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The Donauuferbahn
The construction of the Donauuferbahn railway through the Wachau in the early 1900’s illustrates the shift in understanding and use of the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk.
The Donauuferbahn rail line connected Grein to Vienna, crossing all of the Wachau valley. At the time of construction, the valley was already a celebrated painterly landscape. The painters of the “Wachau Künstlerbund” realized that the railway would be good for the income of the region and (begrudgingly) agreed to help with its realization. Rudolf Pichler, artist, architect and historian, advised on the design of the railway in an attempt to preserve the painterly qualities of the region. I’d argue that the placement of some of the tunnels even strengthens the mysterious aesthetic of the valley. Other artists created paintings showing the Donauuferbahn through the Wachau, in an attempt to enthuse visitors to come and view the new technological marvel15. However, the Donauuferbahn was not universally viewed as a success. Many painters complained over the huge inflow of visitors, the fact that historic buildings had been demolished during construction, the noise of the trains and the ugly new tunnels and viaducts (50 years later this infrastructure became a celebrated monument)16 .
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The painterly qualities of the region were increasingly viewed as coveted elements that needed preservation and protection. In the years following the construction of the railway, there was an increase in laws and regulations meant to preserve and protect historic buildings, iconic views and riverine forests. A consequence of this was that new developments were shunned from the region.
In 1900, the Donauuferbahn had been developed in collaboration with artists, engineers and locals in line with Wagner’s utopian ideas. In the 1930’s, the development of a new industrial harbour took an approach closer to the ideas of the Bauhaus. In order to maintain the region as it is, the harbour was constructed in Krems-East, away from the historic city and out of sight of the Wachau.
