Günter Dinhobl (Hrsg.): Sonderband 7. Eisenbahn/Kultur – Railway/Culture (2004)
Aufsätze - Günter Dinhobl: Prologue for “Railway / Culture”
Prologue for “Railway/Culture” the issues the second chapter is dedicated to. Wolfgang König examines the argumentations of different actors who recommended or disapproved of the building of mountain railways in Switzerland. Robert Lee takes a look at the role and importance of railways in the context of imperialism and colonialism. An artistic approach is taken by Wolfgang Kessler with some thoughts on his artwork: “Paintings of Thunderous Standstill” (“Malerei des rasenden Stillstands”). Jill Murdoch investigates the concept of modernity in the visual culture of England and asks the question why railways were not incorporated into landscape paintings until in the second half of the 19th century. Ralf Roth elaborates on the multi-layered perception of cities from the perspective of railways using Berlin as an example. Silke Satjukow examines the cultural consequences of railways on the urban axis between the city centre and the railway station - a road which is often called “Bahnhofsstrasse” (.Railway Station Road’). Gerhard Strohmeier investigates in his paper the drastic changes which accompanied the early railway period and caused the coming of the .new road* and highlights the meanings of the separation of compartment and outer space, of moving surroundings and stationary horizon, but also of the distinction between urban and rural landscapes as foundations of the new perception of space caused by railways. Peter Wilding poses questions about the symbolic-cultural aspects of technology and refers to the specific contribution of the railway as a cultural means (“Culturmittel”) to urban history in the age of modernity. Culture also includes the interpretations and meanings of social order. Above all, the category of gender is a very central social order which will be reflected in the third chapter. Starting from a review of general statements on the effects of railways on people, Di Drummond asks in detail about the specific effects of this transportation technology on women and uses examples from 19th century Great Britain. Lisa A. Lindsay provides a case study of changes and constants in generating masculinity brought about by the colonial railway in Nigeria in the early 20th century. Changes in gender-specific attributes over time and their pragmatic effects are analysed by Barbara Schmucki. She uses the example of public urban traffic and takes into consideration aspects of the different groups of actors such as drivers, planners or users - both male and female. (For technical reasons is this essay at the end of the volume). Technology is an expression of material culture. The fourth chapter presents different perspectives on the analysis of railway-technology. With special consideration to the reactions of the inhabitants of the Austrian Empire (Kaiserthum Österreich), Milan Ellavacka examines the transfer and acceptance of railway technology. Rainer Leitner emphasizes the innovative role of railway engineering-works for the transfer of technology and attempts to revise the discourses of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy’s general backwardness with reference to technological development. Manfred Schmutzer 19
