Danube Day was established on 29 June 1994, when the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River was signed in Sofia. This, the second longest river in Europe, with a flow of approximately 2,850 km from its source in the Black Forest Mountains in Germany to its drainage basin in the Black Sea in Romania and Ukraine, forms the most diverse ecosystems and a wealth of biodiversity, the preservation of which is the focus of Danube Day.
The Danube flows through ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine and connects millions of people living in its basin. For many cities, above all Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, the Danube is also an important historical, economic and cultural symbol, immortalized in many works of art, of which the most famous musical composition is certainly the waltz “The Blue Danube”, composed by Johann Strauss the Younger (October 25, 1825 – June 3, 1899).
This native of Vienna is the author of more than 500 compositions – waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and operettas such as “The Bat” and “The Gypsy Baron”, which have placed him among the most popular, most beloved and most performed composers in the history of classical music. The music of Johann Strauss the Younger, whose 200th anniversary of birth we are celebrating this year, exudes elegance, rhythm and cheerfulness, and the waltz “The Blue Danube”, a symbol of the Vienna of his time, has long since transcended the boundaries of Austrian musical tradition and become a sort of anthem of the Danube.
The celebration of Danube Day not only reminds us of the importance of this river in the lives of millions of people, but also inspires joint efforts to preserve the natural resources of the Danube, preserve water quality, protect Danube ecosystems, and preserve its nature for generations to come.
The Danube is a river that connects people, cultures and nature and deserves our care and respect.
Artistic realization of the issue: Miroslav Nikolić and Anamari Banjac, Academic Painter
