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From Iron Curtain to Cross-Border Landscapes along the European Green Belt: Case Study -

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09—12.09.18 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS COPYRIGHTS COVER IMAGE OrganiSing Commitee REVIEWERS La Bataille de l’Argonne, 1964. Stefanie Delarue (Programme Chair) Tal Alon-Mozes MAGRITTE RENE FRANCOIS GH Glenn Deliège Maria-Beatrice Andreucci © Succession René Magritte. Hans Druart Simon Bell SABAM Belgium 2018 Rachelle Dufour Hassãn Bitar Pieter Foré Maria Bostenaru Dan COPYRIGHT Steven Heyde Sabine Bouche-Pillon Every scientific paper published in Ruben Joye Erich Buhmann this publication was peer reviewed. Harlind Libbrecht Agata Cieszewska All explanations, data, results, etc. Sylvie Van Damme Sandra Costa contained in this book have been made Jeroen de Vries by authors to their best knowledge editorial Commitee Stefanie Delarue and were true and accurate at the time Stefanie Delarue Glenn Deliège of publication. However, some errors Rachelle Dufour Oswald Devisch could not be excluded, so neither the Fabio Di Carlo publisher, the editors, nor the authors Hans Druart can accept any legal responsibility or Luca Maria Francesco Fabris liability for any errors and omissions that Paulo Farinha-Marques may be made. Ellen Fetzer Ian Fisher © Copyright 2018 by the authors. Karen Foley All rights reserved. Pieter Foré Steven Heyde Publication Robert Holden Printing: Stevens Print Maria Ignatieva Edition: 200 copies Karsten Jørgensen Ruben Joye Delarue, S. & Dufour, R. (Eds.). Harlind Libbrecht (2018). Landscapes of Conflict. ECLAS Gabriela Maksymiuk Conference 2018, Ghent, Belgium. Madara Markova Conference Proceedings. Ghent: Sophia Meeres University College Ghent – School of Rita Occhiuto Arts – Landscape & Garden Architecture Magdalena Rzeszotarska-Palka and Landscape Development. Richard Stiles Sylvie Van Damme ISBN 9789491564130 Adri van den Brink Kristine Vugule Gökçen Firdevs Yücel Caymaz

University College Ghent – School of Arts. Landscape and Garden Architecture & Landscape Development Jozef Kluyskensstraat 2, 9000 Gent – Belgium www.schoolofarts.be 4 5 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS conservation and development: group c 5.3. CONSERVATION and dEVELOPMENT

GROUP C

Designing the Conflict Heritage of Post-Military Landscapes Verena Butt

Cold War Heritage in Northeastern Italy, a Challenge for Landscape Design Luca Maria Francesco Fabris

From Conflict toC ommemoration: Finnish Civil War in the Landscape of Tampere Ranja Hautamäki, Julia Donner PECHA KUCHA PAPER

From Iron Curtain to Cross-Border Landscapes along the European Green Belt: Case Study Austria-Slovakia Attila Tóth

A Conflict ofO ne Hundred Years Ago as a Challenge for Spatial Development Today: The Conservation of WWI-heritage Hanne Van den Berghe

350 351 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS conservation and development: group c The shared commemoration was Peltonen, U-M. (2000). Kuolema sisäl- From Iron Curtain to INTRODUCTION evident, for example, in the decision lissodassa 1918 & muistamisen ja unohtamisen Cross-Border Landscapes in 2015 to name the central battlefield kysymyksiä. Elore 2/2000. along the European Green The Iron Curtain used to be a global of Kalevankangas as the park of Belt: Case Study landscape of conflict in the real sense reconciliation (Street Name Committee Rodrigo, R. (2015). Making Public Pasts: Austria-Slovakia of the word. It was stretching from 2.9.2015). In the spring of 2018, the Cultural Dialogue and Negotiation in Public north to south of Europe, through the city centre formed the backdrop for Space. Landscape Review 15(2), pp. 32-42. middle of the continent, while dividing a photography exhibition in which Attila Tóth1, Richard Stiles2, Katarína the whole world to West and East. It historical events and characters in Saunders, N. J. (2004). Material culture Kristiánová3, Ľubica Feriancová1 was the physical manifestation of the uniform were depicted in the modern and conflict. The Great War, 1914–2003. In: N. 1 Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty Cold War, built after World War II in 1945 context of the battlefields. The differing J. Saunders, ed., Matters of conflict. Material of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, and lasting until the end of the Cold interpretations by the Reds and the culture, memory and the First World War. New Department of Garden and Landscape War in 1991 as a consequence of the Whites have been effaced and the York, NY: Routledge, pp. 5-25. Architecture, Tulipánová 7, SK-949 76 Nitra, fall of Communism in 1989. However, war has been presented as a shared Slovakia the separation and isolation throughout tragedy that permanently changed the Schriek, van der M. (2018). Landscape 2 University of Technology, Institute of almost four decades encouraged the city. This approach also had a strong biographies of commemoration, Landscape Urban Design and Landscape Architecture formation of the European Green Belt, presence in many of the city’s events, Research. Published online: 15 Feb 2018, pp. Department of Landscape Architecture, an extraordinary ecological network theatre performances, public lectures 1-13. Erzherzog Johann Platz 1, A-1040 Vienna, Austria and a pan-European living memorial and a major exhibition in the museum 3 Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, landscape stretching from the Barents centre Vapriikki. Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. Faculty of Architecture, Institute of Urban Design Sea to the Black Sea. Today, the Green The case study of Tampere London: Routledge. and Planning, Námestie slobody 19, SK-812 45 Belt is the backbone of the European evinces that the path to shared Bratislava Green Infrastructure and a great commemoration is lengthy and difficult, Newspapers: [email protected] example that biological diversity goes but public spaces and interventions ʿTampereen vapaudenpatsas jää hand in hand with cultural diversity. offer an important framework for mutual lopullisesti paikoilleenʾ. Aamulehti 8.11.1923. no Keywords: It has become a shared natural and interpretations. In these explications, it 258, p. 4 border, bridge, river, monument, memorial cultural heritage and a symbol for is essential to recognise the historical ʿMannerheiminpatsasʾ. Tammerkoski transboundary cooperation. layers of the landscape and the 4/1956, p. 107. abstract This paper takes a closer look at contradictory narratives they contain. the 106.7 km long Austrian-Slovak state The landscape of commemoration Municipal documents: The Iron Curtain was one of the most dividing and border, which is part of the European may serve as a medium to shape a Reports on municipal administration 1918, well known boundaries in human history. It divided Green Belt. It identifies the landscape consensual view of the past whilst 1921, 1922, City Archive, Tampere. Europe to West and East throughout four decades. character and heritage values of acknowledging its multi-faceted Today, the Iron Curtain is history, but it left behind these unique cross-border cultural meanings. City Council (1951) ʿItem 57: Pöydältä: a unique cultural and natural heritage. It has been landscapes, based on field studies. SKDL:n valtuustoryhmän Suomen Marsalkka replaced by the European Green Belt. From Iron Hundred years ago, landscapes along Mannerheiminpatsasta koskeva aloiteʾ. Minutes to Green, from Curtain to Belt, still it means so both sides of the border were part of the City Council meeting 11 April 1951, City much more than a mere play on words. It is about of one monarchy and one cultural Archive, Tampere. cross-border landscapes of our shared present landscape. There was only a natural REFERENCES and future. This article aims to grasp the change border – River (March). After Street Name Committee Committee from a significant linear landscape of conflict, to almost nine decades of separation, Dwyer, OJ. (2004). Symbolic Accretion (2015) ʿItem 34: Valtuustoaloitteen jatkotoimet: diverse and valuable cross-border landscapes by including four decades of Cold War, the and Commemoration, Social & Cultural Matti Heinivahon aloite Sovinnonpuiston the example of the Austrian-Slovak border. The borders seem to have gone as Slovakia Geography 5(3), pp. 419-435. nimeämiseksiʾ. Minutes of the Street Name paper characterizes the meandering cross-border joined the Schengen Area in 2007. Committee meeting 2 September 2015, Street riverine landscapes and the potential of their This has opened up a huge regional Heyde, S. (2015). History as a source for Name Committee Annual Report 2015. bridging. Furthermore, two very special places are challenge for Austria and Slovakia innovation in landscape architecture: the First discovered, where borders of three countries meet to reunite the cultural landscapes World War landscapes in Flanders. Studies in and intersect. The article highlights the importance on both sides of the Morava River the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes, of monuments as eye witnesses and memorials of and to create a shared cross-border 35:3, pp. 183-197. the past. It suggests that the way to a sustainable cultural landscape of the 21st century. Misztal, B. (2003). Theories of social cross-border region is built on a shared natural and Therefore, the paper discusses current remembering. Maidenhead: Open University cultural heritage and paved by the recognition of its landscape challenges and future Press. strong historical legacy. development scenarios, which could 370 371 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS conservation and development: group c balance shared natural and cultural and garden, which dates back to the The A-SK-H border point is located in values with new societal claims and Habsburg period (Figure 2). the middle of a vast open agricultural cross-border development, where According to SME Bratislava plain. There are no geographical or landscape architecture should play a Portal, the number of visitors and users landscape limits that would indicate key role. of the bridge has been continuously that the landscape here is divided growing since its creation. During a among three different countries. The SHARED CROSS-BORDER single weekend in April 2018, the bridge horizon is marked by signs of urban LANDSCAPES ALONG was crossed by a record-breaking development, especially by the skyline THE RIVER number of visitors (more than 5,000), of the Slovak capital, Bratislava with its out of which more than 2,200 were clearly recognizable landmarks - the Landscapes along both sides of the pedestrians and almost 2,800 cyclists or the Kamzík Hill Morava River have always belonged (Brezák, 2018). These numbers clearly with a television tower from the 1970s. to the same cultural landscape. There show that there is a real need for The only sign that the landscape here are similar monuments from the Middle Figure 1. A view from the medieval Devín Castle (Slovakia) on River Morava (March) as a natural border between Austria (on cross-border cooperation in sustainable is shared by three countries is a small Ages, such as the Devín Castle on the the left) and Slovakia (on the right). regional development, tourism and ‘meadow island’ in the middle of an Slovak side and the Hainburg Castle recreation. The bridge was built on the ‘arable-land sea’. This was designed as on the Austrian side, which have been and Devínska Nová Ves (SK) and a site of a former bridge over the Morava the Sculpture Park of Three Countries significant landmarks of the region road bridge between Hohenau (A) and River, which existed between 1771 and in 1992 with twelve sculptures from for centuries. The Habsburg period is Moravský Svätý Ján (SK). Besides 1880 (APA-OTS, 2012). The bicycle twelve different sculptors. The stone manifested for instance by the baroque these, there is also a ferryboat bridge is an important link between monuments are placed around the palace Schloss Hof in Austria and its connection between Angern an der a regional network of Austrian and border point and they stylize symbols Slovak ‘sibling’, Stupava Palace. The March (A) and Záhorská Ves (SK). The Slovak cycle routes. Its construction like the number three, the form of a common culture and past are not only construction of the ‹Bicycle Bridge of was co-financed by the European Union triangle, trinity, eternity, friendship, visible on monuments, but especially Freedom (Fahrradbrücke der Freiheit within the Cross-Border Cooperation togetherness, attachment and others. on the landscape character. Most of the / Cyklomost slobody)› in 2011/2012, Program Slovakia-Austria (2007-2013). These monuments are to be considered Austrian-Slovak borderline is drawn on which created a new link between Cyclists and pedestrians using this as a clear NO to dividing borders and the map by the River Morava (March). Austria and Slovakia for pedestrians and recent connection over the Morava a distinct YES to a Europe without Four decades of Cold War in the second cyclists, can be therefore considered an River have the opportunity to enjoy borders. They symbolize the end of half of the 20th century have caused important step forward - towards a more views of unique riverine landscapes and isolation and division between the three that the land use along both sides of interesting cross-border cooperation wetlands. A contemporary depiction of countries (Figure 3). the river was not very intensive and was and regional development. The bridge St. John of Nepomuk at the beginning limited almost exclusively to border has significantly contributed to local of the bridge on the Austrian side protection. This has left a significant and micro-regional tourism and it made makes a nice symbolic and spiritual stamp on lives and fates of many easier for visitors coming from Bratislava connection between past traditions and people, however nature has benefited to visit the Schloss Hof baroque castle contemporary developments. from this forced protection by the Iron Curtain as valuable meandering riverine A PLACE WHERE THREE landscapes where unique wetlands COUNTRIES MEET and floodplain forests could develop undisturbed (Figure 1). The specific atmosphere of cross-border The immense potential of shared landscapes gets even more powerful cross-border riverine landscapes at places, where not only two, but even has been used only partially so far. more countries share their borderlines. However, the March-Thaya-Auen Within this study, two such places have Figure 3. The Sculpture Park of Three Countries established in 1992 marks the intersection of Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian Region makes already references to been visited and observed. One of borders. tourism potentials on the Slovak side them is the Austrian-Slovak-Hungarian of the river (March-Thaya-Auen, 2018). (A-SK-H) border at the very south of One of the spatially most Currently, the connections between the Austrian-Slovak borderline and the distinctive sculptures is Juraj Cutek’s the Slovak and the Austrian side are Figure 2. The dynamically shaped ‘Bicycle Bridge of Freedom’ other one is the Austrian-Czech-Slovak creation, which turns the triangular limited. Until 2012, there were only two has connected Schloss Hof (Austria) and Devínska Nová Ves, (A-CZ-SK) border at the northern vertex symbol into a gate house made of Bratislava (Slovakia) since 2012.Freedom’ has connected bridges crossing the river Morava - a Schloss Hof (Austria) and Devínska Nová Ves, Bratislava (Slov- of the studied border. Both places have three linked arcs. The gate sculpture railway bridge between Marchegg (A) akia) since 2012. a very different landscape character. represents the trinity of time (past – 372 373 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS conservation and development: group c

Figure 4. A sculpture by Juraj Cutek in the Sculpture Park Figure 5. The confluence of River Morava (March) and River Figure 6. Bunkers from the second world war are significant Figure 7. Two monuments of the Iron Curtain and its victims of Three Countries forms a three-arched gate that aims to Dyje (Thaya) surrounded by beautiful and peaceful riparian landmarks spread throughout the Austrian-Slovak borderline. located at the medieval Devín castle (SK). symbolize the trinity of time and space, as well as the friendship woodlands marks the intersection of Austrian, Czech and and connection between the three countries. Slovak national borders. Bird Directive Sites (SPA) – Záhorské EYE WITNESSES OF THE present – future) with an anchor in there used to be electrified fences (The Pomoravie (SK / 32,175.67 ha), March- PAST, MONUMENTS OF THE the middle that stands for the static Guardian, 2014). Since the physical Thaya-Auen (A / 14,832.00 ha) and PRESENT character of a friendship between borders were removed, the A-SK-H Soutok-Tvrdonicko (CZ / 9,576.91 ha). the three countries (Figure 4). All border point has become attractive also Moreover, the area is also protected as The 20th century has left a sad and the sculptural works represent three in terms of tourism and recreation. It part of three national Habitats Directive distinctive layer in Austrian and Slovak decades of peace and reunification, especially attracts hikers and cyclists. Sites – Kačenky (SK / 281.44 ha), cross-border landscapes. The World while an alone standing pale with This shows, how a place full of conflicts Soutok – Podluží (CZ / 9,715.01 ha) and War II, which caused deaths of millions barbed wire stays here as a raised can develop into an inspiring multi- March-Thaya-Auen (A / 8,879.47 ha) of people is still readable in the warning finger and a reminder that this functional landscape with manifold thanks to the occurrence of important landscape. There are several bunkers peaceful environment has replaced dimensions – cultural heritage, ecology floodplain species. The March-Thaya- spread throughout the region. These four decades of division and conflict and biodiversity, agriculture, tourism Auen is promoted as a ‘Melange have become part of the landscape embodied in the Iron Curtain. and recreation, as well as education. of unique Nature, great history and character and regional identity, while Besides a strong historical legacy The A-CZ-SK border point is located in wine-growing lifestyle of the Weinviertel serving also as a sad memento of war and a significant cultural heritage, a totally different landscape setting. The Region’ (March-Thaya-Auen, 2018). It tragedies and conflicts (Figure 6). this site is important also in terms of border is represented by two rivers - has transformed into an attractive tourist Another conflictful milestone biodiversity protection, as the entire Morava (March) and Dyje (Thaya), while destination and offers nature experience of these cultural landscapes was the area is located at the interface of three the intersection point is created by their in borderless floodplain landscapes, above discussed Iron Curtain. It was Bird Directive Sites (SPA – Special confluence (Figure 5). bird observation points, wine-tasting indeed a strongly negative landscape Protection Areas) within the NATURA The riparian woodland offers a experience in traditional vineyards, time element that destroyed many human 2000 Network – Sysľovské polia (SK completely different landscape quality travel that reaches all the way back to lives in one or another way. As a / 1,775.69 ha), Parndorfer Platte – as it was in the case of the A-SK-H Stone Age, while tracking important remembrance of this sad historical Heideboden (A / 7,273.30 ha) and border point. Woodlands enclose periods like the Bronze Age, the Iron period of Europe and its victims, there Mosoni-sík (H / 13,095.88 ha) where the space and create a much more Age, the Great Migrations, the Middle are several monuments along both besides other rare species the Great intimate natural-like character with Ages, the Habsburg Period and the sides of the border. Two distinctive Bustard (Otis tarda L.), Europe’s largest only a couple of small wooden fishing turbulent 20th century. The March-Thaya- monuments are located at the medieval land bird, occurs. Last year a record houses reminding the visitors of the Auen Region makes also use of the castle Devín (Figure 7) near Bratislava. number of bustards (up to 500) spent human presence. Here, this peaceful interesting cross-border landscapes One of them is made of iron, which is the winter in this area (TASR, 2017) and landscape setting with woodlands and along both sides of the Morava River a stylized reference to the Curtain. It this year it was more than 500 (Filová, water lets us forget the conflictful past and encourages its visitors to enjoy was created by sculptor Milan Lukáč 2018). This shows that the borders of this site. Only an information board borderless natural and cultural values of and it states a truly moving quote have vanished not only for us, but also reminds us of the fact that this is a the region (March-Thaya-Auen, 2018). from Winston Churchill: ‘The farther for some wildlife species. However, place where borders of three different This can be seen as a good practice backward you can look, the farther scientists have found that not all countries meet. The conflict between example and an inspiration for further forward you can see’. So peculiar for animals have forgotten the Iron Curtain. West and East was also here favorable development. this site! The monument was unveiled It is interesting that Central European for nature and wildlife. The border by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II deer still balk at crossing areas where point of three states is surrounded by on an official State Visit to the Slovak 374 375 ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS conservation and development: group c Republic in 2008. The other monument technical landmarks of renewable REFERENCES Vallet, E. (2014). Borders, Fences and was designed by Peter Mészároš and it energy have occurred along the Walls. State of Insecurity? London and New York: honors the memory of all victims of the Austrian side of the border. These APA-OTS (2012). Fuß- und Radwegbrücke Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. regime. energy monuments stand for a visual zwischen Schlosshof und Devínská Nova Ves Just on the way from Bratislava manifestation of novelty, renewability eröffnet. APA-OTS, [online]. Available at: https:// - Petržalka (SK) to Kittsee (A) a recent and sustainability. A sustainable www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20120922_ monument from 2016 aims to remind future development scenario should OTS0046/fuss-und-radwegbruecke-zwischen- current and future generations of the utilise the potential of cross-border schlosshof-und-devnsk-nova-ves-eroeffnet personal tragedy of Hartmut Tautz, a landscape transition also through [Accessed 28 May 2018]. young man who was killed when he was renewable energy, which could trying to cross the Iron Curtain. And this create a novel multilayer quality in the Brezák, C. (2018). Pre Cyklomost slobody is only one of the 400 life stories that landscape. A joint approach in sensitive bol uplynulý víkend rekordný. SME Bratislava, ended similarly at the Czechoslovak implementation of renewable energy, [online]. Available at: https://bratislava.sme. part of the Iron Curtain. Not far from in line with nature and landscape sk/c/20814765/pre-cyklomost-slobody-bol- here, there is a Memorial of the Iron protection along the European Green uplynuly-vikend-rekordny.html [Accessed 28 May Curtain with a preserved Cold-War Belt landscapes, would create synergies 2018]. bunker. All these landscape features in creating high quality landscapes aim to remind us that instead of walls generating green and renewable Filová, K. (2018). Vzácny drop je späť. and Iron Curtains, we should build energy. Pravda, [online] Available at:https://spravy. bridges and instead of landscapes of pravda.sk/domace/clanok/465320-vzacny-drop- conflict, we should value our shared ACKNOWLEDGMENTS je-spat/ [Accessed 28 May 2018]. natural and cultural heritage and aim for a more intensive cross-border The authors would like to express their March-Thaya-Auen (2018). Official cooperation. A positive example of gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Website. [online] Available at: http://www. such approach is the pan-European Science, Research and Sport of the marchthayaauen.at/ [Accessed 28 May 2018]. project of the European Green Belt, an Slovak Republic for supporting the ecological network that has a unique presented research within the projects Marschall, I., Müller, M. and Gather, M. natural and cultural heritage and an VEGA 1/0371/18, KEGA 001SPU-4/2017, (Eds.). (2012). The Green Belt as a European emotional human and political history. KEGA 008SPU-4/2016, the Slovak Ecological Network – strengths and gaps. Erfurt, Moreover, it symbolizes that something University of Agriculture in Nitra for Germany: University of Applied Sciences, p. 2. bad can turn into something good supporting the research within the (Marschall, Müller, Gather, 2012). But project 07-GA SPU-17 and to COST SITA, (2016). Za komunizmu ho roztrhali are all fences and walls bad or have Action TU1401 Renewable energy and psy pri pokuse o útek, teraz mu odhalili tabuľu. they always naturally belonged to the landscape quality (RELY) for enhancing [online] Available at: https://spravy.pravda.sk/ human society as constant structures international cooperation in landscape domace/clanok/401541-pocas-komunizmu-ho- protecting defined entities and claiming research. roztrhali-psy-pri-pokuse-o-utek-teraz-mu-odhalili- sovereignty? According to Vallet (2014) tabulu/ [Accessed 28 May 2018]. the ‘wall’ is more than just a historical relict for managing borders, quite the TASR, (2017). Mnoho vzácnych opposite, in recent years it has been dropov veľkých prečkáva zimu na Slovensku. given renewed vigour, e.g. along the [online] Available at: http://www.teraz.sk/ U.S.-Mexico border or more recently in magazin/enviro-mnoho-vzacnych-drop- Hungary due to migration crisis. Thus, ov-velkych/243136-clanok.html?- in specific situations walls can still be a mostViewedArticlesInSectionTab=1 [Accessed necessary element that makes people 28 May 2018]. feel safe on both sides of the borderline. There is a clear need for joint The Guardian, (2014). Czech deer still research, in order to discover all wary of iron curtain boundary. [online] Available possible development scenarios of this at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/ cross-border landscape with a unique apr/23/czech-deer-iron-curtain-fences [Accessed natural capital and a strong historical 28 May 2018]. legacy. In the last two decades, new 376 377 View publication stats