Modernization and its conveniences have obscured our relationship with the natural environment. We no longer have to personally interact with nature when consuming its resources. Consequently, we lack direct feedback from our exploits, and have lost any moral sensibility towards the finite resources of our planet. This unwanted consequence of modernity has perhaps most explicitly manifested itself on the urban riverbanks of the developed world. Such riparian landscapes, once animated with human activity, have become desolate environments, often programmed solely to serve utilitarian functions. At best, some have been revitalized to accommodate recreational amenities, but the direct interaction that was once necessary to utilize the river for its resources has been replaced by invisible machinery, turning the river’s role in sustaining the city into an abstract concept. The condition found on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest is the epitome of this unfortunate phenomenon. While inhabitants draw water from the faucet, buy fish in the supermarket, and expel waste into an enigmatic drain, the riverbank is far out of sight, deserted, and the river’s role in satisfying their needs is never considered. Instead, the Danube is revered only for the pomp and grandeur it bestows upon the extravagant portrait of the boastful city. In response to this skewed perception, this thesis presents a proposal on the site of Széchenyi Square, located at the base of the Chain Bridge in the heart of Budapest. Historically significant as the main port and gateway to the merchant town of Pest, the Square has since abandoned its role as mediator between city and river, and has instead become a mediator of automotive traffic. The proposal presented in this thesis revives its role as a gateway, but not in the traditional sense. It conceives a riparian portal that allows the passer-by to experience an alternate reality – a place where nature and city are superimposed, and the modern individual is granted direct interaction with his natural resources.

Dissertation--Philosophische Fakultät--Universität Würzburg, 1998. / Résumé en anglais.

Modernization and its conveniences have obscured our relationship with the natural environment. We no longer have to personally interact with nature when consuming its resources. Consequently, we lack direct feedback from our exploits, and have lost any moral sensibility towards the finite resources of our planet. This unwanted consequence of modernity has perhaps most explicitly manifested itself on the urban riverbanks of the developed world. Such riparian landscapes, once animated with human activity, have become desolate environments, often programmed solely to serve utilitarian functions. At best, some have been revitalized to accommodate recreational amenities, but the direct interaction that was once necessary to utilize the river for its resources has been replaced by invisible machinery, turning the river’s role in sustaining the city into an abstract concept. The condition found on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest is the epitome of this unfortunate phenomenon. While inhabitants draw water from the faucet, buy fish in the supermarket, and expel waste into an enigmatic drain, the riverbank is far out of sight, deserted, and the river’s role in satisfying their needs is never considered. Instead, the Danube is revered only for the pomp and grandeur it bestows upon the extravagant portrait of the boastful city. In response to this skewed perception, this thesis presents a proposal on the site of Széchenyi Square, located at the base of the Chain Bridge in the heart of Budapest. Historically significant as the main port and gateway to the merchant town of Pest, the Square has since abandoned its role as mediator between city and river, and has instead become a mediator of automotive traffic. The proposal presented in this thesis revives its role as a gateway, but not in the traditional sense. It conceives a riparian portal that allows the passer-by to experience an alternate reality – a place where nature and city are superimposed, and the modern individual is granted direct interaction with his natural resources.

This diploma thesis deals with the European Region Danube-Moldau, EUREGIO Bayerischer Wald Böhmerwald Unterer Inn/Mühlviertel and the cooperation of the participating partner regions in the fields of culture and tourism, science and research, universities and companies. For many years, cross-border cooperation works in all these areas. The first part of the thesis deals with the history of the Danube-Moldau region and the history of EUREGIO in general and also describes the differences between the two institutions as well as their structure. The next part describes the cooperation within the European region as well as the previous activities of companies, colleges and universities and the cultural and tourism institutions. The cooperation in each area is described in more detail in a separate chapter. The third, and thus the last part, assesses cooperation within the framework of the Danube-Moldova European Region, and only between two partner regions of Southern Bohemia and Upper Austria.

No description available.

The Bratislava phenomenon of waterfront diversity is an European rarity. With my work, I would like to support this duality and show its potential. I have highlighted a few principles which, in my opinion, are the problem of the not very functioning symbiosis of the waterfronts. Bratislava as a city suffers from large number of uncertain spaces, which prevents any continuity. The left waterfront is almost entirely built up and you can see some continuity there. The right waterfront is full of empty unidentified areas, parking lots and old buildings. The international cycle route holds this area together. The continuous forest becomes a set of fragments. The presence of man could be the basic of connection. The addition of features and interventions could increase the interest of people. A social space would be created, the center would be extended to the opposite waterfront and the connection with Petržalka would be realistic gold for the future. The solution could be to create several stops along the cycle path. Each space under the bridge has its own charakter. Today, all these spaces are without presence of man. Every bridge could get its own identity by creating space suitable for humans. Together, the bridges will create and adventure route on the right waterfrot with a lot of opportunities to socialize, entertain, educate, experience some culture events or do some sports. The cycle route passes through the several other interesting places to stop. The number of visitors will increase by adding use and the continuity would be created by man himself.

Waterfront of the Danube in Bratislava is the urban and architectural project, which deals with the part of the waterfront that is the closest to the city centre. The solved territory is between The SNP Bridge and The Old Bridge. This Area is divided into three areas. Each Area is analysed in detail, which results in a concrete proposal. In the area 1 (Ľ. Stur - quare) a Passenger Port is designed under the coronation hill with a statue of Maria Theresa. In the Territory 2 (waterfront - Fajnovo nábrezie) underground parking lot is designed. There is a park for students above the ground. Territory 3 (Tyršovo waterfront) is supplemented by a new building of creativity centre.

La 1re Armée française commandée par le général de Lattre de Tassigny souffre d'un déficit mémoriel auprès de la société française alors qu'elle a libéré une grande partie du territoire national. L'association Rhin et Danube porteur naturel de la mémoire de la 1re Armée française a échoué dans la diffusion de celle-ci. La concurrence d'autres mémoires de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le rôle de l'Etat, de l'Education nationale... ont progressivement fait oublier l'action de l'Armée de Lattre dans la Libération depuis le débarquement de Provence. / The 1st French Army under General de Lattre de Tassigny's command is fading from the collective memory of French society, despite having freed a large portion of France. The “Rhine and Danube” association, the natural guardian of the 1st French Army's legacy, failed to disseminate its story. Competition with other memorable events of the Second World War, the role of the State, the Ministry of Education ... overshadowed the significant contribution of the de Lattre Army to the Liberation of France, from the landing in Provence and onward.

<p>This thesis examines the Neolithic settlements in Durankulak, Danube, north of Bulgaria and Sitagroi in Greek Macedonia at the time when human life went from nomadic and hunting to well organized, agriculture and settled. As a background I present facts about the chronology, I will look for similarities and differences in the climate and the environment of the settlements and then I make a comparison based on the material findings. The facts, analyses and artefacts give a base for understanding the daily life in Durankulak and Sitagroi. By comparing the settlements I will investigate if the Neolithization was a homogenous process on Balkan or if there are differences that indicate external inputs from several directions.</p>

Declines in some fish populations in the Upper Danube River, Germany, have been reported during the past decades despite extensive stocking efforts. Many theories exist for why such declines have occurred including habitat change, dams, invasive species, disease and pollution. One of the factors of concern in the Upper Danube River is pollution because a number of studies have shown that sediments collected from this area were acutely and/or chronically toxic to fish. Although it can be difficult to link bioassay results to direct effects on the population level, bioassays can give us insight into the potential of exposure of wildlife including fish to sediment. In combination with other researchers a large battery of sediment testing on the Upper Danube River is being performed. Testing includes sediment testing of estrogen receptor mediated processes, dioxin-like responses and genotoxic effects. In this study, four sediment extracts from the Upper Danube River in Germany were used with a novel fractionation technique to characterize the sediment extracts and fractions for their ability to disrupt steroidogenesis, for their mutagenic activities and their teratogenic effects. Fractionation of each of the four sediment samples was performed by separating compounds according to their polarity, planarity, and the size of the aromatic ring system in an on-line fractionation procedure on coupled high performance liquid chromatography columns.<p> Mutagenic activity was measured in the raw sediment extracts and all 18 fractions using the Ames fluctuation assay and the Danio rerio embryo assay was used to assess lethal endpoints. Furthermore, disruptions of steroidogenesis were assessed by first establishing methods and a proof of concept of the H295R assay by exposing H295R cells to 7 model chemicals and measuring changes from a control in estradiol, testosterone and aromatase activity. Once methods were established all sediments and their fractions were analyzed using the Assay.<p> Specifically, in the <i>Danio rerio</i> assay, two raw sediment extracts killed 100% of <i>Danio rerio</i> embryos at a concentration of 33.3 mg sediment equivalents (SEQ)/ml, but none of the 18 fractions of these samples produced any measured toxicity at a concentration of 100 mg SEQ/ml. In the Ames fluctuation assay, significant mutagenic activity was measured in raw sediment extracts and in the fractions. Fraction 10 produced a significant mutagenic response in all sediment samples measured only in S9 bio-activated samples. Furthermore, fraction 15 produced a significant mutagenic response in all sediment samples measured only in non bio-activated samples.<p> All raw extracts tested in the H295R assay caused an increase in estradiol production up to 4-fold from controls. Testosterone production increased slightly from controls in only two of the raw extract samples. Of the 18 fractions, fractions 7, 10 and 15 increased estradiol in at least three of the samples studied (Sigmaringen2006, Opfingen2006, Lauchert2006 and Lauchert2004). Furthermore, fraction 7 significantly decreased testosterone production compared to controls in three of the four sediment samples.<p> Taken as a whole, these results show the value of using multiple bioassays and fractionation to characterize sediments that covers a variety of different biological endpoints. This study also demonstrates the usefulness of the H295R assay when combined with a new fraction technique to assess endocrine disrupting chemicals in sediment samples.