Ports along the Danube
History, architecture, people
Current Events:
The Institute for Danube Swabian History and Regional Studies in Tübingen invited interested parties to the conference ‘Ports on the Danube. History, Architecture, People’. The conference took place from 5 to 6 November 2024 in Novi Sad and was held as part of the international project ‘Ports on the Danube: History, Architecture, People’ funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation. The conference focussed on the increasing importance of inland waterways, transport corridors and port areas for transport, trade and urban development. Historical and sociological perspectives on waterways as channels for the exchange of knowledge, people and goods were also examined.
Find out more in the conference report!
The book ‘Dunai kikötők - Bécstől Újvidékig’ by Martin Opitz Kiadó examines the historical development of the Danube harbour cities, especially Budapest, whose structure was shaped by quays and river ports. It shows the change from lively urban spaces to industrial harbour facilities that left the cityscape. Vienna, Mohács, Baja and Novi Sad are also highlighted. Finally, it looks at the fate of abandoned harbours and modern urban planning in the context of ecological challenges.
At the Springschool "Ports on the Danube: History, Architecture and People" organized by the Institute for Danube Swabian History and Regional Studies. During the week from April 16 to 19, various topics were discussed from different perspectives on the subject of ports. Ports along the Danube were not only analyzed from an architectural and structural perspective. Ports are places of business and trade, spaces of cultural and political interaction, but also bearers of historical processes and developments and are therefore spaces with a deep spectrum of potential impact and message. As such, they require interdisciplinary approaches and a multi-perspective perspective for research, which Springschool will convey and develop.
In line with this approach, the students examined topics relating to various Danube ports. These texts are now available under the heading Port Reports - Student Impressions
Pictures of the conference from 5 to 6 November in Novi Sad
The project "Ports on the Danube: History, Architecture, People", funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation, focuses on the port facilities of the modern era with the quays that have been built since the 19th century, which enabled the construction of larger buildings and infrastructure on the water. When looking at the Danube ports, several areas overlap: technical progress (and the associated development of mobility - keyword steamship), urban development and social history (migration). We assume that since the 19th century the Danube ports have had similar infrastructure, architecture, social milieus, networks and communication opportunities as well as diverse and sometimes alternative uses. These similarities and interdependencies have shaped and continue to shape the tangible and intangible cultural heritage along the Danube. However, there were also differences in development between the ports, which are to be explained in the sense of a critical questioning of their homologous and different structures. Thanks to the interdisciplinary approach of the project, these can be researched, interpreted, communicated and put up for public discussion.
Program points of the project
Port reports
The reports on selected port facilities and their stories tell of historical events, current developments and the many facets of port culture.
Workshops
Both scientific conferences and student seminars will be held as part of the project in 2024.
Traveling exhibition
The traveling exhibition will initially be shown at three locations in Budapest, Ulm and Novi Sad in 2025 and will be accompanied by an exhibition catalog.
Anthology
The scientific results of the project are to be published in an anthology in 2026/27.