32:36

Ep. 18 Jul 10, 2024

Solidarity along the Danube

In the first edition of the Danube Streamwaves Soundmap Podcast from Ulm, we get to know the Danube as the border river between Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Although Ulm and Neu-Ulm work closely together in many ways, there are also huge differences between the neighbouring cities. This episode focuses on Ulm and Neu-Ulm and their joint solidarity partnership with Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, a city in Ukraine of a similar size to Ulm and located near the Danube. The partnership has been in place since spring 2023 and is actively practised in cooperation with the Danube Office, among others.

15:33

Ep. 17 May 23, 2024

Danube:Island - The natural Danube

Students from the Higher Technical College Leonding speak with artist and curator of the exhibition Danube:Island Herwig Turk about ecological aspects of the Danube in Linz and the ecological parts of the exhibition Danube:Island. And Michael Diesenreither did an interview with Christoph Wiesmayr from the local initiative Schwemmland (alluvium).

5:23

Ep. 16 May 21, 2024

Danube:Island - Mermaids on the Danube

Maggie Brückner speaks with Wiltrud Hackl about her research on narratives about mermaids. As part of her PhD at the University of Art and Design Linz, Wiltrud Katherina is researching constructions of femininity and water using the example of European female water identities.

7:49

Ep. 15 May 21, 2024

Danube:Island - The artistic Danube

A group of students from the higher Technical College Leonding speaks with Julia Grillmayr about connecting nature with art. Julia Grillmayr is a lecturer at the University of Arts in Linz, Upper Austria. She combines the sounds of the Danube with educating people about climate change. She records the sounds of the Danube and uses those in artistic ways. The recordings themselves were part of the artistic process. They were used as a jumping-off point for story writing for instance. Julia Grillmayr talks about how the Danube sounds underwater and especially how Linz sounds.

13:11

Ep. 14 May 21, 2024

Danube:Island – the historical Danube

Industrial zone, local recreational area and sensitive ecosystem – the Danube is a reconfigured cultural landscape marked by stark contrasts. In collaboration with environmental historian and publicist Ortrun Veichtlbauer the Austrian artists Herwig Turk and Gebhard Sengmüller have chosen this as the starting point for their artistic research - as part of their project Danube:island. Using the island as an artistic figure of thought, Turk and Sengmüller combine historical realities – such as the Strasserinsel, which existed in Linz until the 19th century – with current socio-political discourses on the utilization of the Danube region by means of an artificial island. Tino and Mohamed from Higher Technical College for IT and Media in Leonding speak with Herwig Turk about the historical aspects of the Danube in Linz and how these historical aspects took place in the exhibition at Lentos New Arts Museum.

9:35

Ep. 13 May 13, 2024

Beavers: holding ecosystems in the balance

The Danube has been shaped by humans quite a lot. Most riparian zones have been drained for land to build upon. Beavers repopulated some of the area around the Danube in Linz and built many little dams, as well as a well-structured shoreline and other species followed. Insects, fish, kingfishers or dice snakes. They use the little wetlands and diverse habitats that beavers built. The dams slow down water and ensure that wetland ecosystems can thrive. Beaver dams can hold back quite a lot of water, which is regenerating the groundwater table and saving water for the summer. But it’s still steadily flowing, watering the surroundings, and are permeable for fish and other aquatic animals. Humans are not used to these natural dams and often destroy them, which is illegal in Austria. In other countries, people work together with beavers not against them. Fabian Holzinger and Franziska Thurner give an example from the USA. There, beavers started building dams in a stormwater treatment facility, resulting in better flow than before.

8:59

Ep. 12 May 13, 2024

Meet the inner city beavers

In this episode, Fabian Holzinger and Franziska Thurner describe the habitat of the inner city beavers in Linz. How big is their territory, what threatens it and who are the family members? They found the beavers’ lodge first inside a construction zone, seemingly the beavers got used to the noise of construction and people passing by daily. Fabian and Franziska started recording the noises of the beaver family. They did this very carefully, so as not to disturb the animals and their living space unnecessarily. Their big lodge got destroyed in high water and now they live in different burrows, that makes it harder to listen to them, but they are still around!

10:50

Ep. 11 May 13, 2024

Busy as a beaver

Fabian Holzinger and Franziska Thurner describe how their interest in the local beavers began and what kind of work they do at the Beaverlab. They connect art with science and education. Beavers are a so-called keystone species and they shaped the landscapes and ecosystems for 15 million years, 14.99 million years later, humans brought them to near extinction. Especially in Austria, people, i.e. farmers are a bit hostile against these animals and are concerned about them “destroying” farmland. But they are back in Austria and Linz.

23:29

Ep. 10 May 13, 2024

"Kesztyűgyár" - Glove Factory community space in Budapest

The report was made in the 8th district of Budapest (Józsefváros), in the Kesztyűgyár (Glove Factory) Community House on Mátyás Square. As the name suggests, the building once housed manufactories. Since its reopening in 2008, it has been occupied by an association providing low-threshold services. The main aim of the glove factory is to create a community in Józsefváros. They offer a wide range of cultural programs and leisure activities.

5:51

Ep. 09 May 13, 2024

The Danube connects - in space, time, history and human relations.

This episode, produced by the EPER radio, looks at the rich tapestry of the Danube as it plays a role in connecting communities and shaping the unique character of Budapest in many different ways. Behind iconic landmarks, sombre monuments and vibrant riverside gathering places, there are many stories. The Danube has helped to foster the cultural diversity of Budapest and the region in the past, as it continues to do today - because it is more than a river, it is a symbol of connection.