Page - 184 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

184 ElisabethGruber used to outline themeaning of this fundamentalmedium. Individual organisms, social forma- tions,andculturalachievementsdependonwater,making it a life-sustaining,butalsodestruc- tive force, it ‘connectsanddivides,absolvesanddissolves’.Thiscomprehensivearrayofproper- ties is the reasonwhy ‘societyasawholeand individual institutionsalikeneed toengagewith, andadapt to, theseambivalentaspectsofwater’.Urbancommunitiesareconfrontedwith these facts, too. One of themost costly and complex tasks of municipal administration has always beensupplyingthetownwithwater.Drillingwellsandlayingwaterpipes toprovidefreshwater or dischargewastewaterwere important, but also expensive tasks of a town’s administration, and they fill theaccountbooksof all townsandcities–provided that theyhavebeen transmit- ted.18 Inhis studyon the issueofurban riskmanagement,UlfChristianEwert statedsome time ago that the supply ofwater belonged to the ‘vital components of the quality of life that could be enjoyed in medieval towns’.19 Systematic access to and provision of water in the form of freshwatercontainers,wells,waterpipesandflowingchannels,aswellas thedisposalofwaste waterviasewagechannelsor thephrasingofcleaningregulationsandthelike,were therespon- sibility of a town’s administrative bodies, that were entrusted with the related tasks. Taking careofwater asanessential element to ensure social orderwasa taskof theurbancommunity which was not to be underestimated, being mainly a matter of organisation. Surprisingly enough, the issue of water management, for instance in medieval Vienna, was initially ad- dressed in a completely different context, namely precautions for fire protection and firefight- ing. The town charter of the early 13th century already includedprovisions onhow to proceed in the event of a fire,with the threat of penalties in caseof violations.However, fire protection wasnot regulatedandorganisedby the towncounciluntil themiddleof the15th century (1454). It can, of course, be assumed that people arranged fire protectionmeasures individually. But the reported events of fire throughout the Middle Ages testify to uncontrolled incidents. The regulation released in themiddle of the 15th centurywas expected to implement a systematic procedure of firefighting. The entire communitywas calledupon to store vats filledwithwater in attics and courtyards. Joiners and bathers were obliged to be the main organisers of fire protection, andmembers of 30other crafts had to assist themby ensuring thewater supply. A manually operatedpistonpumpmighthavealreadybeenusedat that time toprovidewater. It was not until the big fire in July 1525 – which started from the princely armoury – that the construction of amajorwater pipelinewas initiated in Vienna,whichwas completed in 1565. Starting from a freshwater source about 8km on the outskirts in the village of Hernals, the waterwaspipedinto thecity topreventa lackofwater in theeventofa fire.20Preservedmunici- pal invoices firstofall testify toexpenses thatwerenecessary tobuildwellsand laywaterpipes and sewage ducts. First expenditures, for instance,were recorded in 1455 for the construction of the Fischbrunnen at HoherMarkt in Vienna, whichwas equippedwith pipes.Work on the stones sourced from the nearby quarries in Sievering, Guntramsdorf, Mannersdorf am Leitha- gebirgeandBreitenbrunnin thestonecutter’sat theSchweinemarkt (PigMarket,now1stdistrict, Lobkowitzplatz) lasted for almost a year fromFebruary until December.21 TheFischbrunnenon Hoher Markt was one of the most important wells in medieval Vienna.22 Fish caught in the Danubeandothermajor riverswerekept in constructedbasins tobeoffered for sale. The sour- cesalsomentionawell at the ‘Jews’Gate’ andanotherwell locatedat thebutchers’ sales tables that supplied the required freshwater. In recent years, wells for the supply of drinkingwater andusedwaterhavealsobeendocumentedarchaeologically,withoneof theoldestdating from the 13th century.23 Account books of Kremsalso record expenditures in 1516 for the installation 18 Rippmann2008;Baeriswyl 2008;Malamud–Sutter 2008. 19 Ewert 2007, 223. 20 Krajicek 2016, 37–39; Sakl-Oberthaler –Ranseder 2009. 21 Uhlirz 1896, 157–159, esp. 158no. 15291; Brunner 1929, 390f. 22 Gneiß 2017, 498no.331. 23 Krause–Sonnlechner 2013, 155.