Inventory of historical walls in Vorarlberg
Abstract
It is only in the last three years that the generally small-scale buildings, such as historic walls and trails, that have shaped the cultural landscape of Vorarlberg and that document its economic and transport history, have been receiving adequate attention. In many instances such objects have not been maintained or repaired for 30 years. A recent inventory project was designed on the one hand to provide knowledge about their number, the regional building types and their importance in history and on the other hand to discover the techniques used to construct them. Identification of their purpose and local knowledge are decisive factors for the long-term preservation of the cultural heritage retained in historic walls and trails. The local municipalities are assigned a key role in these efforts. Based on the stock-taking exercise of historical natural stone walls in Vorarlberg/Austria, the paper presents a general discussion of sustainable strategies in cultural heritage. Same as France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Portugal, Switzerland has developed a high level of experience and interesting instruments to preserve historic walls and trails. The ViaStoria project (cf. www.viastoria.ch/, Aerni et al. 2006 and Doswald 2000), for example, has for 25 years been stocktaking and documenting important historical routes, including trails that cross the Alps. Much experience has already been gained through the maintenance and repair of trails, bridges and walls (cf. ViaStoria, Fondation Actions en Faveur de l´Environnement [FAFE], Technical Manual of ASTRA 2008). Foundations and trusts support these efforts (e.g. / [SL] / Fondation Swisse pour la protection et l´aménagement du paysage [SL], Swiss Fund for the Landscape / FLS). In spite of such efforts the long-term preservation of highly valuable historic buildings along valleys still is an urgent matter, as is the case in Valle Bavona, to give but one example (cf. Gadea–Martini 2010). The flood of 2002 in Lower Austria, which caused widespread devastation of wine terraces and the characteristic dry stone walls in the Wachau valley, led to the first regional initiative to maintain historic buildings and to support traditional techniques (cf. Prost & Vogler 2009). During the last three years, pilot projects have been started in Vorarlberg to maintain historic walls and trails, beginning in the Montafon valley and at Zwischenwasser (cf. Amt der Vorarlberger Landesregierung 2008, Team of Authors 2009). They are based on the comprehensive preliminary work of historian Helmut Tiefenthaler (cf. Tiefenthaler 2004, 2008 & 2009). The Regional Planning Department of Vorarlberg supports these efforts by providing an inventory. Monetary constraints at both local and state level, as well as the goal of long-term preservation, pose questions about key issues and strategies.
Publikationen
Die Inventare Vorarlbergs - Ausstrahlung des IVS nach Österreich
Autoren: Drexel, AM; Kopf, M; Jahr: 2023
Newspaper / Magazine article
Project staff
Anna Maria Drexel
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Anna Maria Drexel
am.drexel@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-87407
Project Leader
01.02.2010 - 30.01.2012