Protesters brave chilly winter nights to hold their ground in the fight against the Hainburg power plant in December 1984.

In the 1970s, plans for a new power plant east of Vienna became public and a few citizens recognised that this would destroy riverine forests. These dedicated citizens began to inform the local population as well as politicians and environmental groups. Ecological scientists soon joined the protest, in particular Austrian Nobel prizewinner Professor Konrad Lorenz. The World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, joined by other concerned organisations, formed an action committee against the Hainburg power plant in June 1983.

Unknown treasure.
The first challenge for activists was to acquaint the general public with the unique beauty of the area. Several playful actions drew publicity for the movement; celebrities dressed as endangered animals for an animal press conference and rowing teams from Oxford and Cambridge held an awareness regatta on the Danube. The international president of WWF, HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, came to emphasise the international importance of the area and to appeal for its protection.

Cold days in December.
The first protestors came to the forest in early December, followed by construction workers and police units. The protestors built human barricades and remained peaceful, although many were injured when the police attacked protestors as the first trees were cut.

Protestors sent pictures around the world and public awareness increased dramatically. Those who could not join in the protest sent letters, money, food and equipment. For Wolfgang Pekny of Greenpeace in Central and Eastern Europe, “Hainburg was the most formative event of the environmental movement in Austria. And for me personally it was the best self-organized mass event I have ever seen and most probably will ever see.”

A long way to protection.
By Christmas, the government proclaimed a ‘reflecting pause’ and in early 1985 the highest administrative court ruled on a legal claim filed by WWF and reversed the permission-decree of the water right authority. However, it would take twelve more years and two WWF campaigns until the area gained long-term protection as a national park.

The battle is not over yet. The Danube east of Vienna is threatened by traffic projects in the national park and riverbed digging from the Bavarian stretch to theUkrainian delta in the name of inland navigation.

WWF continues its efforts in the Danube region, using the Hainburg momentum to inspire new activists. Ulrich Eichelmann, WWF Austria’s Danube Coordinator, looks back on the protests as only a starting point: “The Hainburg movement of 1984 hopefully inspires the Danube movement of 2004 — since there are still threats to the whole river from its source to the delta.”

Birgit Kohlmaier-Schacht,
beginning in 1983, was on the team for WWF campaigns for the Danube.
She is a political and communications consultant for environmental organisations.
For more information visit: www.donau-auen.at, www.hainburg20.at.