Vienna Danube regulation
The Danube has been through two river engineering structures - in the 1870s and 1970s - regulated, thus eliminating the risk of flooding for the city of Vienna.
The unregulated Danube
In Vienna, the Danube was almost completely unregulated until 1870 and sought her riverbed itself through this went a 5 km long Aubereich on the left ( northern ) bank of the Danube course today. Villages such as Jedlesee, Floridsdorf and Stadlau were close at the former main branch of the Danube and were particularly prone to flooding.
Along the Danube, there have been serious flood damage. After a strong flood of Leopoldstadt in 1744, Empress Maria Theresa called for a flood control, but was not made. In the years 1776-1785 the " Cameral engineer " Johann Sigismund Hubert built a levee on the left bank, but already did not withstand the next flood in 1787. Today Hubertusdamm recalls engineer Hubert.
The first regulation (from 1870)
1810 suggested the court architect Joseph of Schemerl regulation in the form of a new river bed before his plans were not realized. The next suggestions came in 1840 by Ludwig Forgach and 1847 by Lieutenant Colonel Zitta. Both proposals had a puncture, which would be located closer to the city center as the realized later.
From 1850 advised a " Danube Regulatory Commission " on the implementation of a flood protection. Different variants were tested. For economic and urban planning reasons, it would have been low, as close as possible to perform the puncture to be built Danube to the city center, approximately in the area of the Prater. The answer was that they did not want to destroy the recreational area Prater.
Most Commission members were in favor of a city distant variant, as it was then actually carried out later. Commissioner Florian Pasetti even pleaded for a puncture in the area of today's Old Danube; this would have been the cheapest option. This dispute the Commission paralyzed for nearly 20 years. It was only after retirement Pasettis in 1868 unity was achieved, the work began shortly thereafter.
In the years 1870 to 1875 the Danube was regulated for the first time. For this purpose, a 450 -m-wide floodplain was (also: inundation area ) on the left bank created with Hubertusdamm compared to today's municipal districts Floridsdorf and Danube city. The new main channel, which also serves the shipping industry, was designed 280 m wide, get a large main arm as Alte Donau. The work was carried out by the French company Castor, Couvreux et Hersent who had also worked on the Suez Canal and the corresponding machine moved to Vienna.
As part of the regulation five new bridges over the Danube were built. The North Western Railway Bridge (now North Bridge ) served the North Western Railway, the Kaiser- Franz -Joseph- bridge (now Floridsdorfer bridge ) the road, the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway bridge (now Nordbahnbrücke ) of the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway, the Crown Prince Rudolf bridge (now the Empire bridge ) the road and the Stadlauer state railway bridge (now Stadlauer Ostbahnbrücke ) the general rail traffic.
1916 was the responsible board of Hydraulic Engineering Section of the Imperial Ministry of Public Works, Serious Lauda, levied for the regulation of the Danube to knighthood. In the 20th district Brigittenau three streets are named after other members of the Danube Commission regulation: The Pasettistraße, Wehlistraße and Wexstraße.
The second regulation (from 1972)
Despite the regulation resulted in large floods in the years 1897, 1899 and 1954 floods, which affected mainly the right bank of the Danube at Handelskai. This showed that the regulation of the Danube was not sufficient.
After many years of studies, a new flood protection project was started in 1972. By 1988, a new, 210m wide Entlastungsgerinne was created within the floodplain. The excavated material was thereby heaped the Danube island between the Danube itself and the Entlastungsgerinne. The Entlastungsgerinne or New Danube is protected by fortifications and is crossed only at high tide. It is designed for a flow rate of 5.000 m³ / sec. Overall, the regulation of the Danube is designed for a capacity of up to 14,000 m³ / s, which is the flow of the flood of 1501, the highest so far recorded in Vienna water level. The amount of water would divide it s to 5,200 m³ / s on the New Danube and 8,800 m³ / on the main stream. In fact, were 1899, 1954, 1991, 2002 respectively measured around 10,000 m³ / s, 2013 11,000 m³ / s (normal means water flow of 1,700 m³ / s low water) - the system proven in the latter events.
The Danube Island and the New Danube serve today as a popular recreation area of the Viennese population.
Significant flood
According to historical reports, the largest flood occurred in the Vienna area in 1501, the water level and water flow from his early Hydrographic Central Bureau Vienna were reconstructed. The highest actual measured or calculated value for the water level of the Danube took place on June 5, 2013; 21:15 CEST reached the Danube at - today relevant - level Korneuburg a flow rate of 11,050 m³ / sec (the level Reichsbrücke is still calculated for the Danube via the Wiener zero).
Large floods were in Vienna: