Natural gas in Bludenz: The environmental and energy history of a region

Austria was the first country in Western Europe to import natural gas from the USSR starting in 1968. By the end of 2024, the country was above average dependent on Russian imports and served as a hub for natural gas transit. However, little is known about the establishment of the necessary natural gas infrastructure.

The lecture by Dr. Robert Groß, who works at the Center for Environmental History at the University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), sheds light on the history of natural gas supply in Austria and examines how it came to Vorarlberg. In addition to the construction of cross-border pipelines, the focus is also on the regional actors who pushed for the extension of the natural gas pipelines to Bludenz. While natural gas was long regarded as an important lever for reducing dependence on oil and combating air pollution, this image has been under scrutiny from a climate policy perspective for several years. Does this mean the end of natural gas usage and a shift to supposedly more climate-friendly alternatives? This question will also be addressed in the lecture.

An event organized by the City Archive Bludenz and the History Association Region Bludenz in cooperation with the municipal environmental department.