tributaries ( Rivers) in Austria are the rivers Traun, Enns, Ybbs,
Erlauf, Pielach, Traisen, Schwechat, Fischa and Leitha (which
joins the Danube on Hungarian territory); left-bank tributaries
include the rivers Grosse Muehl, Aist, Krems and Kamp.
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The Danube holds a special position among central European rivers on
account of its fauna (approximately 70 species), some of which can
only be found in its river system. Endangered species of fish include
zingel, gobio uranoscopus and huchen; frequent species are eels,
minnows, carps, tenches, barbels, breams, mud minnows, pikes and
welses.
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For the Austrian economy, the Danube has always been a trade route of
the highest importance. As early as the 13%%sup th/% century, the
upper course of the river had about 80 customs stations and toll
gates. Teams of up to 40 horses pulled ships upstream on the towpath
("Treppelweg", "Treidelweg" or "Hufschlag"), covering distances up to
20 km per day. In addition, special types of barges and
riverboats such as the Traun barges from the Traun River, the Hall
barges, Tyrolean barges and the so-called "Inngamsen" from
the Inn river could be found on the Danube. Since 1616 the right of
the countries bordering the Danube to make use of the river has been
laid down in a number of agreements ( Danube Commission). In 1948, the
Belgrade Danube Conference decided to exclude all countries not
bordering the Danube from all decisions concerning the river. Austria
joined in 1960. There was already regular passenger and goods traffic
from Regensburg to Vienna by 1696, for example on the so-called
"Ordinarischiffe" ("scheduled ships") from Ulm. Because of the
increasing importance of the waterway ( Danube shipping), numerous
river regulation projects were undertaken. As early as 1770/80, the
dangerous rocks at the "Boese Beuge" (Persenbeug), the "dangerous
bend", were removed, and the rapids and eddies near Grein and in the
Strudengau were tamed. In the middle of the19%%sup th/% century, more
dangerous rocks were blasted away, for example the much-feared
"Schwalleck", which had been the cause of perilous rapids near Grein.
River regulation in Upper Austria took place from 1830 to 1870
(Eferding basin), in Lower Austria from 1870 in the section extending
from the Ysper river to Vienna; in Vienna 1870-1875 and 1882-1905. In
1829, the Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft (DDSG) was
founded; as early as 1830 the first steamer was travelling the
Vienna-Pest route, 1837 to Linz and 1838 to Passau.
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For Vienna, the Danube represented a long-distance traffic route and a
feeder route. After passing the narrow section between the Vienna
Woods and Bisamberg Hill (Vienna Gates), the Danube reached a plain
forming several side-arms, where it caused frequent flooding. Here the
river was first bridged in 1439 (further bridges were built at Krems,
1463, and Linz, 1497). Regulation of the river stretching from
Kahlenberg to Fischamend took place from 1869 to 1875. The rivers
branching off from the Danube were joined together into one
straight-flowing "great Danube" and seven bridges were
built. On the left bank, a large inundation area was created. The
southern tributary of the Danube, now known as the Donaukanal was
developed, the rest of a left-bank branch has remained as the Alte
Donau(Old Danube). With the Neue Donau (New Danube), to the left of
the main river (partly replacing the inundation area), a popular
leisure area ( Donauinsel) was created in the 1980s, with water sports
facilities and cycling routes. The Neue Donau replaced the previous
inundation area as a flood protection area. From 1992-1998, the
construction of a barrage power station began south of Vienna
(Freudenau), the last major power station to be built in Austria. The
construction of barrage power stations on the Danube between Vienna
and the Hungarian border ( Occupation of Hainburg Au). For other power
stations on the Danube see Donaukraft.
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In 1995, Austrian ships carried 418,717 passengers on the Danube.
Today, commercial traffic mainly involves bulk cargoes (see table).
The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal has led to a long-term increase in
freight traffic. The important Danube Ports are Linz and Vienna, with
a protected harbour at Krems. A winter harbour was established where
the Donaukanal joins the Danube at Vienna, other harbours followed on
the right bank ( Kuchelau, Stromhafen, Freudenau, Albern) The Lobau
oil harbour was built at the already established confluence of the
Donau-Oder-Kanal. Pipelines bring natural gas from the gas fields in
the north over suspension bridges ("Barbara bridges") across the river
to the Schwechat refinery. The shipyards in Linz and Korneuburg
produced riverboats and tugs, as well as ships for sea transport.
Since the closure of the Korneuburg shipyard in 1994, the Linz yard
has remained the only active shipyard ( Shipbuilding) in Austria.
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In 1998, eight operating hydroelectric stations in the Danube
generated about 12.4 billion kWh electricity for the Austrian
national grid. Bridges over the Danube: Niederranna- Wesenufer (road
bridge, 1980), Aschach- Oberlandshaag (road bridge, 1964), Linz
(2 road bridges, 1941, 1972, 1 railway bridge, 1900),
Steyregg (1 road bridge, 1979, 1 railway bridge, 1873),
Mauthausen (1 road bridge, 1962, 1 railway bridge, 1872),
Wallsee (reservoir barrier, 1968), Grein- Tiefenbach (road bridge,
1968), Ybbs- Persenbeug (reservoir barrier, 1959), Melk (road bridge,
1972), Mautern (road bridge, 1950), Krems (1 road bridge, 1969,
1 railway bridge, 1889), Tulln (2 road bridges, 1950, 1995,
1 railway bridge, 1875), Vienna (6 road bridges, 1872/1964,
1970, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1997, 2 railway bridges, 1838/74, 1870,
1 bridge for the Underground, 1995, 1 bridge for pedestrians
and cyclists, 1996) and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg (road bridge, 1972).
Several ferries.
!Literature
Der Donauraum, quarterly, 1956ff.; E. Neweklowsky,
Schiffahrt und Floesserei im Raum der oberen Donau, 2 vols.,
1952-1954; H. Lajta, Land an der Donau zwischen Passau und Pressburg,
1986; Die Donau. Facetten eines Stromes, exhibition catalogue,
Engelhartszell 1994; Donauatlas Wien, 1996.
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