Stop Nagymaros!

On 12 September 1988, tens of thousands of people protested against the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydropower project in front of the Hungarian parliament in Budapest. What began with a few critical voices in the underground press, quickly developed into a powerful movement against the communist mega-construction. It was no coincidence that there were many Austrians among the protesters. The Danube Movement has become a focal point for protest that reached far beyond the borders of Hungary. This was the achievement of a handful of activists who dared to look for allies across the Iron Curtain. Once they learned that Austria would participate in the construction of the power plant, the local protest became a Central European affair.