Empire, Extraction, and Externalization. Wood Impregnation in Early Twentieth Century Bosnia and Herzegovina and Its Precarious Legacy

At the turn of the century, the development of high-pressure impregnation techniques and the use of the coal tar oil creosote substantially prolonged the life of railway ties and other wooden infrastructure materials. The rising wood impregnation industry played a vital role in Austro-Hungarian imperial endeavors, such as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The construction and maintenance of infrastructure helped to establish and maintain a quasi-colonial rule and exploit the country's natural resources. These practices had long-term impacts on the environment and society. Considering that large parts of the region consist of karst ecologies that are especially vulnerable to pollution, close environmental monitoring and sustainable management are needed. This paper examines questions of (post-)colonialism, occupational health, environmental justice, and the long-term environmental impact of toxic impregnation substances, following the activities of the Austrian impregnation company Guido Rütgers KG. It reflects on how environmental history can contribute to reconstructing changing human-nature relations in the Dinaric Karst, trace back sources of pollution, and trigger debates for a sustainable management of the region's ecologies.