Research project
Monstrous Rivers: Investigating the Environmental History of Modern European Floods through Literary Sources
The research project Monstrous Rivers: Investigating the Environmental History of Modern European Floods through Literary Sources (led by dr. habil. Anna Barcz, funded by the National Science Center in Poland, no 2023/49/B/HS3/04329, period: 2024-2028) aims to explore the shifting role of hydroengineering in modern European history, specifically its correlation with river flood events between the 18th and 20th centuries.
To investigate what cultural contexts had and have impact on modern ways of managing rivers and environmental history of Europe, we focus on literary sources of three major streams, namely the Rhine, Danube and Thames. Our studies are accompanied by critical and historical analysis of maps to show what kind of warning signs the flooding rivers of modern Europe transmit to us.
The project’s team include: a historian of cartography, dr Katarzyna Słomska-Przech (IH PAN) and a historian of hydrology and hydroengineering, dr Karol Witkowski (IGiPZ PAN).