Water Modernity and Society in Linz, ca. 1700–1900

Abstract

This article investigates the transition to a modern water supply and sewage disposal system. By focussing on the of the Upper Austrian mid-size city of Linz in a long-term perspective from circa 1700 to 1900, we trace continuities and disruptions of existing solutions and question the narrative of modernisation. We research the actors involved in the decision-making and implementation processes, paying special attention to the so-far neglected group of city inhabitants and their motives. Finally, we raise questions of integration and exclusion with regard to water.