The Rivers and the Cities: A Brief Introduction

Analyzing the history of fish populations in the Neva and Viennese Danube, the Russian-Austrian research group discovered numerous links between the great cities and their great rivers, including the fish populations. This introduction to the virtual exhibition “‘Commanding, Sovereign Stream’: The Neva and the Viennese Danube in the History of Imperial Metropolitan Centers” explains how the exhibition visualizes these links and reveal some hidden (or at least not immediately evident) sides of urban life.

“Commanding, Sovereign Stream”:
The Neva and the Viennese Danube in the History of Imperial Metropolitan Centers

The exhibition aims to reveal and visualize the power of mighty rivers so crucially important for the history of St. Petersburg and Vienna—the major imperial centers of continental Europe in the modern era.

Gertrud Haidvogl, Alexei Kraikovski, and Julia Lajus

About the author

Haidvogl, Gertrud

Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria

Gertrud Haidvogl studied history at the University of Vienna. She works at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and is specialized in the history of riverine landscapes and historical changes of fish populations. Haidvogl is a member of the Center for Environmental History Vienna.

Kraikovski, Alexei

Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia

Alexei Kraikovski graduated from St. Petersburg University and got his PhD in history from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2005. He is Associate Professor of History and Senior Research Fellow at at the Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics. His research interests include marine environmental history, urban history, the history of urban rivers, economic history, historical geography, and resource studies.

orcid.org/0000-0002-1355-7954

Lajus, Julia

Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia

Julia Lajus has a Candidate of Science degree (Russian PhD degree) from the Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences. She is Associate Professor of History and Leading Research Fellow at at the Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics. Her research interests include the environmental history of biological resources, especially in marine and polar areas, and the history of field sciences such as fisheries and oceanography. Julia Lajus served as the vice president of the European Society of Environmental History (ESEH) from 2011-2015.

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Fish Consumption

In this chapter of their virtual exhibition “‘Commanding, Sovereign Stream’: The Neva and the Viennese Danube in the History of Imperial Metropolitan Centers,” the authors discuss how the growing population required a lot of food and fish was significant part of the city dwellers’ diets. Social stratification led to the clear division between fish commodities for the wealthy and those for poor citizens, though some kinds of fish could be popular among all dwellers, regardless of social differences.

“Commanding, Sovereign Stream”:
The Neva and the Viennese Danube in the History of Imperial Metropolitan Centers

The exhibition aims to reveal and visualize the power of mighty rivers so crucially important for the history of St. Petersburg and Vienna—the major imperial centers of continental Europe in the modern era.

Gertrud Haidvogl, Alexei Kraikovski, and Julia Lajus

About the author

Haidvogl, Gertrud

Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria

Gertrud Haidvogl studied history at the University of Vienna. She works at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and is specialized in the history of riverine landscapes and historical changes of fish populations. Haidvogl is a member of the Center for Environmental History Vienna.

Kraikovski, Alexei

Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia

Alexei Kraikovski graduated from St. Petersburg University and got his PhD in history from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2005. He is Associate Professor of History and Senior Research Fellow at at the Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics. His research interests include marine environmental history, urban history, the history of urban rivers, economic history, historical geography, and resource studies.

orcid.org/0000-0002-1355-7954

Lajus, Julia

Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia

Julia Lajus has a Candidate of Science degree (Russian PhD degree) from the Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences. She is Associate Professor of History and Leading Research Fellow at at the Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History at National Research University Higher School of Economics. Her research interests include the environmental history of biological resources, especially in marine and polar areas, and the history of field sciences such as fisheries and oceanography. Julia Lajus served as the vice president of the European Society of Environmental History (ESEH) from 2011-2015.

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The Lake That Became a Bus Terminus

by Harini Nagendra and Hita Unnikrishnan

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Arcadia, Spring 2019, no. 2

Read more about The Lake That Became a Bus Terminus

Living on Coral Time: Debating Conservation in the Anthropocene

by Irus Braverman

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Arcadia, Spring 2019, no. 1

Read more about Living on Coral Time: Debating Conservation in the Anthropocene

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled

Alternative Futures brings together 35 essays on India’s future, written by a diverse set of authors: activists, researchers, media persons, those who have influenced policies, and those working at the grassroots. Divided into four sections—Ecological Futures, Political Futures, Economic Futures, and Socio-Cultural Futures—the book covers a wide range of issues including environmental governance, biodiversity, democracy and power, law, agriculture, pastoralism, industry, languages, learning and education, knowledge, health and sexuality among others.