RIEHL

AUSTRIA (see also List of Individuals)

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31.8.1842 Bozen/I - 17.2.1917 Innsbruck/A

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Josef Riehl made studies at Karlsruhe Polytechnic Institute and at the Technical University of Munich; he started his career in 1864 with the Brenner railways and continued with similar projects all over Austria until returning in 1873 to Innsbruck. Following the large 1882 floods, Riehl decided to contribute to the improvements of the Rivers Drau, Rienz and Eisack along today's border line between Austria and Italy. Based on his wide engineering knowledge, Riehl became aware of the enormous Austrian hydropower potential. He was the true initiator of energy production in the South of his country. Early designs included the Brennerwerke and the energy supply for the city of Innsbruck. Later, he designed and executed the works of the Rienzwerk for the city of Brixen, today's Bressanone, and the Schnalstal-werke for the city of Meran, today's Merano in Italy. Riehl succeeded to furnish some 50,000 horsepower during the last twenty years of his life for Tyrol County.

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Next to these works, Riehl was also involved in road projects and railway designs, and thus was an outstanding promoter and benefactor of his beloved county. Riehl was awarded the Order of the Emperor Franz-Josef in 1904, he was an Honorary Citizen of Innsbruck, and was given the Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Vienna in 1912. In the same year, he was also appointed a Oberbaurat of Austria.

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_{Anonymous (1917). Oberbaurat Dr.-Ing.h.c. Josef Riehl. Österreichische Wochenschrift für den Öffentlichen Baudienst 23(13): 158-159. P}

_{Anonymous (1917). Dr.-Ing.e.h. Joseph Riehl. Zentralblatt der Bauverwaltung 37(25): 163-164. Anonymous (1975). Josef Riehl. Blätter für Technikgeschichte 37: 175.}

_{Beraneck, O. (1917). Dr.Ing. Josef Riehl. Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Ingenieurund Architekten-Vereines 69(22): 346-347. P}

_{Franke, P.-G. (1992). Josef Riehl, zur 150. Wiederkehr seines Geburtstages. Wasser und Boden}

_{44(8): 507. P}

_{Mechtler, P. (1988). Riehl, Josef. Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815-1950 9: 155-156. Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften: Wien.}

_{Riehl, J. (1903). Vinschgauer und Fernbahn in Beziehung zur Scharnitzer-Linie. Wagner: Innsbruck. Riehl, J. (1906). Die Sillwerke bei Innsbruck. Zeitschrift VDI 50(20): 753-761.}

_{Riehl, J. (1909). Die Wasserkraftverhältnisse der Alpenländer. Wasserkraft 2(8): 138-140; 2(9):}

_152-154.