Project details
For centuries, the Danube was an untamed natural space whose hydrological dynamics endangered shipping and threatened settlements with flooding. It was not until the 19th century that massive regulation measures permanently altered the river morphology to make the stream navigable.
The special exhibition “The Danube” at the Austrian National Library combined cultural history with modern science communication. It explored the river not only as a transport route and a place of longing for the arts but also highlighted technical aspects of flood protection and the transformation of the ecosystem.
The heart of the exhibition was the staging of the famous Pasetti Map of 1857. For the spectacular, 44-meter-long installation, historical map data was digitally processed to make the hydrography of the Danube tangible in the space. This mediation strategy visualized complex data on regulation as well as historical biodiversity (fish and bird stocks), translating the historical knowledge of the Danube Monarchy into a modern exhibition experience.
Special exhibition “The Danube. A Journey into the past” from April 29, 2021 to January 30, 2022 in the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna. Tue-Sun from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Exhibition catalog edited by Hans Petschar and Elisabeth Zeilinger, Verlag Kremayr-Scheriau, 258 pages, 29.90 €;
Production: checkpointmedia, Virgil Widrich
Digital: Marc Schuran
Graphic design: Nicole Stadler
