Civic Consciousness and Industrialization in Imperial Vienna, 1848-1881
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Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 12-2016 Nightmare in the City of Dreams: Civic Consciousness and Industrialization in Imperial Vienna, 1848-1881 J. Alexander Killion Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the European History Commons Recommended Citation Killion, J. Alexander, "Nightmare in the City of Dreams: Civic Consciousness and Industrialization in Imperial Vienna, 1848-1881" (2016). Master's Theses. 755. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/755 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NIGHTMARE IN THE CITY OF DREAMS: CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS AND INDUSTRIALIZATION IN IMPERIAL VIENNA, 1848-1881 by J. Alexander Killion A thesis submitted to the Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History Western Michigan University December 2016 Thesis Committee: Marion W. Gray, Ph.D., Chair Eli Rubin, Ph.D. Lynne Heasley, Ph.D. NIGHTMARE IN THE CITY OF DREAMS: CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS AND INDUSTRIALIZATION IN IMPERIAL VIENNA, 1848-1881 J. Alexander Killion, M.A. Western Michigan University, 2016 Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, a distinct trend toward urbanization has continually reshaped history and society, yet the development and evolution of urban spaces has been largely overlooked by scholars until recent decades. This is especially true for the cities of the Habsburg Empire, although Vienna provides a good case study of industrialization’s impact on the urban landscape due to its history of rapid population growth, extensive environmental change, and established administrative structures. Although the logistical challenges associated with urban administration, such as importing adequate food, accessing clean water, and disposing of waste in a prompt manner were all present in Vienna long before industrialization began, the rapid growth of industry and population elevated these problems to new heights. This forced city officials to assume greater responsibility for the lives and well-being of their residents. Regardless of whether these initiatives succeeded in their goal, the increased level of government involvement and interest in what was previously considered private spheres of activity was a profound shift in how the government viewed its relationship to its inhabitants and helped create a city in which the municipality was responsible for basic needs like water, waste disposal, sanitation, and health. Copyright by J. Alexander Killion 2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Gray, for his tireless guidance and assistance throughout the long process of completing this work. I would also like to thank my thesis committee members, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Heasley, for their advice on matters both academic and professional while at Western Michigan University. I am also indebted to the History Department, the Graduate College, the History Graduate Student Organization, and all those who have contributed to the Nora Faires Research and Travel Award endowment for helping fund my research in Vienna. There were several people in Vienna who were extremely helpful during my research trip, particularly Sylvia Gierlinger, who directed me to the historical sources that came to inform the bulk of my research, and the staff at the Municipal and Provincial Archives of Vienna. Finally, I would like to thank Sam Ollerenshaw for his invaluable assistance in translating some very difficult German passages. J. Alexander Killion ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................2 Previous Research ...................................................................................................................4 Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER I: “SUCH FEVERISH ACTIVITY”: THE INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF VIENNA AFTER THE REVOLUTION OF 1848 ........................7 Neo-Absolutism in Post-1848 Vienna .......................................................................9 A Shift in Civic Consciousness ...............................................................................13 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................17 II: “SUCH UNFAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES”: THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE WORKING CLASS IN VIENNA ...........................................................................18 Municipal Solutions ................................................................................................29 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................33 III: “THREE BUCKETS PER HEAD PER DAY”: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SANITATION SYSTEM ..............................................................35 Impact of Population Growth on Food Consumption .............................................36 Impact of Population Growth on Biological Waste Production ..............................39 The Evolution of the Danube River ........................................................................41 Cesspools and Urinals ............................................................................................44 Preliminary Sewer System ......................................................................................49 Debate over New Waste Disposal System ..............................................................51 The Centralized System and its Shortfalls .............................................................56 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................62 iii Table of Contents - Continued CHAPTER IV: “SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH”: INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE INHABITANTS OF VIENNA .........................................................................................63 Water Pollution .......................................................................................................64 Coal and Dust Pollution ..........................................................................................68 Examples of Industrial Pollution ............................................................................77 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................83 V: “SUCH LOSSES ARE SOON FORGOTTEN”: DEATH, DISEASE, AND VACCINATION IN AUSTRIA AND VIENNA .............................................................84 Smallpox ..................................................................................................................85 Typhoid Fever .........................................................................................................88 Tuberculosis ...........................................................................................................89 Cholera ....................................................................................................................90 Inoculation and Vaccination in Austria ..................................................................92 Alternative Solutions .............................................................................................103 Conclusion ............................................................................................................107 CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................................109 PRIMARY SOURCE BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................114 SECONDARY SOURCE BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................117 APPENDICES A. Reported Housing Problems by Year ...........................................................................123 B. Vaccination Statistics in Austria by Year .....................................................................127 C. Infectious Disease Deaths in Vienna by Year .............................................................130 iv ; LIST OF FIGURES 1.1: Immigration to Vienna in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century……….….…. 8 2.1: Unfit Dwellings Reported in 1872 by District ………………………………….…. 20 2.2: Unfit Dwellings Reported in 1873 by District ………………………………….…. 20 2.3: Unfit Dwellings Reported in 1875 by District ………………………………….…. 21 2.4: Unfit Dwellings Reported in 1877 by District ………………………………….…. 21 3.1: Consumption of foodstuff in Vienna in the Years 1830, 1870 and 1913 ……….…. 38 3.2: The Danube Before Regulation ………………………………………………….…. 42 3.3 The Danube After Regulation …………………………………………………….….