Shaping Tomorrow Today Sdgs From Multiple Perspectives Sandra Hummel

Shaping Tomorrow Today Sdgs From Multiple
Perspectives Sandra Hummel download
https://ebookbell.com/product/shaping-tomorrow-today-sdgs-from-
multiple-perspectives-sandra-hummel-49110686
Explore and download more ebooks at ebookbell.com

Here are some recommended products that we believe you will be
interested in. You can click the link to download.
The Generalist Counsel How Leading General Counsel Are Shaping
Tomorrows Companies Prashant Dubey Eva Kripalani
https://ebookbell.com/product/the-generalist-counsel-how-leading-
general-counsel-are-shaping-tomorrows-companies-prashant-dubey-eva-
kripalani-51271898
Environmentalism And The Technologies Of Tomorrow Shaping The Next
Industrial Revolution 1st Edition Robert Olson
https://ebookbell.com/product/environmentalism-and-the-technologies-
of-tomorrow-shaping-the-next-industrial-revolution-1st-edition-robert-
olson-2010846
Tomorrows Air Force Tracing The Past Shaping The Future Jeffrey J
Smith
https://ebookbell.com/product/tomorrows-air-force-tracing-the-past-
shaping-the-future-jeffrey-j-smith-4739108
Tomorrows Artificial Intelligence A Futurists Guide To Understanding
And Harnessing Ai Technology That Is Shaping Our World Kris Ball
https://ebookbell.com/product/tomorrows-artificial-intelligence-a-
futurists-guide-to-understanding-and-harnessing-ai-technology-that-is-
shaping-our-world-kris-ball-58308054

Sharing Tomorrow 1st Michael Barnette
https://ebookbell.com/product/sharing-tomorrow-1st-michael-
barnette-9154298
Tomorrow 30 Transaction Costs And The Sharing Economy Michael C Munger
https://ebookbell.com/product/tomorrow-30-transaction-costs-and-the-
sharing-economy-michael-c-munger-10411812
Shaping The Lotus Sutra Buddhist Visual Culture In Medieval China
Eugene Yuejin Wang
https://ebookbell.com/product/shaping-the-lotus-sutra-buddhist-visual-
culture-in-medieval-china-eugene-yuejin-wang-44870632
Shaping The Future Of Child And Adolescent Mental Health Towards
Technological Advances And Service Innovations Matthew Hodes
https://ebookbell.com/product/shaping-the-future-of-child-and-
adolescent-mental-health-towards-technological-advances-and-service-
innovations-matthew-hodes-46450200
Shaping Heroic Virtue Studies In The Art And Politics Of Supereminence
In Europe And Scandinavia Brills Studies In Intellectual History 249
Lam Stefano Fogelberg Rota Editor
https://ebookbell.com/product/shaping-heroic-virtue-studies-in-the-
art-and-politics-of-supereminence-in-europe-and-scandinavia-brills-
studies-in-intellectual-history-249-lam-stefano-fogelberg-rota-
editor-46469848

Sandra Hummel ·
Philipp Assinger · Christian Bauer ·
Thomas Brudermann · Andrea Jany ·
Martin Jury · Romana Rauter ·
Mireille van Poppel Editors
Shaping Tomorrow Today –
SDGs from multiple
perspectives
Lernweltforschung

Series Editors
Heide von Felden, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Rudolf Egger, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
Lernweltforschung
Band 39

Ausrichtung und Zielsetzung Innerhalb der derzeit dominierenden gesellschaftli-
chen Entwicklungen wird der Stellenwert der individuellen Handlungsfähigkeit
der sozialen Akteure in den Vordergrund gerückt. Schlagworte wie „Wissensge-
sellschaft“ oder „Civil Society“ weisen auf die zentrale Bedeutung von Lern- und
Bildungsprozessen für die politische, ökonomische und kulturelle Entwicklung
hin. Diese Entwicklung schlägt entsprechend auf die einzelnen Biograen durch.
Mit dem in dieser Reihe entfalteten Programm der Lernweltforschung werden
diesbezüglich die hier eingelagerten Vielschichtigkeiten und Eigenwilligkeiten,
die überraschenden Umgestaltungen und Suchbewegungen von Subjekten in
Lern- und Bildungsprojekten untersucht. Die hier sichtbar werdenden eigensin-
nigen Aneignungsprozesse werden innerhalb der je konkreten Situationen und
Strukturen analysiert. Lernwelten werden dabei zumindest in einer doppelten
Bedeutung sichtbar: Sie sind Rahmen und Rahmungen zugleich, Blick und
Gegenblick, in denen Erfahrungen (im Rückgriff auf ein System von Regeln)
bewertet, als Bestandteile der sozialen Welt durch subjektive Bedeutungszuwei-
sung (re-)konstruiert werden, und in denen auch das „Aneignungssystem“ selbst
und der Prozess der Erfahrungsaufschichtung zur Disposition stehen.

SandraHummel · PhilippAssinger ·
ChristianBauer · ThomasBrudermann ·
AndreaJany · MartinJury ·
RomanaRauter · Mireillevan Poppel
Editors
Shaping Tomorrow
Today – SDGs from
multiple perspectives

Editors
Sandra Hummel
Institute of Educational Sciences
University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Philipp Assinger
Institute of Educational Sciences
University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Christian Bauer
Institute of Geography and Regional
Science, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Thomas Brudermann
Institute of Environmental Systems
Sciences, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Andrea Jany
Institute of Geography and Regional
Science, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Martin Jury
Wegener Center for Climate and Global
Change, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Romana Rauter
Institute of Environmental Systems
Sciences, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
Mireille van Poppel
Institute of Human Movement Science
Sport and Health, University of Graz
Graz, Austria
ISSN 2512-1081 ISSN 2512-109X (electronic)
Lernweltforschung
ISBN 978-3-658-38318-3 ISBN 978-3-658-38319-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-38319-0
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachme-
dien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2023
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher,
whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specically the rights of translation,
reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microlms or in any
other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation,
computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specic statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in
this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher
nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material
contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains
neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afliations.
Responsible Editor: Stefanie Laux
This Springer VS imprint is published by the registered company Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
GmbH, part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: Abraham-Lincoln-Str. 46, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany

V
Shaping Tomorrow Today—The Faculty of Environmental, Regional and
Educational Sciences
What is and can a “faculty” represent today in the differentiated everyday scien-
tićc life of a university beyond an organisational structure for research and teach-
ing tasks? What is the answer to the structure of science specićed therein and
what “message” does it give to the researchers, teachers, and students involved in
it? And how is this idea linked to relevant problems of our society, to the dynam-
ics of the scientićc community, to the development of young scientists, or to the
interests of students? How can the interaction between the ?scientićc subjects?
and the researchers be supported? Which standards and benchmarks are used to
evaluate scientićc achievements and burdens, and with which consequences? All
of these (and many more) are questions about the self-image of a form of organi-
sation of science: the faculty. In order to answer these questions, debates on strat-
egy are certainly necessary, whose standardised goals and competitive procedures
are fundamentally needed, but, in my opinion, even more important for this seems
to be patience and the trust in the people working here. Also, sufćcient resources,
lively freedom, the renunciation of prohibitions on thinking and the support of
even risky projects are most likely to enable those forms of self-reection in sci-
ence that are characterised by a responsibility to society and robust wisdom.
The URBI (Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences) faculty,
founded in October 2007, brings together the four branches of Education Sci-
ences, Sports Sciences, Geography, and Environmental Systems Sciences—and
tries to support the demand for its approximately 6000 students, six institutes and
two scientićc centres. As can be seen in the mission statement, in dealing with
social challenges, the focus is on a critical examination of one's own scientićc
practice in relation to the explanatory and transformative knowledge acquired
here. The fact that this can be done successfully has been clearly demonstrated in
Foreword

VI Foreword
recent years by the development of the faculty—in teaching and in research. Nev-
ertheless, it is always appropriate to reect carefully on the tasks and possibilities
of the faculty as a living organism to dećne further developments and the advan-
tages of such an organisational form.
The science-specićc aspect is probably the most common one because it fun-
damentally dećnes the work at universities. At the same time, however, science
takes place in a social and life-world space that also inuences the most stringent
hierarchy of scale levels. How colleagues experience each other in their concrete
everyday work, which forms of exchange with co-researchers and co-learners are
dominant, determines to a great extent how the “freedom of science” can be com-
bined with the aspiration for freedom for everyone. Now, the idea of a “free sci-
ence” that follows only its own epistemic rules is an ancient one, but this freedom
of science must always be formulated in a concrete and present way. Although
the historically grown consensus that scientićc actors, their tasks, and (self-con-
trolled) mechanisms in research and teaching are generally familiar to the public,
is still alive. Complaints from the scientićc community about excessive econo-
misation through New Public Management control models or a withdrawal from
the perspective of “Bildung durch Wissenschaft” [education through science]
to a pure competence-driven system are also clearly evident. All these elements
have a great impact on the ?identićcation of success? of scientićc outcomes. Inte-
grated into the university-wide performance and quality assurance systems, the
URBI faculty is committed to a philosophy that only the most possible freedom,
personal liability, and independence of responsible employees within low-level
hierarchies can create quality as an expression of creative solutions to problems.
For this reason, it is essential for a faculty management to empower the personal
autonomy of all colleagues. Scientićc action (besides the subject-specićc ele-
ments) also has a lot to do with social intelligence, with ideas of self-efćcacy, and
the creative power to produce (internationally) presentable results. Only the daily
noticeable scope for decision making of the individuals, within socially respon-
sible autonomy, can determine science as “a problem-solving community”. The
variously developed joint projects and goals must therefore be secured on a vol-
untary basis within the framework of equal participation. A faculty in this sense
can be described as a specićc form of an ?Allmende?. An ?Allmende? describes
a kind of “common property”, where the “neighbours” collectively cultivate this
ćeld. To use this term to characterise an organisational form such as a faculty
emphasises that there is no clear separation between the individual branches of
science because every form of creating and communicating knowledge is based
on conceptualisations and its communication. This ?core business? of scientićc
and critical thinking emphasises–beyond any discipline-specićc boundaries–the

VII Foreword
creation of analytical tools that allow every scientist and all interested persons
to name, to see, and to understand something that only thereby becomes visible
and communicable. On the one hand, each faculty remains a specićc mixture of
theories, methodologies, and methods that prove their potential in the disciplines.
On the other hand, however, there is also the chance to “generate” something that
is connectable for all, something that could never be achieved by central planning
or by simply gathering the strengths of the individuals. Such a concept of an “All-
mende”, of the commons, goes far beyond the idea of a “homo oeconomicus” and
leads straight into the direction of a dynamic form of a ?scientićc community?.
The papers presented here try to illustrate such a common process and to create
a framework for it within the faculty. The intention of this collection is grouped
around the idea that a way out of today's political, economic, cultural, social, and
ecological crises can only be found by learning processes. Political-technical strat-
egies affect too rarely and systematically the everyday behaviour of people. The
dominant social and environmental developments cannot therefore be managed
without increasing the individual capacity of social actors. Learning and educa-
tional processes play an essential role because life depends regionally and globally
on the fact that unavoidable learning requirements can no longer be denied.
The topics addressed in this book currently play an important role at the URBI
faculty. For the future it will be necessary to bring these complex questions more
into joint research, communication, and development tasks without changing
existing structures at the institutes. The main aim is to develop the “branding” of
the URBI faculty at the university. Key questions for this are: Which social forms
and narratives support people in learning in order to deal with cumulative risks?
How can the current social transformations be converted into concrete scenarios
of action so that it becomes clear who is how concerned in the processes? What
kind of scientićcally oriented ?storytelling? can make these transformations and
their diverse motivations for action more understandable? How can the relation-
ship between real visible problems and the opening of possibilities be established
without immediately falling into the continuous strategies of risk shifting through
pseudo-national behaviour in the sense of a “Floriani principle” or through
apocalyptic “... Aufregungsschäden im Sinne einer ökologischen Tugenddiktatur”
(excitement damage in the sense of an ecological virtue dictatorship) (Luhmann
1986, p. 21)? How do people learn to interpret the epidemical, technical, and
scientićc risk expertise in a challenging way and how do they transform global
hazards into regional and life-world contexts? How can social skills support
empowerment processes and how can scientićc expertise be used to establish sub-
stantial connections between the various ćelds of knowledge and relevant refer-
ences to individual and social life?

VIII Foreword
In a ćrst step, this publication should help to improve the interaction between
the individual research groups and make the points of common interest more
visible. Subsequently, it should be discussed which formats can broaden the
exchanges at the faculty and which thematic guidelines can facilitate concrete
references. At the same time, it could also be considered how such a systematic
approach to connect our topics can also be used to integrate these interdiscipli-
nary views into the teaching processes to allow students to be more interested
in research. To answer the questions asked at the beginning of this article, the
major asset of this faculty, for me, is to create a space for as many people (stu-
dents, teachers, and researchers) as possible, in which they can develop their dif-
ferent potentials in the sense of “Bildung durch Wissenschaft”. This can only be
successful, if scientists are also prepared to be aware of the world problems that
surround them, of economic and political events, and their commitment to social
responsibility. How this can be realised is clearly shown in the following articles
written by members of the faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational
Sciences. I would like to thank all URBI staff for their engagement in these activ-
ities!
Rudolf Egger
Dean Faculty of Environmental,
Regional and Educational Sciences
University of Graz
Austria

IX
Contents
Introductory Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Philipp Assinger and Sandra Hummel
Sustainability Challenges in Cities, Communities, and Regions
The Challenge of Providing Information About Regional Climate
Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Douglas Maraun
Littering in Municipal Public Places: The Role of Personal
Factors and Intentions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Julia Neumann and Thomas Brudermann
Everyday Disasters in Everyday Lives—Rethinking SDG 11.5 in
Times of Multiple Crises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Nicolas Schlitz, Andrea Jany, Rivka Saltiel and Anke Strüver
Correlates of Active Commuting in Austrian Adults:
Does Personality Matter?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Matteo C. Sattler, Tanja Färber, Katharina Traußnig, Gottfried Köberl,
Christoph Paier, Pavel Dietz and Mireille N. M. van Poppel
Sustainability Learning in Schools and Other
Educational Institutions
How Closing Small Schools in Rural Regions Affects
Community Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler, Judith Pizzera and Bärbel Hausberger

X Contents
Reaching the ‘Hard to Reach’: Implementing “Education
for All” by Participative Action Research and Students’ Voices. . . . . . . . . 141
Edvina Bešić, Lisa Paleczek, Julia Ladenstein and
Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera
Addressing Teacher Shortages to Achieve Inclusive and Equitable
Education for All: Policies for the Supply of and Demand
for Qualićed Teachers in Austria and South Africa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Vasileios Symeonidis and Irma Eloff
Urban Disparities in Inclusive and Sustainable School Cultures
in Graz, Austria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Melina Tinnacher, Heike Wendt and Nora Luschin-Ebengreuth
Learning for Democratic Sustainability in Migration Societies?
Aspects of Citizenship Education in Urban Contexts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Annette Sprung, Brigitte Kukovetz and Petra Wlasak
Interdisciplinary Practical Trainings as a Contribution of Higher
Education to Raising Sustainability Awareness Among the Public. . . . . . 235
Ulrike Gelbmann and Christian Pirker
Actors for Learning and Implementing Sustainability
Social Work Organisations as Sustainable Actors: Characteristics
and Perspectives of Ecologically Oriented Work Integration
Social Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Maria Anastasiadis
Sustainability Aspects and Educational Relevance on Social
Media Inuencers for Children and Adolescents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Lisa Mittischek and Ines Waldner
Social Inclusion and Competence Acquisition Through Volunteering
with Disadvantaged Children, Adolescents, and Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Elias Schaden
Digitalisation at Workplaces: Challenges, Contextual Factors and
Innovation Potentials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Sabine Klinger, Romana Rauter and Susanne Sackl-Sharif
Re-/Searching for “A Better Life for Everyone”: Overcoming Habits
and Exploring New Behaviours and Solutions for Crises and Prob-
lems by Using Participatory Dramatic Research Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Michael Wrentschur

XI
Editors and Contributors
About the Editors
Sandra Hummel is an educational scientist in the research area ‘Empirical
Learning World Research and Higher Education Didactics’ at the Institute for
Educational Sciences at the University of Graz. Her work focuses on higher edu-
cation didactics as well as on learning and teaching in the context of educational
innovations. She is the coordinator of several EU projects that aim at the learner-
centred development of educational technologies.
Philipp Assinger works at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University
of Graz as an Assistant Professor for Continuing Vocational Education and Training.
His research is concerned with the development of vocational competencies in and
outside the workplace environment. He has also been working on validation of prior
learning and competence development in the Austrian wood processing industry.
Christian Bauer is Senior Lecturer for Physical Geography at the University
of Graz, Institute of Geography and Regional Science. His research focuses on
geomorphology and geomorphometry in karst terrains, applied geomorphologi-
cal topics using GIS (natural hazards) as well as human-environment interactions.
His interdisciplinary research experience involves different disciplines, including
Geosciences, System Science and History.
Thomas Brudermann is an associate professor at University of Graz. He has
been working for various national and international research institutions, such as
International Institute for Applied System Analysis, Vienna University of Eco-
nomics and Business, National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan) and
the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand). He works on various topics in the

XII Editors and Contributors
interdisciplinary ćeld of sustainability and innovation research, with a focus on
decision making and decision analysis.
Andrea Jany is a researcher in the ćeld of housing. She holds a Ph.D. in Archi-
tecture of Graz University of Technology in Austria. Her research focuses on
resident satisfaction and housing requirements in combination with participatory
concepts. She participated in various interdisciplinary national research projects
ćnanced by e.g. Climate and Energy Fund, FFG, and state government. Currently
she is contributing leadauthor for housing for the APCC Special Report 2022 and
part of the scientićc advisory board of the 1st Austrian Climate Council.
Martin Jury is a climate scientist at the Wegener Center for Climate and Global
Change at the University of Graz. His research spans from climate and climate
impact model evaluation, the quantićcation of climate change impacts on and the
communication of them to society. He participated in several national and inter-
national research projects. Recently, he served as Chapter Scientist for the IPCC
AR6 WGI Chapter10: Linking global to regional climate change.
Rauter Romana is Associate Professor on Sustainability and Innovation Man-
agement at the Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability
Research at University of Graz. In her research she explores ways of how com-
panies can advance on sustainability which includes, amongst others, manag-
ing and measuring sustainability innovations or developing new and sustainable
business models. Romana has (co)-authored numerous scientićc publications in
these ćelds and is Co-Chair of the International New Business Models Confer-
ence Series.
Mireille N. M. van Poppel is professor in Physical Activity and Public Health
at the Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health at the Univer-
sity of Graz. Her work focuses on the role of physical activity in maintaining
and improving health in different target groups. This includes understanding the
determinants of physical activity and the development and evaluation of interven-
tions for the promotion of physical activity.

XIII Editors and Contributors
Contributors
Maria Anastasiadis Institute for Educational Science, University of Graz, Graz,
Austria
Philipp Assinger Institute of Educational Science, University of Graz, Graz,
Austria
Edvina Bešić Institute for Secondary Teacher Education, University College of
Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria
Thomas Brudermann Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation & Sustainabil-
ity Research, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Pavel Dietz University Medical Center, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Irma Eloff University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Tanja Färber Institute of Psychology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Ger-
many
Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera Institute of Education Research and Teacher Edu-
cation, Inclusive Education Unit, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Ulrike Gelbmann Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability
Research, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Bärbel Hausberger Institute of Geography and Regional Science, University of
Graz, Graz, Austria
Sandra Hummel Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Graz, Graz,
Austria
Andrea Jany RCE Graz-Styria—Centre for Sustainable Social Transformation,
University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Sabine Klinger Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Graz, Graz,
Austria
Brigitte Kukovetz Institute for Educational Science, Department ‘Migration—
Diversity—Education’, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Gottfried Köberl Weizer Energie-Innovations-Zentrum GmbH, Weiz, Austria
Julia Ladenstein Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education, Inclu-
sive Education Unit, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

XIV Editors and Contributors
Nora Luschin-Ebengreuth Institute for Early Childhood and Primary Teacher
Education, University of Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria
Douglas Maraun Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of
Graz, Graz, Austria
Lisa Mittischek Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Graz, Styria,
Austria
Julia Neumann Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation & Sustainability
Research, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Christoph Paier Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, Uni-
versity of Graz, Graz, Austria
Lisa Paleczek Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education, Inclusive
Education Unit, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Christian Pirker Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability
Research, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Judith Pizzera Institute of Geography and Regional Science, University of
Graz, Graz, Austria
Mireille N. M. van Poppel Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and
Health, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Romana Rauter Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation & Sustainability
Research, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler Institute of Geography and Regional Science,
University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Susanne Sackl-Sharif University of Music an Performing Arts Graz, Graz, Aus-
tria
Rivka Saltiel Institute of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of Graz,
Graz, Austria
Matteo C. Sattler Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health,
University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Elias Schaden Work Area Social Pedagogy at the Department of Educational
Science, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

XV Editors and Contributors
Nicolas Schlitz Institute of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of
Graz, Graz, Austria
Annette Sprung Institute for Educational Science, Department for Migration,
Diversity and Education, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Anke Strüver Institute of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of
Graz, Graz, Austria; RCE Graz-Styria—Centre for Sustainable Social Transfor-
mation, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Vasileios Symeonidis University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Melina Tinnacher Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education, Uni-
versity of Graz, Graz, Austria
Katharina Traußnig Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Ines Waldner University Collage of Teacher Education Styria, Styria, Austria
Heike Wendt Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education, University
of Graz, Graz, Austria
Petra Wlasak Institute for Educational Science, Department ‘Migration—Diver-
sity—Education’, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Michael Wrentschur Institute for Educational Sciences, University of Graz,
Graz, Austria

1
Introductory Overview
Philipp Assinger and Sandra Hummel
A World ofMulti-Dimensional Crises
At the time of writing this introduction during late summer and fall of 2021, major
parts of the world were in crisis mode. The COVID-19 pandemic was at the begin-
ning of its fourth wave spreading in most parts of the world and putting pressure
on health care systems while further contributing to increasing unemployment,
inequality and poverty around the world; unprecedented forest ćres caused by
heat and arson were raging in the South of Europe, Russia, Africa, South Amer-
ica and Australia; thunder storms and heavy rain hit Germany, Austria and China
taking away homes from dozens of families; warmonger regimes in countries like
Afghanistan were seizing power, oppressing civilians and making migration a
heavily-discussed topic in Europe and countries in the Middle-East and Asia.
There are certainly more events which currently characterise the world. If we
take a step back and abstract from this snapshot of single events and contextualize
them, we can say that there are several long ranging developments and complex
issues confronting the global community as well as regional and local commu-
nities with signićcant challenges. To name just a few of them: climate change,
demographic change and migration, globalisation and regionalisation, political
governance and democracy, social divides and inclusion/exclusion, digitalisa-
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2023
S. Hummel et al. (eds.), Shaping Tomorrow Today – SDGs from
multiple perspectives, Lernweltforschung 39,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-38319-0_1
P. Assinger· S. Hummel(*)
Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
e-mail: [email protected]
P. Assinger
e-mail: [email protected]

2 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
tion and work, education and lifelong learning. These developments and issues
are largely interdependent, dećning the existing circumstances of crises as multi-
dimensional. To address these multi-dimensional crises, the Sustainable Devel-
opment Goals (SDGs) were dećned by the United Nations (UN) and have been
promoted for implementation world-wide. The SDGs themselves, and measures
attaining to the intention of the SDGs, mark the starting point and dećne the
framework of this edited volume.
The Sustainable Development Goals
The international community has addressed global challenges such as those men-
tioned above on numerous occasions throughout the last ćfty years. For instance,
in 1972, the Stockholm Declaration by the UN, the ćrst to raise awareness for
environmental issues, and the well-known Club of Rome publication The Limits
to Growth set a direction, which was continued a decade later in the so-called
Brundtland Report. This report contained the ćrst dećnition of ?sustainable
development” as “development that meets the needs of the present without com-
promising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Com-
mission on Environment and Development, 1987).
Thirteen years later, in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
were adopted by the UN Member States. While the MDGs achieved considerable
success, it is argued repeatedly that they failed to capture the interconnections
between the areas of ecological, economic and social sustainability that are com-
monly implied when talking about sustainable development (Independent Group
of Scientists, 2019, p. 3).
In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the
UN Member States decided to dećne new priorities to spur up action towards a
more sustainable world. On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations General
Assembly, a Resolution entitled Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development (United Nations General Assembly, 2015) was ćnally
adopted and came into effect on January 1, 2016. The resolution presented seven-
teen Sustainable Development Goals (see Fig. 1) with 169 sub-targets intended to
guide political decisions over a period of ćfteen years until 2030.
To overcome the “thematic silos” (Independent Group of Scientists, 2019, p.
3), that were considered the weak spot of the MDGs, it was stated that the SDGs
“are integrated and indivisible, global in nature and universally applicable, tak-
ing into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development
and respecting national policies and priorities.” Moreover, to further stimulate

3Introductory Overview
political implementation, it was agreed that ?targets are dećned as aspirational
and global, with each government setting its own national targets guided by the
global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances.” (United
Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 13).
Both, the Austrian national government and the regional government of Styria
have both adopted their own measures in order to contribute to the SDGs.
1
To
get an overview of national and regional initiatives, a report by the Klimabündnis
Österreich includes several best-practice examples at the municipal or regional
1
For Styria e.g. https://www.nachhaltigkeit.steiermark.at/
Fig.1 Overview of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

4 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
level for each of the 17 SDGs.
2
In addition to the political initiatives, a signićcant
effort is made by civil society initiatives trying to raise awareness and implement
concrete projects, for instance in the area of sustainable lifestyle. A very success-
ful example from Graz is the Verein Nachhaltig in Graz.
3
What has been criticised by social scientists about the approach taken in strat-
egies for sustainable development, such as in the case of the SDGs, is the often
too narrow focus on political decisions and political programmes. While political
decisions and programmes are without a doubt of great importance, the cultural
aspects of sustainable development, those activities and behaviours, which are sit-
uated in the everyday life of the people, are actually at the heart of what enables
or inhibits progress. John Clammer, a sociologist involved in cultural anthropol-
ogy and development sociology, holds that ?all specićc dimensions of sustainable
practice (…) have deeply cultural characteristics since all require behavioral [sic]
changes and involve re-orientations of notions of self-relationships, daily lifestyle
decisions, travel patterns, and such obviously cultural processes (…)” (Clammer,
2016, p. 6).
From the standpoint of universities with their threefold mission of research,
teaching and public knowledge transfer, the view on culture, behaviour and daily
lifestyle helps to reconceptualize sustainable development in a way that puts indi-
vidual learning, educational intentions but also institutional arrangements at the
center of attention. Education and learning, institutionalised and formalised in
schools, universities or adult education centres, as well as occurring in the work-
place, in third-sector projects or in civil society initiatives can be understood
essentially as a social practice “in which the production, transformation, and
change in the identities of persons, knowledgeable skill in practice, and commu-
nities of practice are realized [sic] in the lived-in world of engagement in every-
day activity” (Lave & Wenger, 1991, p. 47).
Sustainable Development andUniversities inAustria
Universities are powerful actors on the path to a sustainable society. They have
multiple functions as research and educational institutions including those as
knowledge creators and multipliers, consumers and producers of resources,
2
See: https://www.klimabuendnis.at/sdg-broschuere-lokal-gemeistert
3
See: https://nachhaltig-in-graz.at/

5Introductory Overview
employers and role-model institutions, or actors with a signićcant regional impact
(Zimmermann & Risopoulos-Pichler, 2016). To contribute towards sustainable
development, universities actively promote inter- and transdisciplinary as well as
system-oriented and transformative approaches to research and teaching so that
the multi-dimensional character of sustainability issues can be addressed. Uni-
versities in Austria have taken up the responsibility to contribute to a knowledge
base and systematically analyze and develop solutions to economic, social and
ecological problems. Section 1 of the Austrian Universities Act 2002, which was
reafćrmed in 2020 in the Manifest for Sustainability of the Universities Austria,
calls for universities to hold themselves responsible for their actions towards soci-
ety and the environment.
For instance, building on the Austrian Universities Act, universities have
joined together to form the Alliance for Sustainable Universities in a commitment
towards a comprehensive, global and intergenerational understanding of sustain-
able development. Sustainability is considered one of the basic ethical concerns
of universities and encompasses in this conceptualisation ecological, social, eco-
nomic and cultural dimensions, the latter making a signićcant contribution to the
networking and integration of the other three.
4
The University of Graz operates a sustainability policy, which provides guide-
lines not only for research and teaching but also in relation to organizational areas
such as waste and sanitary management, renewable resources, mobility of staff
and students, or communication and cooperation with students and with partners
outside the university.
5
We must not forget that, after all, a university that wants
to change society to the better, might also think “beyond sustainability” as a mat-
ter that lies outside the university, as the philosopher of higher education Ronald
Barnett put it (2018, pp. 42–55). Discussing the university as an ethical institution
in a self-conscious and self-reective way is, thus, as important as the provision
of solutions to societal problems since it reminds us that universities are them-
selves part of and intertwined in the multi-dimensional crises.
4
See the Memorandum of Understanding of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities:
http://nachhaltigeuniversitaeten.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Memorandum-of-Under-
standing-der-Allianz-inkl.-NH-Verstaendnis_2020_Final.pdf
5
See the Sustainability Guidelines of the University of Graz: Umweltleitlinien – EMAS:
Umweltmanagement an der Universität Graz (uni-graz.at).

6 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
The Faculty ofEnvironmental, Regional andEducational
Sciences andthe Aim ofThis Edited Volume
In 2007, the Faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences (Ger -
man: Umwelt- Regional- und Bildungswissenschaften, URBI) was established
at the University of Graz. This interdisciplinary faculty has brought together the
branches of Educational Science, of Geography, of Sports Science, and of Envi-
ronmental Systems Science including several research centres like the Centre for
the Professionalization of Early Childhood Education, the Centre for Sustainable
Social Transformation, the Regional Center for Didactics of Geography and Eco-
nomics, the Wegener Centre for Climate Research, the Center for Digital Teach-
ing and Learning or the Center for Teaching Competence. The URBI faculty has
projected its work on an overarching approach, in which scientićc analyses and
the development of practice-oriented solutions complement each other in the
analysis of problematic social issues.
6
Considering the complexity emerging from such multi-dimensional cri-
ses as sketched out in the beginning, it seems rather obvious that unidimen-
sional research approaches and hierarchical technocratic strategies are bound to
fall short since they can hardly account for the multitude of intertwined issues.
Also, as was mentioned, people, their behaviour and their habits are at the source
of many problems. Therefore, it seems imperative to take people, their multifac-
eted nature and the necessary learning and educational processes into account
when intending to create sustainable solutions and move towards a better life for
everyone. The broad thematic agenda and the variety of scientićc approaches rep-
resented at the URBI faculty amount to a spectrum which offers a unique view on
today’s – political, economic, cultural, social and ecological – multi-dimensional
crises, their interplay, and on possible solutions manifesting in institutional, edu-
cational, learning, and knowledge transfer arrangements.
A ćrst joint project, collecting contributions from members of all URBI insti-
tutions, was published in 2010 under the title Interdisziplinarität. Wissenschaft
im Wandel [Interdisciplinarity. Science in Transformation] (Lenz, 2010). The
intention at that time was to show the potential of interdisciplinarity in research,
teaching and administration. Ten years later, in early 2020, a group of researchers
from all URBI institutions came together to discuss a further joint publication.
6
See the Mission Statement of the URBI faculty: Mission Statement – Faculty of Environ-
mental, Regional and Educational Sciences (uni-graz.at).

7Introductory Overview
The group formed the URBI editorial board and agreed to devise a concept using
the SDGs as a starting point for a joint investigation of the commonalities of the
various thematic, theoretical, and methodological approaches represented at the
faculty. It was intended to lay grounds for common projects and interdisciplinary
approaches that could possibly be pursued in the future. The following guiding
questions were, thus, dećned and communicated to the faculty staff as a thematic
framework for submissions to this edited volume:
• Which kinds of measures (e.g., political, educational, administrative, civil
society) can support and facilitate broader individual participation in demo-
cratic practise and economic development for sustainable societies?
• What could be the contribution of public institutions and private organisations
of all kinds (e.g., national, regional, municipal governments and administra-
tion, NGO’s/NPO’s, industrial organisations, voluntary associations) to man-
age multi-dimensional crises?
• Which topical issues (e.g., climate change, human rights, digitisation, con-
sumption, sustainable economies) and which form of knowledge, skills and
competencies are to be promoted in the discourse concerning sustainable
development?
• What kind of research and teaching methodologies (e.g., participatory
research, service learning) could better involve critical stakeholders and are
suitable from the perspective of research/teaching quality and stakeholder
needs?
The aim of the book is to foster and promote a shared understanding of research
at the faculty, including among the faculty leaders, the research and teaching staff
as well as the students and the partner institutions. This edited volume is there-
fore addressed to a broad academic and non-academic audience. Contributions
are explicitly interdisciplinary and multi-methodological, and discuss issues of
interest to readers with a background in the natural and social sciences as well
as in the humanities and in educational science. This edited volume is particu-
larly intended for students enrolled in the URBI faculty and taking courses in the
faculty’s compulsory introductory module. Students are introduced to a variety
of topics, research approaches, methodologies and theories incorporated in ćeld
of environmental, regional and educational sciences and worked on in profound
way during the various Bachelor and Master Programs. As for the research com-
munity, the edited volume is intended to serve researchers of all disciplines con-

8 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
cerned with a broad perspective on sustainable development, perhaps leading to
cooperative projects in the future.
How this Volume wasOrganized
To account for the scientićc quality of the contributions and to assure that the
contributions meet criteria of good scientićc practice, the editorial board decided
to have all contributions went through a double-blind review process. This
review process consisted of two stages: In the ćrst stage (completed in June
2020), URBI faculty staff was invited to submit extended abstracts (max. 2 pages)
addressing the four broad research questions. The submissions were reviewed by
all members of the editorial board. Authors, then, received feedback and authors
who provided abstract that met the submission criteria were invited to prepare a
full chapter.
In the second stage, full chapters were reviewed anonymously by at least two
members of the editorial board (completed in October 2021). Given the inter-
and multidisciplinary nature of the project, the review process not only focused
on methodological soundness and compliance with scientićc standards in the
respective discipline(s), but also on readability from the perspective of a broader
audience. Therefore, one reviewer from the same discipline as the author(s) of
a chapter was selected to assess the disciplinary perspective of the contribution,
while the other reviewer was from a different discipline focusing on the aspects
of readability and intelligibility.
The editorial board received a great variety of contributions. This variety,
however, presented us with the challenge of clustering the contributions in way
that is coherent with and adequate to the thematic framework and guiding ques-
tions of this edited volume. Finally, we decided on three broad thematic clusters.
The clusters are: (A) sustainability challenges in cities, communities and regions,
(B) sustainability learning in schools and other educational institutions, and (C)
actors for learning and implementing sustainability.
A short notice concerning the visual presentation of the edited volume and the
contributions: The icons of the seventeen SDGs are placed at the cover page of
each thematic cluster whereby all SDGs addressed in the contributions of each
cluster are colored while those not addressed are grey. The same was applied in a
smaller version to the ćrst page of each contribution to make the reader immedi-
ately aware of the SDGs referred to in the contribution.

9Introductory Overview
A. Sustainability Challenges inCities, Communities
andRegions
The volume opens with a chapter by Douglas Maraun. He discusses the chal-
lenges arising from the provision of information concerning regional climate
change to users such as decision makers, engineers, companies, NGO’s or farm-
ers. Successful climate action depends on the collaboration among scientists, and
between scientists producing evidence and users who make the decisions. As
Maraun emphasizes, such collaboration needs to be sustained across the whole
process of research and implementation of evidence-based measures.
Littering, that means misplacing solid waste in public spaces, is a problem of
global scale. Peoples’ intentions to avoid littering at municipal public places are
addressed by Julia Neumann and Thomas Brudermann. Reporting results from
a quantitative survey conducted in Frankfurt am Main, the authors explore what
role personal factors play for such intentions to avoid littering. Results are pro-
vided to support municipalities in dealing with littering-behavior so that its nega-
tive impacts could be reduced.
The active commuting behavior of the population is of great importance
for mobility and health policies. Encouraging people to cycle or walk posi-
tively affects individual health and the environment. But is there are relation-
ship between personality traits and the commuting behavior? This question is
addressed by Matteo Sattler and colleagues, who use a multivariable model to
analyze how strong a predictor of commuting behavior personality traits actually
are.
A critical perspective onto the goal of reducing the number of people affected
by disasters is presented by Nicolas Schlitz, Andrea Jany, Rivka Saltiel and Anke
Strüver. This chapter picks up on the interrelations between the Covid-Pandemic
and the crisis regarding private care work. Arguing that the Covid-Pandemic has
further aggravated the privatization of reproductive work and the commodićca-
tion of care work, the authors suggest reconceptualizing basic categories of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Learning for democratic sustainability in migration societies is the topic by
Brigitte Kukovetz, Annette Sprung and Petra Wlasak. The authors explore how
Active Citizenship Education and Education for Sustainable Development can
contribute to participation and civic engagement in urban communities among
both, people shortly arrived in the city and those, who have lived there for many
years. In addition to that, the authors critically reect on the concept of civic
learning as raised in the Sustainable Development Goals.

10 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
B. Sustainability Learning inSchools andOther
Educational Institutions
Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler, Judith Pizzera and Bärbel Hausberger present results
from a study, which applied a mixed-methods research design to inquire what con-
sequences the closing of schools in small rural municipalities in the south-west of
Styria had on the quality of community life and on the well-being of the children
commuting to schools away from their home. The authors make a strong case for
the importance of schools as centers of community building in rural areas.
Based on estimations that globally around 69 million teachers need to be
recruited within the next ten years to guarantee quality education, Vasileios
Symenonidis and Irma Eloff explore how national policies in South Africa and
in Austria address this massive teacher shortage. Positive developments in both
cases are according to the authors somewhat outweighed by the fact that policies
are narrowly focused on national solutions. The tendency to concentrate on the
provision of teachers rather than on a comprehensive reconceptualization of edu-
cation is also addressed critically.
Edvina Bešić, Lisa Paleczek, Julia Ladenstein and Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera
introduce the „Inclusive Inquiry”. This approach brings together primary school
teachers and students in a cooperative and participative research process to sup-
port the creation of inclusive school lessons. Data on the “Inclusive Inquiry” col-
lected through 18 focus group interviews with 72 primary-school students was
analyzed to learn about how students perceived the cooperatively created lessons
and how their ideas and wishes were considered by the teachers in the lesson
planning process.
The research presented by Melina Tinnacher, Heike Wendt and Nora Luschin-
Ebengreuth looked at school websites and how activities concerning diversity,
inclusion and sustainability are made visible on the websites. While in general,
activities reported on the websites are few, the research still allows for substantive
conclusions concerning the promotion of diversity, inclusion and sustainability in
the everyday school life as well as concerning future research on the public com-
munication of schools’ activities.
Ulrike Gelbmann and Christian Pirker ask how universities can raise aware-
ness for sustainability issues among the general public. Interdisciplinary Practi-
cal Trainings as a method of service learning are presented for student training
and for raising awareness among the public within a cooperative framework.
Based on data gathered in the Master’s Program Global Studies, Gelbmann and
Pirker highlight the importance of an inter- and transdisciplinary approach used
to address real world problems within higher education didactics.

11Introductory Overview
C. Actors forLearning andImplementing Sustainability
Within Austrian labor market measures, an underestimated contribution is made
by Ecologically Oriented Work Integration Social Enterprises (ECO-WISE).
They not only give people at risk of permanent labor market exclusion a mean-
ingful work and support their social integration but they often operate in business
areas of ecological relevance such as waste management, organic food production
or recycling and repairing of consumer goods. Within this context, Maria Anasta-
siadis discusses the relation between social work, which is a core activity within
ECO-WISE, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Another area that is often underrepresented in the scientićc discourse is that
of voluntary work. Elias Schaden explores the potential of formal volunteering
in youth and welfare organizations and how it relates to the social inclusion of
disadvantaged shares of the population on the one hand and to competence acqui-
sition of volunteers and benećciaries on the other hand. Based on a study con-
ducted in Graz, Stuttgart and Rosenheim, Schaden points out avenues for further
research and for pragmatic action on the macro-, meso- and micro-level of the
social welfare system.
The digitalization of the workplace in for-proćt and non-proćt organizations
is at the center of the chapter by Sabine Klinger, Romana Rauter and Susanne
Sackl-Sharif. Executives and employees’ perspectives were inquired by the means
of quantitative and qualitative research methods to learn more about what deter-
mines the usage of digital media and technologies in the workplace and what
needs to be done to successfully implement digital technology in workplace set-
tings.
Social media inuencer have become a global phenomenon with an astonish-
ing presence as marketing multipliers. Lisa Mitischek and Ines Waldner take this
phenomenon as the starting point for asking how inuencers affect the reality of
young people’s lives in terms of nutrition and consumer literacy, and which chal-
lenges arise from this with regard to intersectional media didactics. Preliminary
results from a project involving school-children and teachers as well as university
students and lectures are summarized to answer this question.
In the ćnal contribution, Michael Wrentschur recounts methodological prin-
ciples and examples from dramatic research projects in the areas of life in cit-
ies, poverty and social inequality, climate protection and sustainable production
and consumption. Dramatic research methodology, such as applied within Forum
Theatre projects, is presented as an option to participatory research involving and
supporting people directly affected by social problems to acquire knowledge and
creative skills needed for a “good life”.

12 P. Assinger and S. Hummel
References
Barnett, R. (2018). The Ecological University. A Feasible Utopia. London, New York:
Routledge.
Clammer, J. (2016). Cultures of Transition and Sustainability. Culture after Capitalism.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Independent Group of Scientists (2019). Global Sustainable Development Report 2019:
The Future is Now – Science for Achieving Sustainable Development. New York:
United Nations.
Lave, J., Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning. Legitimate peripheral participation. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lenz, W. (2010). Interdisziplinarität. Wissenschaft im Wandel. Wien: Löcker.
United Nations General Assembly (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. Online: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/
summit [13.12.2021]
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zimmermann, F. M., Risopoulos-Pichler, F. (2016). Bildung und Forschung für nachhaltige
Entwicklung – eine Notwendigkeit im 21. Jahrhundert. In: Zimmermann, Friedrich M.
(Hg.): Nachhaltigkeit wofür? Berling, Heidelberg: Springer Fachmedien.
Philipp Assinger works at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University of
Graz as an Assistant Professor for Continuing Vocational Education and Training. His
research is concerned with the development of vocational competencies in and outside the
workplace environment. He has also been working on validation of prior learning.
Sandra Hummel is an educational scientist in the research area ‘Empirical Learning
World Research and Higher Education Didactics’ at the Institute for Educational Sciences
at the University of Graz. Her work focuses on higher education didactics as well as on
learning and teaching in the context of educational innovations. She is the coordinator of
several EU projects that aim at the learner-centred development of educational technolo-
gies.

Sustainability Challenges in Cities,
Communities, and Regions

15
The Challenge ofProviding Information
About Regional Climate Change
Douglas Maraun
Introduction
It is unequivocal that human inuence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and
land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and
biosphere have occurred (IPCC, 2021). Because of the inertia of the climate sys-
tem, these changes will continue over the next decades. Global warming beyond
2050 will strongly depend on future anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
(IPCC, 2021).
The impacts of climate change are mostly felt at the regional scale. Trends
towards higher mean temperatures have already emerged from internal climate
variations, precipitation trends in many regions. Many wet regions have experi-
enced wetting, many dry regions a drying (Gutièrrez et al., 2021). Also extreme
events have changed and will continue to change (Seneviratne et al., 2021). These
range from large-scale events such as the 2003 European heat wave or the 2018
European drought, to local rainfall extremes, which in turn may trigger ash
oods or landslides. Climate change poses future risks for ecosystems and many
societal and economic sectors such as agriculture and forestry, transport, produc-
tivity and human health.
The impacts of climate change are particularly strong in the global south,
which is both vulnerable and exposed to strong climatic changes. For instance,
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2023
S. Hummel et al. (eds.), Shaping Tomorrow Today – SDGs from
multiple perspectives, Lernweltforschung 39,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-38319-0_2
D. Maraun(*)
Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
e-mail: [email protected]

16 D. Maraun
climate change will amplify existing water stress and very likely reduce cereal
crop productivity in Africa (Niang et al., 2014). Under strong global warming
(RCP8.5), some subtropical regions will regularly experience heatwaves with
temperatures and humidity beyond physiological limits (Newth and Gunasekera,
2018; Pal and Eltahir, 2016).
Successful adaptation to climatic changes is thus key to meeting the United
Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs, https://sdgs.un.org/): the goals
of zero hunger, good health, no poverty, life below water and life on land are
directly affected by the impacts of climate change (Allen et al., 2018). It has
been shown that climate change affects women stronger than men (UN Women
Watch, 2009) and the poor stronger than the rich (IPCC, 2014), such that also the
goals of gender equality and reduced inequality within and among countries are
impeded. Ultimately, conicts arising from climate change may threaten the goal
of peace (IPCC, 2014).
To limit the impacts of climate change—in particular beyond the limits of
adaptability—the Paris agreement has been adopted by 196 parties at COP21
in December 2015. The SDGs on climate action, clean energy, responsible con-
sumption and production and sustainable cities all contribute to mitigating cli-
mate change and thus meeting the Paris agreement (Allen etal., 2018).
Physical climate research—understanding the climate system, the causes of
past variability and trends, and projecting its future evolution—is a formidable and
exciting endeavour. A range of grand challenges has been identićed (https://www.
wcrp-climate.org/grand-challenges/grand-challenges-overview): understanding the
interplay between clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity, which crucially deter-
mines how strong the climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas concentrations;
melting ice and its global consequences; regional sea level rise; carbon feedbacks,
which control the carbon-budget and thus the atmospheric CO
2
concentrations; near
term climate predictions of the next season to decade; changes in the water cycle;
and extreme weather and climate events in a warming climate. Other questions such
as how weather changes with climate, and how climate change affects habitability
may be added to this list (Marotzke et al., 2017). These challenges are interesting
and exciting from a point-of-view of purely curiosity-driven science alone, but all
have a high societal relevance as well and link directly to the listed SDGs.
For several reasons, climate research is in a special situation compared to
many other scientićc disciplines, although none of its peculiarities is unique to
climate science:
1. Climate research targets the complex and global climate system, its internal
interactions, and interactions with other systems such as the biosphere. As

17The Challenge of Providing Information …
such, the possibility to conduct experiments is very limited. While individual
local aspects can be studied by ćeld or even laboratory experiments, it is
impossible to conduct controlled experiments of how the climate system
responds to external forcings. Climate science has this aspect in common with
other earth and planetary sciences and many branches of complex system sci-
ences.
2. Many questions of climate change are still a matter of basic research, but at
the same time strongly driven by societal demands. Thus climate research
inherently requires trans-disciplinary collaboration. Climate research is
under pressure to operationalise its outcome, which in many cases still may
have a preliminary character. Therefore, it is not a value-free arena, and cli-
mate scientists often ćnd themselves in an ethical communication and provi-
sion dilemma. This setting has been referred to as post-normal, where facts are
uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high and decisions urgent (Funtowicz and
Ravetz, 1993). Here, climate research is similar to other disciplines such as
demonstrated recently for virology, epidemiology and mathematical modelling
during the COVID19 pandemic.
3. Projections of future climate, a key outcome of climate research, are out-of-
sample projections and consider centennial-scale time-horizons. But they are
required by stakeholders in the near future and therefore fundamentally can-
not be verićed before being issued. Thus climate research requires approaches
to generate trust in climate projections, and to assess and communicate their
limitations. Again, a close similarity exists with research on the COVID19
pandemic, which provided a basis for political decision making during the
pandemic.
The aim of this chapter is to lay out the process of climate research using regional
climate change research as example. Several of the challenges listed above are
related to regional climate change, climate risk assessments, and adaptation to cli-
mate change. But while we have relatively good knowledge to support mitigation
decisions, our understanding of regional changes and the regional impacts of cli-
mate change is still very limited. Thus, regional climate research is a great exam-
ple to discuss the challenges and peculiarities of climate research in a nutshell.
After presenting the context of regional climate change research, I will dis-
cuss the construction of climate information. Then I will lay out the challenges in
stakeholder collaboration to produce and communicate relevant climate informa-
tion, and ćnally give an overview of the organisation of climate research from the
local to the international level.

18 D. Maraun
The Context ofRegional Climate Research
Regional climate is mainly determined by solar insolation, that is geographical
latitude, the circulation cells of the atmospheric general circulation, ocean cur-
rents, the distribution of oceans and land masses, and orographic features such as
mountain ranges (Goosse, 2015; Hartmann, 2015; Maraun and Widmann, 2018).
Latitude explains the main temperature gradients between equator and poles. The
circulation cells dećne regions of rising air?and thus rain?and regions of sink-
ing air—and thus dryness. For instance, in the Hadley cell, solar heating along
the thermal equator drives convection—upward motion causing strong thunder-
storms and heavy rain—and thereby creates the Inner Tropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ). The rising air diverges polewards, is diverted by the Coriolis force, and
sinks over the sub-tropics, thereby creating the big deserts such as the Sahara. In
the mid-latitudes, the strong meridional temperature gradients create the polar jet
and the storms in the west wind belt. Fluctuations in the jet stream are responsible
for much of our weather variability such as persistent blocking high pressure sys-
tems that bring heatwaves and drought in summer (Woollings, 2010).
Ocean currents such as the wind-driven Gulf stream transport heat towards
high latitudes, whereas the equatorward Humboldt or Benguela currents carry
cold water masses towards low latitudes. Regions close to the sea are charac-
terised by a mild and wet—maritime—climate, whereas regions further inland
experience hotter summers, colder winters and less rain, i.e., a continental cli-
mate (Goosse, 2015). Mountain ranges cause phenomena such as orographic
precipitation on the windward side, dryness in the leeside, temperature gradients
with height, Föhn winds and local wind systems on slopes and in valleys (Barry,
2008).
Regional climate variability is inuenced by large-scale modes of variabil-
ity such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, the El Nino/Southern Oscillation, the
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) or the Pacićc Decadal Oscillation
(PDO), which are internal random uctuations of the climate system, and their
teleconnections, i.e., their remote inuences (Goosse, 2015). Local feedbacks,
e.g., between temperature and soil moisture or snow, albedo and temperature, can
modulate climate variability (Goosse, 2015; Hall et al., 2008; Seneviratne et al.,
2010).
Regional climate change is determined by thermodynamic and dynamic
effects, and their interaction (Shepherd, 2014). Thermodynamic effects are
directly controlled by rising temperatures, such as snow melt or increasing

19The Challenge of Providing Information …
atmospheric moisture. Dynamic effects are related to changes in the atmospheric
circulation patterns and are themselves driven by differential warming signals,
e.g., in the Tropics and the Arctic (Manzini et al., 2014; Zappa and Shepherd,
2017). Feedbacks and local effects again modulate regional climatic changes
(Goosse, 2015; Hall et al., 2008; Seneviratne et al., 2010). Also regional forc-
ings play an important role, such as changes in aerosol concentrations or land-use
changes (de Noblet-Ducoudré et al., 2012; ⁠Boé etal., 2020; Gutiérrez et al., 2020;
Mathur and AchutaRao, 2020).
Information about past and future regional climate changes may be relevant
for many different types of users. These range from other scientists assessing the
impacts of climate change, to engineers using the information to design critical
infrastructure, to companies or farmers affected by weather variability, to NGOs
working in development aid, to regional planners in charge of preparing adap-
tation measures, to the actual decision makers. The information may be used in
different contexts. Understanding the causes of past changes, in particular the
attribution of particular extreme events to anthropogenic global warming, can be
important for questions of liability and compensation (Otto et al., 2017). Projec-
tions of regional climate change are the basis for climate risk assessments. Again,
changes and extreme events causing the highest risks are of particular interest
(Sutton, 2019; Weaver etal., 2017). Many countries and the European Union
have developed adaptation strategies (e.g. European Commission, 2013). Climate
prooćng is now mandatory for many new development, infrastructure and con-
struction projects (Asian Development Bank, 2009; ClimateAdapt, 2020; Hjerp
etal., 2012).
The type of information and the level of detail required varies between dif-
ferent stakeholders and decision contexts. Whereas often qualitative information
may sufćce, planners of critical infrastructure require precise information, such
as how likely a dam may be ooded within a certain period (Weaver etal., 2017).
Also the relevant time scales differ between contexts (Doblas-Reyes et al.,
2021). A vintner may be interested in information for the next 30 years, whereas
forest management or, in some cases, city planners may require information for
the next 70 to 100 years. For some stakeholders, climate change may be a key
stressor, whereas for others it may only be one out of many (Räsänen et al.,
2016). Finally, the values of stakeholders—e.g. their risk averseness or tolerance;
or their focus on economic or health issues—may vary considerably (Parker and
Lusk, 2019).

20 D. Maraun
Foundations andSources ofClimate Information
The classical textbook ideal of scientićc discovery is an interplay of theory and
experiment. The theory can be used to make a prediction, and an experiment
would be designed in such a way that it could in principle falsify the predic-
tion. Many successful predictions would corroborate the theory (Popper, 1959).
The general public sometimes perceives climate research as being based solely
on simulations with climate models and thus as being unscientićc. While cli-
mate projections indeed crucially depend on climate models, credibility in these
projections can only be built by complementing them by additional foundations
and sources of information (Doblas-Reyes et al., 2021). These mainly encom-
pass observations and theoretical (or process) understanding (Baumberger et al.,
2017). Elements from all these foundations and sources may then be combined
into different lines of evidence. In particular at the regional scale, knowledge
of the local population may be a very useful additional sources of information
(Rosenzweig and Neofotis, 2013).
Observations
Climate has been systematically monitored over the last decades with a generally
improving network of in situ measuements as well as remote sensing. Climate
monitoring is overseen by the World Meteorological Organisations (WMO's)
Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). The Ocean Observing System com-
prises in situ measurements on commercial ships, drifting and moored buoys and
gliders. In situ measurements of the atmosphere comprise station observations,
measurements by commercial ships and aircrafts and weather balloons. Remote
sensing mainly relies on weather radars, lidars and satellite soundings (Karl et al.,
2010; https://gcos.wmo.int/).
Limitations ofObservational Data
As observational data are obtained via measurement devices, often involving sub-
stantial processing, they cannot be considered pure facts, but come along with a
range of issues.
Station observations are ćrst of all limited by their availability. For instance,
even in the US and Europe, where rain gauges are generally densely distributed,
their mean distance is typically much larger than the spatial decorrelation length
of daily precipitation, such that much of the spatial variations are not recorded

21The Challenge of Providing Information …
(Isotta etal., 2014; Maraun and Widmann, 2018). In particular thunderstorms
may simply be missed (Hiebl and Frei, 2018). Long records of at least 60 years at
daily resolution are still relatively sparse, only few stations provide data at a sub-
daily resolution (Lewis et al., 2019). Also variables other than temperature and
precipitation are often not recorded (Karl et al., 2010). Remote and mountainous
regions are generally not well covered (Frei and Schär, 1998).
To enable a sensible comparison between observational data and climate
model output, which is generated on a grid, often in the form of grid-cell area
averages, observational data have to be gridded, i.e., transformed to a grid. Typi-
cal methods for the gridding are interpolation or kriging (Diggle and Ribeiro,
2007; Shepard, 1984). A key problem is the fact that station density is often so
coarse that many grid cells do not cover a station. In particular in mountainous
terrain this poses problems, as climate variables such as temperature and precipi-
tation vary strongly in space. Here complex models such as PRISM accounting
for topographical features are used (Daly et al., 1994). In general, gridded obser-
vational data do not perfectly represent area averages (Herrera etal., 2019).
Station data often suffer from weather dependent biases (Maraun and Wid-
mann, 2018). For instance, strong winds may cause turbulence around rain
gauges, which blows a substantial fraction of the falling rain or snow over the
gauge. These issues may at least partly be corrected by empirical formulae.
A serious problem in climate monitoring are so-called inhomogeneities
(Trewin, 2010; Venema et al., 2012): a measurement device may be replaced by a
new device, measuring slightly different values. Or the surroundings of a weather
station may change over time. For instance, trees may grow or may be cut, and
buildings may be constructed. Such changes cause jumps or artićcial trends in
time series, distorting the climatic trends of interest.
The WMO therefore recommends to record any such changes as station meta-
data, and to record with old and new measurement devices in parallel for a suf-
ćciently long period, to be able to identify and correct such inhomogeneities. But
in particular before these recommendations were issued, inhomogeneities were
usually not agged. A substantial amount of research efforts has been invested
to develop statistical methodologies to identify and remove inhomogeneities
(HOME, Venema et al., 2012). For temperature, these methodologies are rather
successful, but for precipitation—because of its strong spatial variability—a
homogenisation at the daily scale is essentially impossible (Venema etal., 2012).
Similar issues have been identićed for remote sensing data. Radar data, for
instance, utilise reected radar signals to derive 3-dimensional information about
precipitation by inverse modelling techniques (Rogers and Yau, 1989). The result-
ing data are thus highly processed data products subject to a range of limitations.

22 D. Maraun
In particular in mountainous terrain, weather radars have difćculties recording
rainfall in valleys (Haiden et al., 2011). To combine their respective advantages,
products integrating station and radar data have been produced (e.g. Haiden et al.,
2011).
To overcome the limitation of sparse observations, a growing number of rea-
nalysis datasets has been produced (Kalnay, 2003). These assimilate observa-
tional data into weather forecasting models in such a way that the model closely
follows the real weather sequence. The advantage is that the model produces a
physically consistent time evolution of a broad range of climatic variables on a
regular grid at a high temporal resolution. The quality of reanalyses depends on
the chosen assimilation scheme and forecasting model, and the availability and
quality of observations over the region of interest (Bengtsson etal., 2007).
Role ofObservations
Observational data can be used for several purposes in the context of regional cli-
mate research (Doblas-Reyes etal., 2021).
• Simply for monitoring purposes, i.e., to record changes in temperature, rainfall
and other variables on long time scales.
• To test hypotheses about climatic processes and to quantify climatic phenom-
ena. For instance, statistical approaches can be used to identify and quantify
the remote inuences of the so-called North Atlantic Oscillation on European
climate (Trigo et al., 2002). In fact, several statistical approaches have been
co-developed by climatologists and statisticians, such as the Yule-Walker
equations (Katz, 2002).
• To predict regional climate several months into the future. For instance, pre-
dictions of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation either use observational data to
initialise climate model predictions, or they employ statistical prediction mod-
els trained on observational data (Latif etal., 1998).
• To evaluate climate model simulations (see below). Model evaluation based
on observational data may seem straight forward, but for some variables and
regions it is highly non-trivial. For instance, rainfall data over some regions of
the world may be so sparse and unreliable that the difference between different
derived observational datasets may be as large as between a climate model and
observations (Gibson etal., 2019; Kotlarski etal., 2019).

23The Challenge of Providing Information …
Climate Model Simulations
As laid out in the introduction, conducting real world experiments in climate
science is very limited. Moreover, the physical laws governing the climate sys-
tem are complex and allow for analytical, closed solutions only for rare ideal-
ised cases (Holton and Hakim, 2012). A hierarchy of different climate models
has been developed to close these gaps. On the one hand, models represent our
theoretical understanding via numerical integrations of physical equations (up to
computational constraints). On the other hand, climate models serve as a com-
puter-generated laboratory to conduct experiments. In that sense, climate models
are similar to computer models in other scientićc disciplines such as astrophyiscs
(Parker, 2020).
The double role of climate models has to be kept in mind to avoid circular
reasoning. To avoid that climate model simulations are prematurely interpreted
as real behaviour, they have to be evaluated against our theoretical understanding
and observational evidence. Thus, climate science crucially relies on the combi-
nation of theory, observations and models (Flato et al., 2014, Doblas-Reyes et al.,
2021).
How doClimate Models Work?
The ćrst mathematical models of the climate system have been energy balance
models, used to understand paleo-climatic variations and the greenhouse effect
(Edwards, 2011). Since then, many different types of climate models have been
developed. For the purpose of this Chapter “Introductory overview” will focus
on those models typically used to generate regional climate information, that is
so-called general circulation models (GCMs), dynamical regional climate models
(RCMs) and selected statistical approaches.
GCMs describe the circulation of either atmosphere or ocean, and are usu-
ally coupled together and with other components of the climate system. They
are intended to numerically represent atmosphere and ocean, land-surface, cryo-
sphere, and vegetation, and their interactions, at the space and time scales rel-
evant for climate studies. The central components are the dynamical cores of
the atmosphere and ocean models (Neelin, 2010; Trenberth, 1993). Here, I will
describe the atmospheric component only; the ocean component is structurally
very similar (see the previous references for details).
The dynamical core of a GCM numerically integrates the physical equations
governing uid dynamics (air is a uid) and thermodynamics: the Navier?Stokes
equations on a rotating sphere, representing Newton's second law; the con-
servation of mass; the conservation of energy, which describes the changes of

24 D. Maraun
temperature in response to exchanges of radiative, conductive and internal energy
exchanges; and the conservation of humidity. These equations are partial differ-
ential equations which are highly nonlinear and have to be solved for the whole
globe. Therefore they cannot be solved analytically and have to be integrated
numerically using ćnite differences. To this end, the atmosphere is represented by
a three dimensional grid, and temporal and spatial derivatives in the equations are
approximately represented at each grid point by ćnite differences between points
in space and time, respectively. Certain criteria on the relative spatial and tempo-
ral grid spacing and regarding the choice of numerical schemes have to be ful-
ćlled to avoid instability (growing numerical errors) and other numerical artefacts
(Neelin, 2010; Trenberth, 1993).
A ćnite grid trivially cannot capture effects below the grid box resolution.
Thus, a standard GCM with a horizontal resolution of, say, 100 km, cannot repre-
sent phenomena such as convection (localised motion) and the associated cumu-
lus clouds and precipitation. But such sub-grid effects often inuence processes
on the resolved scales. For instance, local convective cells redistribute heat and
humidity throughout the troposphere, and, in case of the Inner Tropical Con-
vergence Zone (ITCZ), fuel the planetary scale Hadley circulation (Bony et al.,
2015). Likewise, solar and long-wave radiation and their interaction with green-
house gases and clouds control the energy budget of the Earth (Goosse, 2015).
Often, it is sub-grid variables such as precipitation that are relevant for users of
climate information (Rössler et al., 2019). To overcome this limitation, a pleth-
ora of so-called parametrisations has been developed. These are sub-grid mod-
els, describing how large-scale variables inuence small scale behaviour and feed
back into the large-scales (e.g., how the large-scale temperature and humidity dis-
tribution initiates convection and thereby causes vertical motion, redistribution of
temperature and humidity, the formation of clouds and precipitation). These mod-
els can be simple ad-hoc models derived from plausibility arguments, to rather
complex 1-dimensional climate models (Stensrud, 2007). They are often built
from observational data from ćeld campaigns and calibrated to produce realis-
tic simulations. Parameterisations capture a long list of processes, such as shal-
low and deep convection, turbulence and drag; cloud formation and precipitation;
radiative transfer; and exchanges of mass and momentum between ocean and
atmosphere (see Fig.1).
Computational limitations imply a trade-off between model complexity and
model resolution. Coupled GCMs explicitly simulating many components of the
climate system such as the cryosphere and biosphere and the carbon cycle are
called Earth System Models (ESMs). Because of their complexity, their horizon-
tal resolution is usually limited to 100 km. Standard coupled atmosphere–ocean

25The Challenge of Providing Information …
GCMs are now, in dedicated projects, run at a horizontal resolution as ćne as
25km (Haarsma etal., 2016; Roberts et al., 2018). Over recent years, experimen-
tal GCM simulations of only a couple of months have been conducted at a hori-
zontal resolution of about 1 km to explicitly resolve convection and its feedbacks
into the large-scale circulation (Satoh etal., 2019; Stevens etal., 2019).
To better represent regional climate while keeping computational costs at a
reasonable level, dynamical downscaling with RCMs has been proposed (Giorgi,
1990). These models are structurally similar to GCMs, but run over a limited
domain only. At the domain boundaries they receive input from coarser resolu-
tion climate models or reanalysis data (see Observations). Over recent years,
these models have been run at a horizontal resolution of about 1 km to explic-
itly represent convection (Coppola et al., 2020; Prein et al., 2015). Not long ago,
RCMs have been atmospheric models only (coupled to a land-surface model),
but recently coupled Atmosphere–Ocean RCMs have been developed to better
Fig.1 Grid and selected parameterised processes in a coupled ocean–atmosphere general
circulation model (GCM)

26 D. Maraun
represent atmosphere–ocean interactions (Kjellström et al., 2005; Somot et al.,
2008). Usually, RCMs do not feed back into the coarse resolution driving simula-
tions.
A complementary approach to dynamical downscaling is statistical downscal-
ing (Maraun and Widmann, 2018). Here empirical relationships between large
and local scales are derived from observational data and applied to large-scale
GCM output to represent local climate variability. Many different statistical mod-
els representing these relationships exist, but all of them rely on the key assump-
tions to be valid: the statistical model has to represent all large-scale inuences
that may change; the model has to correctly extrapolate to the new climate state;
and the driving GCM has to credibly simulate the changes in large-scale inu-
ences (Maraun and Widmann, 2018).
Most climate models are biased compared to observed climate: long term
averages of simulated temperatures, precipitation and other variables often
slightly, sometimes strongly deviate from long-term observed averages (Flato
etal., 2014; Kotlarski et al., 2014, see below). For impact studies, these differ-
ences may be crucial: for instance, a model that is just one degree too warm, may
simulate a wrong snow melt and thus risk of ooding. A pragmatic technique to
navigate this problem is bias adjustment (Maraun, 2016; Maraun and Widmann,
2018): relevant statistical aspects of the model output are adjusted to match
observed climate. To be applicable to future climate simulations, and to avoid
statistical artefacts, several assumptions have to be fulćlled (Maraun et al., 2017;
Maraun and Widmann, 2018): the climate models to be adjusted should resolve
the climate phenomenon of interest; the models should not fundamentally mis-
represent processes controlling the regional changes of interest; and the statistical
model used for the adjustment should not introduce artićcial trends.
Climate Model Experiments
Climate models are computer laboratories to conduct numerical experiments.
Here, I will present a selection of experiment types relevant for regional climate
studies.
The most prominent climate model experiments are so-called future projec-
tions (Goosse, 2015): centennial scale climate model simulations are performed
with time-varying external forcings. These forcings are based on scenarios and
typically comprise plausible future changes in greenhouse gas concentrations, but
also land-use and aerosole changes. The idea of these experiments is not to pre-
dict a specićc state of the climate system at a given time (or over a given time
period) in the future, but rather to simulate the range of possible climate states
for certain assumed future forcings. These simulations can then, e.g., inform

27The Challenge of Providing Information …
decisions about reducing carbon dioxide emissions by illustrating the effects of
different climate policies on climate.
Detection and attribution experiments are designed to identify whether cli-
mate has been changing, what the causes of observed changes were, and whether
anthropogenic climate change contributed to the severity of observed extreme
events (Hasselmann, 1997; Bindoff et al., 2013; Stott et al., 2016). In princi-
ple, simulations with different combinations of forcings, for instance no exter-
nal changes at all, only changes in solar insolation and volcanic eruptions, only
greenhouse gas emissions and combinations thereof. These simulations are then
statistically compared to the observed trends. Such simulations have demon-
strated that temperature increases over the last 50 years in many regions of the
world cannot be explained by natural forcings alone, but only by a combination
of natural and anthropogenic forcings, in particular greenhouse gas emissions.
Other types of attribution studies have shown that, e.g., the severe Sahel drought
in the 1970s and 80 s was mainly driven by a natural uctuation of North Atlantic
sea surface temperatures (Giannini, 2003). Similar sensitivity experiments have
highlighted the role of low soil moisture for the severity of the 2003 European
heatwave (Fischer et al., 2007), and the inuence of Black Sea warming on a dev-
astating rainfall event in Russia (Meredith etal., 2015).
Closely related experiments can be used to translate observed events into a
warmer climate (Shepherd et al., 2018; Sillmann et al., 2020). For instance (Lack-
mann, 2015) investigated how severe Hurricane Sandy could be in 2100, and
Maraun et al. (2021, under review) studied how a severe rainfall-triggered land-
slide event in Austria would unfold in a 3°C warmer climate.
Projection Uncertainties
Projections of future climate are uncertain because of mainly three sources: forc-
ing uncertainty, climate response uncertainty and internal climate variability
(Chen etal., 2021).
Forcing uncertainty is related to our limited ability to predict changes in forc-
ings external to the climate system such as solar radiation (which has decreased
over recent decades and is predicted to further decrease over this century, Stein-
hilber and Beer, 2013), aerosols, land-use changes and greenhouse gas concen-
trations. In particular human-induced changes in the latter three forcings are in
principle unpredictable because humans can respond to what they experience
(human reexive uncertainty; Dessai and Hulme, 2004). Therefore, a range of
scenarios is simulated by climate models representing different greenhouse gas
emissions, land-use and aerosol changes (Eyring et al., 2016). These scenarios
are not predictions, but what-if scenarios. The implementation of current climate

28 D. Maraun
policies would result in a warming of about three degrees relative to pre-industrial
climate, a reversal of current policies would cause a stronger warming, and much
stronger mitigation actions would be required to reach the Paris agreement (Haus-
father and Peters, 2020).
Climate response uncertainty, also called model uncertainty, refers to our lim-
ited understanding of how strong the climate system responds to external forcings
and our limited ability to simulate the climate system. An important factor is the
role of clouds: high clouds warm the climate, whereas low clouds cool it (Goosse,
2015). The strength of global warming thus depends crucially on how the distri-
bution of clouds changes in a future climate. It is well established that high tropi-
cal clouds will become more abundant, but changes in low clouds are less well
understood (Goosse, 2015). Also, tropical clouds fuel the general circulation of
the atmosphere, their changes thus also affect regional weather patterns (Bony
etal., 2015). To represent these uncertainties as comprehensively as possible,
simulations of many different climate models, so-called multi-model ensembles
are considered (e.g. Eyring et al., 2016; Jacob et al., 2020). Uncertainties related
to clouds are related to the fact that standard GCMs cannot explicitly simulate
deep convection in thunderstorms, and the parameterisations necessary to repre-
sent deep convection generate hugely different changes. Here, simulations at the
kilometer scale with GCMs are expected to greatly reduce uncertainties.
Internal variability is linked to modes of variability as discussed in
Sect.Observations. It can be considered random (weather) uctuations on longer
time scales ranging from weeks to centuries. In principle this variability is pre-
dictable some time into the future, depending on the phenomenon. The actual
weather is predictable only for a week into the future. Seasonal to decadal cli-
mate predictions are in principle possible because of slowly varying components
of the climate system such as sea surface temperatures, sea ice or soil moisture
(several months) and the deep ocean circulation (decades). In practice, however,
predictability is further limited by incomplete starting data and imperfect models
(Meehl etal., 2009). On time scales beyond a decade, internal variability there-
fore has to be treated as random uctuations around the expected climate change.
To represent internal variability, many simulations with varying initial conditions
(state of atmosphere and ocean), so-called single model initial condition ensem-
bles (SMILES), have been conducted (Deser et al., 2014). Internal variability is
particularly relevant for precipitation and at regional scales (Deser et al., 2012;
Maraun, 2013, Doblas-Reyes etal., 2021).
Forcing and model uncertainty grow with projection lead time, whereas uncer-
tainties due to internal variability remain roughly constant with lead time. Thus,

29The Challenge of Providing Information …
the relative role of internal variability decreases with lead time (Hawkins and
Sutton, 2009). In principle these uncertainties are not only important for climate
projections, but the relative importance of these sources might be very different
for other types of climate experiments. For example, past greenhouse gas con-
centrations are relatively well known (Since the 1960s from direct measurements,
before that from ice cores (Barnola et al., 1987), such that the associated uncer-
tainties are relatively small for attribution experiments.
Process Understanding
Even though climate models are intended to represent our theoretical understand-
ing of the climate system, they are?as any model?simplićcations of reality and
may represent some phenomena in an implausible manner. In particular para-
metrisations (their structure, their parameters, which are often only weakly con-
strained by observations, and their interplay) may lead to unrealistic simulations
of some phenomena and implausible projections. Thus it is crucial to test model
simulations against our theoretical understanding (Baumberger et al., 2017; Dob-
las-Reyes etal., 2021).
Regional climate change can broadly be explained by thermodynamic and
dynamic changes, and the interaction thereof (Shepherd, 2014). Thermodynamic
changes are directly linked to changes in the Earth's radiative balance, such as
rising temperatures, melting of sea ice and snow, increasing saturation vapour
pressure (via the law of Clausius-Clapeyron) and thus the potential for higher
atmospheric humidity and precipitation intensities. Their direct link to the ther-
modynamic balance of the climate system, and their distinct ćngerprint, gives
us high conćdence into thermodynamic changes. Dynamic changes are linked to
changes in the large-scale circulation, such as changes in the tracks and frequency
of storms and the persistence of blocking highs (Woollings et al., 2018). Dynamic
changes are often a complex response to competing thermodynamic drivers and
difćcult to distinguish from internal variability. Conćdence in dynamic changes
is therefore comparably low (Shepherd, 2014; Woollings, 2010). For instance,
changes in global precipitation are well constraint by the global energy budget.
Yet regional changes in precipitation depend on both thermodynamic and
dynamic changes and are thus in some regions highly uncertain (Fig.2).

30 D. Maraun
Generating andCommunicating Relevant Climate
Information
Barsugli et al. (2013) coined the practitioner's dilemma: a plethora of different
sources of climate change information exists, but users (see Sect. Observations)
are usually left alone in selecting the relevant and credible sources. In particular,
many different model simulations exist, from different generations of different
GCMs and RCMs, often bias-adjusted with various methods, and from a range
of statistical downscaling methods (Barsugli et al., 2013; Hewitson et al., 2017).
There is, hence, a growing insight that it is necessary to distil the credible and
relevant information from these different sources of information (Hewitson et al.,
2014). Climate information distillation has essentially two aspects: ćrst, the col-
laboration with users, and second the construction of information (Doblas-Reyes
etal., 2021).
Fig.2 Projections of seasonal mean precipitation based on 39 models from the CMIP5
multi-model ensemble (Taylor et al., 2012) according to the RCP8.5 scenario (2081–2100
vs. 1986–2005). Hatching indicates regions where the change is within internal climate var-
iability (multi-model mean change is less than one standard deviation of internal variabil-
ity). Stippling indicates regions where the change is large compared to internal variability
and robust across models (multi-model mean change is greater than two standard devia-
tions of internal variability and where at least 90% of models agree on the sign of change).
Adopted from Fig.12.22, Collins etal. (2013). Used with permission

31The Challenge of Providing Information …
User Collaboration
The traditional, and arguably still the most common way of providing data to
users is via a linear supply chain: GCM projections, potentially dynamically
downscaled and/or bias adjusted, are provided via a data portal. Users then down-
load the variables of interest of their target domain and post-process these data.
The choice of data is often determined by convenience and availability (Rössler
etal., 2019). This approach, however, has serious limitations:
• First, some climate models may simulate the relevant phenomena very well,
while others may not. Also, some impacts may require very specićc non-
standard model output. Thus it is important for climate data providers to
understand the user context to be able to select a model and model output that
serves the specićc modelling purpose. Even more, it may be impossible, or not
sensible, to answer some user questions, for instance because of limited mod-
elling capabilities. Then it has to be identićed how the user problem may be
addressed from a different viewpoint.
• Second, user values may play an important role in the information provision
(Parker and Lusk, 2019). Consider a user concerned with the highest risks
from future El Nino events. Latif et al. (2015) found super El Niños of very
high intensity under strong warming in the climate model KCM. Whether
the model is an outlier or simulating a plausible worst case cannot be clearly
decided based on our current physical understanding. A risk averse user, act-
ing according to the precautionary principle, may consider this model in their
risk assessment. A different, more risk tolerant user may reject this model as
implausible.
Thus, it is more and more recognised that climate information provision bene-
ćts from an early collaboration with users, although the optimal organisation and
depth of this collaboration may vary from case to case (Berkhout et al., 2013;
Doblas-Reyes etal., 2021).
Information Construction
The different sources of information may provide not directly comparable or even
contradictory evidence. To seriously quantify the uncertainties of climate projec-
tions and to build trust in these projections, a key task in the provision of climate

32 D. Maraun
information is therefore the integration and potential reconciliation of different
sources of information (Doblas-Reyes et al., 2021): do different models differ in
their projections just because of random internal variability; because one model
is wrong (or both); or because both model simulations are not directly compara-
ble (e.g. one model may simulate the broad regional change, whereas the other
resolves a local feature)? Or do we have to consider both simulations, because
our limited understanding does not allow us to resolve the contradiction? Similar
issues arise for the comparison of models and observations.
Information construction therefore has to.
1. quantify the role of internal variability as much as possible, for instance by
SMILES (e.g. Deser etal., 2014);
2. assess the adequacy or ćtness of different models for the given purpose
(Parker, 2009);
3. Select a manageable subset of well performing models that span climate pro-
jection uncertainties as comprehensively as possible.
4. Check the plausibility of the resulting changes and associated uncertainties
against our process understanding.
The concept of adequacy-for-purpose is emerging as an important issue in cli-
mate science (Parker, 2009, Chen et al., 2021; Doblas-Reyes et al., 2021) and
merits additional discussion. Even if no climate model (or type of climate model)
will perfectly represent a certain relevant climate phenomenon, the performance
of different models may vary substantially and some may simulate the phenom-
enon reasonably well. Often, a useful ćrst guess can be made already because
of structural arguments: is the resolution sufćciently ćne to resolve the phenom-
enon? Are the necessary model components included and interactively coupled?
Are the relevant external forcings included? In particular statistical downscaling
and bias adjustment models are usually designed to represent a very limited range
of aspects only, such that a ćrst selection is straight forward (Maraun and Wid-
mann, 2018). Such a priori considerations should be complemented by a process-
oriented evaluation against observations and a plausibility check of projected
changes against theory (Baumberger etal., 2017; Maraun and Widmann, 2018).

33The Challenge of Providing Information …
Organisation ofRegional Climate Research
The provision of decision-relevant regional climate information not only requires
collaboration with users, but also among climate scientists. Maintaining a global
monitoring system as well as generating ensembles of multiple climate models
requires a close collaboration between scientićc institutions across the globe, as
well as capacity building in developing countries (Hewitson, 2015).
Global climate research is mainly coordinated within the World Climate
Research Programme (WCRP), founded in 1980 under the joint sponsorship by
the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the International Council for
Science (ICSU) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
of the UNESCO. The work of WCRP is organised into core projects, address-
ing the global atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and the land-surface. Focus is given
to the grand challenges listed above in the introductory section. Different task
teams lead specićc activities, such as the coupled model intercomparison pro-
ject (CMIP) that generates state-of-the-art GCM ensembles (currently CMIP6,
Eyring etal., 2016). The Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (COR-
DEX, Giorgi et al., 2009) is a WCRP endorsed project to coordinate the genera-
tion of regional climate model ensembles across many regions of the world. For
instance, simulations for Europe and the Mediterranean are conducted by EURO-
CORDEX (Jacob et al., 2020) as well as MED-CORDEX (Ruti et al., 2016). Cur -
rently, the WCRP is undergoing a major restructuring (WCRP Joint Scientićc
Committee (JSC), 2019). The Regional Information for Societies (RIfS) is a new
umbrella for all regional climate research activities including CORDEX. So-
called Lighthouse Activities are currently under development to spark new ideas.
One of these activities will address climate risk.
In 2012 the international program Future Earth has been established. Future
Earth is governed by ICSU, the Belmont Forum and a range of United Nations
organisations. Its scope is much broader than the physical science focussed
WCRP and addresses all major global sustainability challenges. Close collabo-
rations with WCRP exist, e.g., via the knowledge action network on Emergent
Risks and Extreme Events.
Global climate monitoring is organised via the Global Climate Observing Sys-
tem (GCOS), co-sponsored by the WMO, IOC, United Nations Environment Pro-
gramme (UNEP) and ICSU.
In 1988, the WMO and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) to assess the state of climate research to inform pol-
icy makers. A key element of the IPCC's mission is to publish reports that are

34 D. Maraun
policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive. Since 1990, the IPCC has published
5 major assessment reports and a long list on special reports. IPCC reports are
written by an author team, specićcally selected for each report, that does not
conduct research itself, but rather assesses the relevant published scientićc litera-
ture. These reports undergo a complex review process with hundreds of expert
and government reviewers. For transparency reasons all reviewer comments and
responses by IPCC authors are published along with the report. Recently, the
Working Group I contribution (focusing on the physical science basis) of the
sixths assessment report has been published (Masson-Delmotte, 2021, forthcom-
ing). For the ćrst time, this report has a focus on regional climate, addressed in
the Chapters “Linking global to regional climate change” (Doblas-Reyes et al.,
2021), “Weather and climate extreme events in a changing climate” (Seneviratne
etal., 2021), “Climate change information for regional impact and for risk assess-
ment” (Ranasinghe etal., 2021) and the Regional Atlas (Gutièrrez etal., 2021).
To improve the management of the risks of climate variability and change and
adaptation to climate change, the WMO has implemented the Global Framework
for Climate Services (GFCS, (Hewitt et al., 2012). The GFCS enables the devel-
opment and application of climate services to assist decision-making at national,
regional and global levels.
Conclusions
Human inuence has already changed regional climates and will continue to do
so. Information about possible future changes at the regional scale is requested by
decision makers for adaptation planning. But providing credible regional climate
change information is still an issue of basic research and not possible without
addressing several of the grand challenges introduced above.
Climate models play a key role in generating regional climate information:
they represent our theoretical understanding of the climate system and are a test
bed for conducting experiments. But models are always a simplićcation of real-
ity. According to a famous quote by the statistician G.E.P. Box, “All models are
wrong, but some are useful” (Box, 1976). Box made this statement in the con-
text of statistical modelling, but it applies to modelling in general. An important
amendment by Box, which is rarely quoted, is: “Is the model good enough for
this particular application?” (Box et al., 2009). This is nothing else than the ade-
quacy-for-purpose discussion in climate science. As discussed, further lines of
evidence are thus needed to assess the adequacy of a model or type of models for
a given purpose, and to build trust in regional climate projections: comparisons

35The Challenge of Providing Information …
of different models and model types (e.g., ensembles of different resolutions; dif-
ferent generations of models); to evaluate the simulation of key processes against
observations; and to check the plausibility of model results against our theoretical
understanding. In particular the evaluation against observations is non-trivial, as
observations themselves are affected by substantial limitations and uncertainties.
New model generations sometimes substantially improve the quality of pre-
vious projections, but often the improvements are incremental or insignićcant
(Flato etal., 2014). Gaining trust in new model projections requires a substantial
amount of analyses. Thus, climate science has to ćnd a useful balance between
the production of new simulations and the analysis of existing simulations.
Collaboration with users is key to provide relevant information: climate sci-
entists have to understand, which questions are relevant in a given context, and
users need to understand which questions can sensible be posed. To optimally
inform climate risk assessment and adaptation decisions, the user values have
to be taken into account in the research design. For different contexts, different
approaches exist with varying levels of user-interaction. An important, but still
unresolved, challenge in the development of climate services is to generate user-
relevant information when only limited resources are available to collaborate with
a very high number of potential users.
A key reason for the success of climate research is the strong international
collaboration: maintaining a global climate monitoring system, generating coor-
dinated model ensembles, and assessing the global state-of-the-art of climate
research with unprecedented rigour is only possible because thousands of scien-
tists worldwide work together in international initiatives. Ultimately this work
may contribute to achieving many of the sustainable development goals.
References
Allen, M. R., Dube, O. P., Solecki, W., Aragón-Durand, F., Cramer, W., Humphreys, S.,
Kainuma, M., Kala, J., Mahowald, N., Mulugetta, Y., Perez, R., Wairiu, M. and Zick-
feld, K.: Framing and Context, in Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report
on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related
global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global
response to the threat of climate change, edited by V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H.-O.
Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R.
Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T.
Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterćeld, pp. 49–91, Cambridge University Press., 2018.

Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:

valmis, silloin näen minä, mitä tahdon nähdä; silloin tiedän, mitä
tahdon tietää. Vasta sitten voin tulla ripille, sillä eihän voi tunnustaa
sitä, mikä on tuntematonta."
Näinä päivinä palveli Surunlapsi tavallisuuden mukaan herra
Erlandia. Mutta vapaita hetkiä ei Surunlapsella enää ollut
ainoatakaan, sillä ritari salli hänen tuskin näkyvistään poistua.
Katkeria hetkiä oli Surunlapsella sitä useampia. Melkein aina
tuijottivat ritarin silmät häneen ja katseissa hehkui pidätettyä uhkaa,
pelkoa ja epäluuloa. Hän vartioi Surunlapsen jokaista sanaa, jokaista
hänen liikettään. Kun he olivat kahden kesken, tapahtui että hän
nousi ylös, puristi Surunlapsen käsivarsia ja nosti hänet lattiasta
heittääkseen hänet takaisin kiviä vastaan. Mutta hän hillitsi itsensä,
ja kaikki loppui siihen, että sinelmät Surunlapsen käsivarsissa
lisääntyivät.
Myöskin Surunlapsi kärsi paljon. Hänen poskensa olivat vielä
kalpeammat kuin ennen, hänen ruumiinsa oli melkein kuin varjo.
Mutta hän kesti kärsivällisesti ritarin rääkkäykset, laski päivän tunteja
ja ajatteli riemulla yötä, jolloin nuo kammottavat kasvot taas
muuttuisivat ystävällisiksi, nuo julmat silmät lempeiksi ja jolloin nuo
äänettömät huulet taas kutsuisivat häntä pojakseen ja lakkaamatta
hänelle rakkautta vakuuttaisivat. Yö oli Surunlapsen päivä ja päivä
hänen yönsä. Päivällä istui hänen äitinsä yksin äänettömän Assimin
kanssa metsässä; päivällä olivat hänen isänsä ja hän itse
onnettomat; mutta yö toi tullessaan hurmaavaa autuutta heille
kaikille.
Ritarin kävi niin, että hän tuli kuumeeseen, jolloin hän kerran
kavahti ylös vuoteeltaan ja oli vähällä lävistää Surunlapsen
miekallaan. Priori ja eräs toinen munkki, jotka valvoivat sairaan

ääressä, pelastivat pojan. Houreissaan haasteli ritari paljon jostain
rotkosta ja jostain kukkulasta, jonka päällä kuusi kasvaa; hän kutsui
Surunlasta välistä pojakseen, välistä pieneksi piruksi. Sanalla
sanoen: hänen kuumeensa oli kova ja hänen päänsä oli täynnä
sekavia kuvia. Niinä päivinä odotti Singoalla turhaan ritariaan; mutta
Surunlapsi kävi usein äitinsä luona.
Kun herra Erland taas parani, päätti hän mennä ripille. Priori
säikähtyi kovasti kuullessaan, että ritari oli kahden pirun riivaama:
toinen ilmestyi naisen muotoisena; toinen oli pukeutunut
Surunlapsen muotoon, varmaankin sillä tavalla ivatakseen
pyhiinvaeltajaa ja hänen hurskasta tehtäväänsä.
Isä Henrikki kutsui ritarin salaa luostarin kappeliin ja manasi pahat
henget poistumaan. Ritari tunsi helpotusta ja luuli päässeensä
vapaaksi kiusaajistaan.
Mutta seuraavana päivänä oli paha palannut. Aamulla herättyään
muisti hän, että nuo molemmat hornan henget olivat häntä koko yön
kiusanneet.
Vähän aikaa sen jälkeen tapahtui eräänä yönä, että herra Erland
heräsi, ei vuoteellaan, vaan metsässä. Kalpea kuutamo valaisi
maisemaa, mutta kun hän hämmästyneenä katseli ympärilleen,
huomasi hän pakenijan, joka oli Surunlapsen näköinen. Kuinka oli
hän tullut tänne metsään? Hänellä ei ollut aikaa sitä miettiä, vaan
hän riensi haamun jälkeen. Mutta kun ritari avasi tornikammion
oven, makasi pieni pyhiinvaeltaja vuoteellaan.
Siitä alkaen rupesivat herra Erlandin ajatukset selviämään. Hän
koetti kaikin tavoin koota käsitettäväksi kokonaisuudeksi noita
hajanaisia kuvia. Hän keräsi kaikki muistonsa yöllisistä unistaan,

vertaili niitä toisiinsa, valitsi yhteen sopivat, hylkäsi toistaiseksi toiset,
tutki uudistetulla tarkkuudella Surunlapsen käytöstä ja päätti valvoa
öillä.
Mutta tätä päätöstä ei hän kuitenkaan kyennyt pitämään. Illan
tullen tunsi hän itsensä niin veltoksi, että hänen oli mahdotonta
karkoittaa unta silmistään. Lupauksensa pakotti häntä nukkumaan
yksin Surunlapsen kanssa.
Vähitellen, uupumattoman mietiskelyn jälkeen, onnistui ritarin
saada kuvansa valmiiksi. Se oli kamalaa mosaikkia, paikkaamalla
tehty hämäristä muistoista, mutta kokonaisuus antoi kuitenkin
aavistuksen todellisuudesta.
Muistellessaan iltoja ja horrostilaansa ennen nukkumistaan näki
hän yhä selvemmin edessään kaksi varjoa, jotka liikkuivat
edestakaisin hänen otsallaan, ja näki Surunlapsen silmien loistavan
näiden varjojen läpi niinkuin tähdet pilvien välitse.
Hän muisti vaelluksensa metsässä Surunlapsen kanssa ja koetti
päivällä löytää sen polun, jota luuli yöllä kulkeneensa. Mutta
muistonsa petti hänet, vei hänet harhaan, ja hän meni aivan
toisaalle, usein penikulmia poispäin kalliolouhusta.
Hän muisti myöskin näiden vaellustensa määrän ja kohtaukset
Singoallan kanssa; mutta muistonsa näistä vaelluksista liittyivät
kaikkeen siihen kauheaan, mitä hänen mielikuvituksensa oli luonut
tuosta ruskeasta pakanatytöstä, ja kietoutuivat ne sen vuoksi
ikäänkuin paksuun sumuun, josta mitä kamalimmat kuvat
häämöttivät.

Mutta hänen epäluulonsa Surunlasta kohtaan olivat nyt
vakaantuneet. Hän hautoi erästä tuumaa. Joka ilta levolle
mennessään luuli hän voivansa sen toteuttaa. Mutta Surunlapsen
voima voitti. Pienokaisen koko maallinen olemus näkyi sulautuvan
tuohon salaiseen voimaan.
Neljäskymmenes päivä Surunlapsen tulosta Ekön linnaan oli tullut.
Päivä oli sateinen ja tuulinen. Sisäjärven aallot vaahtosivat, puitten
latvat taipuivat, pilvet keräytyivät kallioiden jyrkänteiden ympärille.
Aurinko laski mustien kellankalpeiden pilvien taa. Ilta tuli, ja tuo
synkkä mietiskelijä meni tofnikammioonsa nyt niinkuin ainakin
pyhiinvaeltajan seuraamana. Mutta sitä ennen oli ritari kätkenyt
teräväksi hiotun metsästyspuukon vaippansa alle.
Herra Erland meni levolle. Surunlapsi panihe matolleen.
Hiekkakello kuiskasi, tuuliviirit katolla vinkuivat, järven aallot
kohisivat.
Ennen maatapanoaan oli ritari sanonut olevansa hyvin uupunut.
Kohta vaipuikin hän luonnolliseen uneensa. Sen kuuli Surunlapsi
hänen hengityksestään.
Silloin hiipi pyhiinvaeltaja ritarin vuoteelle ja hänen pienet kalpeat
kätensä liikkuivat kuin läpikuultavat varjot nukkuvan pään kohdalta
hänen rintaansa…
Mutta ainoastaan muutamia sekunteja. Ritari istuutui.
"Nyt vaikutti voima pian", ajatteli pienokainen. "Nouse ylös ja
seuraa minua", käski hänen lempeä äänensä.

Ritari nousi ylös, Surunlapsi tarttui hänen käteensä, vei hänet
rappuja alas, vei yli vaahtoavan salmen metsään.
"Tämä on kamala yö", sanoi poika, jonka kiharat tuulessa
hulmusivat. "Kuule, kuinka ympärillämme ulvoo! Tuuli on kylmä.
Entä, jos puut putoisivat päällemme, isä! Joutukaamme!"
"Minnekkä viet sinä minua?" kysyi ritari arvellen.
"Minnekkäs muuanne veisin sinua kuin äitini luo, Singoallan luo?"
sanoi
Surunlapsi, kummastellen tätä kysymystä.
"Singoalla on siis äitisi?"
"On kyllä… Kuinka kummasti sinä puhut tänä yönä?"
Ritari lienee huomannut, että hänen kysymyksensä eivät olleet
oikein asetetut, ja että tässä olisi viisaampaa vaieta kuin puhua, sillä
hän vaelsi kauan äänetönnä pyhiinvaeltajan vieressä.
He tunkivat yhä syvemmälle metsään.
Mustien pilvien välitse, jotka haaksirikkoisen laivan tavoin
ajelehtivat taivaalla, valoi kuu keltaista, sairaloista valoaan. Puitten
edestakaisin huojahtelevat oksat ja lehvät muodostivat väräjävän,
tuhansista varjoista ja valosäteistä kudotun verkon yli metsän
valaistujen paikkojen; siellä näyttivät kaikki esineet elävän, liikkuvan
ja hyppivän aavemaisessa sekasorrossa. Mutta siellä, missä puut
olivat tuuheampia ja tiheämpiä, oli pilkkopimeää.
Mikä on se, joka loistaa tuolla puitten runkojen takana? Se ei ole
kuun valoa; punaisia liekkejähän siellä hulmuaa tervassoihdusta.

Metsässä kuuluu ääniä, jotka eivät ole tuulen. Kuule, mitä huutavat:
"Alako, armahda! Alako… Alako…"
Surunlapsi pelästyi. Ritari mutisi: "Hornan henget pitävät
kokoustaan tänä yönä."
"Isä!" sanoi poika ja painautui lähemmäksi häntä; "minua
pelottaa… tämä on kauhea yö… suojele minua!"
"Isä!" sepä oli merkillinen sana tämän merkillisen paholaisen
pyhiinvaeltajan suusta. "Älä pelkää", sanoi hän ääneensä ja puristi
yhä kovemmin pojan kättä; "ei kukaan ole ottava sinua minulta."
Niin vaeltivat he eteenpäin natisevien, huohottavien ja valittavien
puiden alla, läpi vaaleankeltaisen kuutamon ja läpi mustien varjojen.
Lakkaamatta, vaikkakin kauempana, kuului kuin monesta suusta
huutoja: Alako! Alako! Myrskyn vinkunassa, järven kohinassa,
kuutamon haamumaisessa valossa, jopa pilvienkin muodoissa oli
jotain kummallista ja kuoloa ennustavaa.
"Alako!" ajatteli ritari, kuunnellen halveksivalla korvalla tuota
huutoa; "mitä merkitsee tuo sana? Missä olen sen ennen kuullut?
Oo, minä tiedän… loihtusana, joka sieluni kahlehti. Mutta tänä yönä
se turhaan kaikuu. Tänä yönä ovat kaikki loihdut tehottomia
päätöstäni vastaan."
Hän pysähtyi ja katseli vihoissaan ja vavisten kuuta, jonka pilkut
selvemmin kuin muulloin olivat kasvojen näköiset — kasvojen, jotka
olivat selittämättömät, käsittämättömät. Ritari kohotti nyrkkiin
puristetun kätensä tuota hiljaista katselijaa kohtaan tuolla ylhäällä, ja
hänen sielunsa puhui hänen suljettujen huuliensa välistä: "Sinä, sinä,

joka hopeasirpin kirotun lahjan avulla kahlehdit sukuni hengen
omaan henkeesi, yölliseen taivaaseen ja korpien syvyyteen! Sinä,
joka kostat kääntymisemme Herraan Kristukseen kiihottamalla
pakananaisen, sen mustasilmäisen verenimijän, imemään sydämeni
mehun! Alako sinä!"
He olivat nyt lähellä kalliomurrosta.
"Surunlapsi, onko tie äitisi luo pitkä?" kysyi herra Erland,
haparoiden puukkoaan viittansa alta.
"Taas puhut sinä niin kummallisesti… Niinkuin et muka sitä
tietäisi", sanoi Surunlapsi ja katseli isänsä kasvoja. Eivät ne olleet
sen näköiset kuin tavallisesti, kun salainen voima hänessä vaikutti.
Ne olivat synkät niinkuin päivällä, vielä synkemmät ja kamalammat.
Kauhea epäilys lensi läpi Surunlapsen mielen. Hän pysähtyi ja
huudahti, samalla kun hänen povensa vapisi:
"Herra Erland, me palaamme linnaan. Seuraa minua!"
"Mikä naurettava oikku, kun kerran olemme lähteneet ulos ja niin
kauan myrskyssä ja pimeässä vaeltaneet äitiäsi tavataksemme! Ei,
hurskas pyhiinvaeltaja, me jatkamme matkaamme. Kohta kai
lienemme jo perilläkin."
"Me palaamme! Minä käsken sinun palaamaan!"
"Haa, sinä lasket hupaista leikkiä. Etkö ole palvelijani? Enkö ole
herrasi? Kuka meistä käskee?"
Ei ollut enää epäilemistäkään. Se salainen voima, johon pieni opas
oli luottanut sanoessaan: "Minä käsken", ei vaikuttanutkaan;

Surunlapsen tahto ei tepsinyt. Ritari oli hereillä; sen näki Surunlapsi
hänen raivoisista katseistaan.
Kuoleman tuskan valtaamana lankesi hän polvilleen ritarin eteen,
syleili hänen polviaan ja rukoili:
"Herra Erland… isä… älä tee minulle pahaa!"
"Mitä pelkäät sinä? Joko moittii sinua omatuntosi? Kas niin, älä
kujeile siinä! Ylös, poika, ja vie minut äitisi luo!"
Erland tarttui poikaa tiukasti käteen ja riuhtasi hänet ylös.
"Minä vien sinut hänen luokseen. Mutta… et kai tahdo tappaa
häntä? Et kai tahdo äidilleni tehdä mitään pahaa?"
"Älä ajattele häntä; ajattele itseäsi", sanoi ritari. "No, totteletko
sinä, vai uskallatko vastustella?"
"Herra Erland, minä tottelen… tottelen mielelläni. Mutta lupaa…"
"Vaiti!" huusi ritari ja veti, voimatta enää mielialaansa salata,
metsästyspuukon tupestaan. "Sinä olet äitisi rikostoveri, ja niin totta
kuin hän on elinvoiman sydämestäni imenyt, lupaan minä, että
hänen oma sydämensä on tänä yönä veitseni kärjessä hytkähtelevä.
Ja sinulle sanon minä, että jos hetkeäkään vitkastelet opastamasta
minua hänen luokseen, minä tapan sinut ja opastan itse itseni. Ja jos
en häntä tänä yönä tapaa, niin tulevat metsästystorvet huomenna
soimaan, tulevat koirat irti laskettaviksi ja metsästysajo
toimeenpantavaksi saartamaan sitä pirullista noita-akkaa. Hän ei ole
pääsevä käsistäni. Älä sen vuoksi enää sanallakaan kärsivällisyyttäni
koettele! Muista itsesi vuoksi sitä tottelevaisuuden valaa, jonka olet
minulle vannonut! Eteenpäin!"

"Ei, ei!" parkasi Surunlapsi hätähuudon voimalla ja tarttui vielä
kerran ritarin polviin. Tämä irroitti rajusti hänen kätensä ja potkasi
hänet vihaa ja inhoa kuohuen luotaan.
"Roisto, voisin sinut yhdellä nyrkin iskulla musertaa! Ylös, sanon
minä, ja vie minut matkamme määrään! Tottele tai kuole!"
"Isä, säästä minua! Älä tapa minua!"
"Isä", virkkoi ritari yhä kasvavalla raivolla; "sinä, joka saatanan
loihtutempuilla kauan olet kahlehtinut ja turmellut sieluani, sinä, joka
olet helvetin sukua, perkeleen ja noita-akan sekasikiö, uskallatko
vielä häväistä kristittyä miestä häntä isäksesi kutsumalla! Sinun tulee
kuolla yhdessä äitisi kanssa. Vielä viimeisen kerran käsken minä:
nouse ylös ja opasta minua!"
Ja kun poika ei liikahtanut, tarttui ritari hänen käteensä ja laahasi
hänet mukanaan. Surunlapsen jäsenet tarttuivat puunjuuriin,
orjantappurat niitä raatelivat. Kipu ja pelästys panivat hänet
vaikeroimaan, mutta hänen valituksensa ja se vähäinen vastarinta,
jota hän koetti tehdä, lopettivat verisissä unelmissaan olevan ritarin
kärsivällisyyden. Hän pysähtyi, katseli uhriaan äärettömällä vihalla ja
iski puukkonsa hänen rintaansa.
Hän oli poistunut muutamia askelia siitä paikasta, jota
Surunlapsen veri punasi, kun hän pysähtyi ja virkkoi itsekseen:
"Isä! Mikä valhe!"
Hän astui taas muutamia askeleita, mutta pysähtyi ja virkkoi taas:
"Isä! Mikä anteeksi antamaton, julma, kauhea valhe! Minä palaan
ja huudan hänen korvaansa: sinä valehtelet! Minä en ole isäsi… Minä

huudan: kirottu ollos sen valheesi tähden!"
Musta pilvi kulki kuun editse ja seutu pimeni. Mutta ritari oli
kuulevinaan kuolevan korinaa ja meni ääntä kohti. Hän kompastui
ruumiiseen. Taas paistoi kuu. Se valaisi kasvoja, jotka eivät olleet
Surunlapsen, valaisi kamalasti vääntyneitä, sinisen kalpeita,
verivaahtoon tahraantuneita kasvoja. Siinä makasi tuntematon,
mustaverinen mies. Hänen rintansa oli paljas, ja ritari, joka
hämmästyneenä katseli häntä, näki siinä suuren murhamiehen
merkkejä: paiseita ja mustia pilkkuja.
"Rutto!" mutisi ritari kalpein huulin.
Hän nousi ylös ja kulki eteenpäin tietämättä minne meni. Hän vei
kätensä otsalleen, jonka takana veri kihisi sekavissa aivoissa. Milloin
kulki hän kiivaammin; milloin pysähtyi hän ja katseli keltaisen
kalpeata, surullista kuuta. Hän meni ilman mitään määrää ja mitään
ajattelematta. Hän kuuli puitten lehvien kuiskailevan sanoja, milloin
julmia, niin että niitä säpsähti; milloin ilkkuvia, niin että hän
kiukuissaan hammasta puri ja repi ne lehdet, jotka noin olivat
kuiskailleet, irti oksistaan; milloin hullunkurisia, niin että hän nauraa
hohotti; milloin surullisia, että hän vuodatti kyyneleitä.
Mutta kaikista kummallisimmin kuiskaili yölliselle kulkijalle, joka
sitä lähestyi, kuusi kukkulan laella, metsäpuron reunalla, sillä sinne
sattuma hänen askeleensa johti. Se seisoi siellä niinkuin ennen
muinoin, solakkana, suorana, ylpeänä ja myrskyä uhkaavana.
Surisiko se särkynyttä sielua, kuihtunutta vartaloa, jolla muinoin,
vaikkakin jalommissa muodoissa, oli sama oman voiman ja ylpeyden
leima kuin hänelläkin? Vai ivasiko se? Hän ei tiennyt kumpaako se
teki, mutta hän tahtoi tietää sen ja kuulosteli, ja kun hän kuulosteli,
oli hän tuolta ylhäältä, vai omasta rinnastaanko, kuulevinaan jotain,

joka sanoi: "Tuolla liikkuu joku kukkulan laella; onko se kuusi, joka
mustia oksiaan heiluttaa? Onko se ruusupensas, joka taipuu, kun
tuuli noukkii sen vaalean punaisia kukkia? Vai onko se Singoallan
hame, joka liehuu tuulessa, kun hän rakkahintansa vartoo? En tiedä,
mutta minä aavistelen ja olen onnellinen. Suloista on neitoansa
kohdata, suloisinta silloin, kun hämärä maita peittää…" Pyh, mitä
varten muistella tätä laulua? Ei ole mitään syytä sitä nyt laulaa. Ei
ole mitään ivaa eikä mitään sääliä, vaan pelkkää lapsellisuutta sitä
laulaa. Eihän voi siitä suuttua eikä sille nauraa. Niin päätteli yöllinen
kulkija mielessään. Samassa muisti hän puukon, joka hänellä vielä oli
kädessään, ja kun hän kuutamossa sen terää tarkasteli, ajatteli hän:
"Se voisi todellakin olla verta minun verestäni."
Hän nakkasi aseen menemään ja ajatteli, että hän kuitenkin oli
aika onnellinen, kun olentonsa oli särkynyt niin moneksi kappaleeksi,
ettei hän tiennyt, mikä niistä oli oikea. Paloitellun käärmeen osat
elävät epätoivoista liikkuvaa elämää, ennenkuin kangistuvat ja
muuttuvat kuolleiksi osiksi jostain, joka ennen oli yhtenäistä. Mutta
että ne pyrkivät yhtymään, niinkuin taru kertoo, sitä ei yöllinen
vaeltaja voinut ymmärtää. Hän puolestaan ei mitään yhtymistä
halunnut. Parasta oli jäljettömiin kadota, ja hänen pitäisi nyt
oikeastaan nauraa kaikelle, kun tiesi, että rutto raivoaa nyt kautta
maailman ja tuhoo kaikki murhamiesten sikiöt, joita maassa matelee.
Sitten saisivat ruohot ja kukkaset kasvaa rauhassa eläinten
hampailta eikä mikään kirves tulisi kaatamaan puita, jotka silloin
vapaasti saisivat kutoa oksistaan holvin yli vaikenevan maan. Silloin
olisi paratiisi kaikessa komeudessaan uudistettu. Kun ei vaan sitten
mitkään Aatamit ja Eevat tulisi sitä uudelleen turmelemaan! Uutta
Aatamia seuraisi uusi Kain, joka veljensä murhasi, ja Kainia isät,
jotka poikansa tappoivat, ja isiä pojat, jotka isänsä tappoivat.

Tällaisissa sekavissa mietteissä jatkoi ritari harhailuaan ristiin rastiin
metsässä.
Silloin sattui päivän koittaessa, että hän näki tulen tuikkivan ja
meni sitä kohti.

PÄIVÄN KOITTO.
Tulen valo tuli kalliomurroksesta.
Tämä yö — niin oli Singoalla päättänyt ja sanonut sen
Surunlapsellekin — tulisi olemaan hänen onnensa viimeinen yö. Oliko
se ennustus siitä, mitä tänä yönä tapahtuisi? Ei, Singoallalla oli kyllä
ennustustaito, oli hyvin kehittynyt aavistelemiskyky; mutta itse olisi
hän aina vakuuttanut, että tämä oli päätös eikä aavistus. Se onni,
jota hän oli nauttinut, oli ääretön; se pyyhki pois kaikki hänen
kärsimyksensä, hänen sydämensä paisui kiitollisuudesta Jumalaa
kohtaan näiden öiden salaperäisestä riemusta ja unhottumattomista
hetkistä hänen lemmittynsä ja puolisonsa rinnalla. Ne olivat nyt
luetut nuo hetket, sillä hän ymmärsi, ettei Erland voinut niitä kestää.
Hän olisi kuoleva, ja hajaannus yöllisen ja päiväisen elämän välillä
tulisi kestämään. Mutta eikö muisto olisi kylläksi voimakas
sulostuttamaan sitä kaipuuta, jota hän tulisi tuntemaan, sittenkun oli
sanonut Erlandille viimeiset peruuttamattomat jäähyväisensä ja
poistunut ainiaaksi hänen läheisyydestään. Mutta miksi kaipuuta?
Eikö elämä voi olla unelma, jossa mielikuvitus tarjoo sydämelle sen,
mitä se haluaa, jossa menneisyys on takaisin saatua todellisuutta,
missä ei kaipuulla ole mitään sijaa? Niin, unessa tulisi Singoalla
loppuelämänsä elämään. Toisella puolella meren, kaukana itäisten

arojen takana, on maa, missä palmut kohoovat vihreän sinistä
taivasta kohden ja ilma on täynnä unettavaa kukkien tuoksua.
Se on levon ja unelmien maa. Siellä on kallioon hakattuna
kummallinen temppeli, jota valkopukuiset, äänettömät papit
vartioivat. Siellä uinailee pehmoisilla patjoilla pylvästöjen varjossa
papittaria, joiden ainoana tehtävänä on silloin kun tamtam soipi,
tanssia kulta- ja helmipukuihin puettuina tanssi aistien iloksi ja sitten
palata iankaikkista olemattomuutta miettimään. Sinne aikoo
Singoalla kulkunsa suunnata, kun kerran tämän havupuiden maan
jättää. Siellä on hän palmulle puhuva Pohjolan kuusesta,
lotuskukkaselle lummekukasta ja itselleen on hän kertova
loppumatonta tarinaa sinisilmäisestä nuorukaisesta ja laulava tätä
tarinaa kuin kehtolaulua sydämelleen, kunnes sydän herpoo ja
sykkimästä lakkaa. Surunlapsi on oleva tämän temppelin poikapappi,
sillä tapa on siellä semmoinen, että jumalan uhritulen sytyttää siellä
poikanen, jonka kauneudessa näkyy kaiken katoavaisuus. Siellä on
Surunlapsi pyhistä kirjoista, joita papit säilyttävät, oppiva entisaikain
viisautta, ennenkuin se ennustus on täyttynyt, minkä äiti on hänen
silmäkulmiensa luomista lukenut.
Niin oli Singoalla päättänyt. Hän oli koristautunut jäähyväisjuhlaan.
Hän oli kauniimpi tänä yönä kuin sinä päivänä kymmenen vuotta
takaperin, jolloin Erland ensi kerran näki hänet metsäpuron reunalla.
Onni oli tuonut takaisin hänen nuoruutensa kauneuden, mutta
henkisempänä ja enkelillisenä. Rakkaus ja uhrautuvaisuus, jotka
olivat läpitunkeneet hänen olentonsa, olivat tehneet hänen
kauneutensa taivaalliseksi. Se olisi hurmannut silmää niinkuin
silmäys toisesta maailmasta, ellei siinä samalla olisi välkkyillyt jotain
tästäkin maailmasta, vaikkakin sen tutkimattomimmista syvyyksistä

— jotain honkametsän huminasta ja tähtiyön salaperäisyydestä,
jotain lumottua ja luonnon kummaa…
Rotko oli koristettu syksyn viimeisillä ruusuilla. Assim oli sytyttänyt
tulen lieteen. Singoalla oli sanonut hänelle, että se nyt tapahtuu
viimeisen kerran ja äänetönnä oli Assim sen ilmoituksen
vastaanottanut. Singoalla oli käskenyt hänen pitämään kaikki
valmiina lähtöä varten huomenaamuna, ja vaieten oli Assim hänen
tahtonsa täyttänyt. Nyt istui hän ja tuijotti tuleen ja näki, kuinka
kekäleet tummenivat, hiiltyivät ja tuhkaksi muuttuivat. Hänestä
tuntui välistä kuin ei olisi hän lieden tuleen katsellut, vaan oman
sydämensä tuleen.
Singoalla istui sammaleisella vuoteellaan otsa käteen nojaten,
unelmiin vaipuneena, ja kuulostaen ääniä, jotka voisivat ilmaista
odotettujen tulon. Hän voi istua noin tunnin toisensa perästä. Hänen
elämänsä oli näinä päivinä ollut juuri tuollaista vartoilemista. Hän
tuskin huomasi ajan kulun, mutta piti kuitenkin hetkistä lukua.
Ulkona raivosi myrsky. Silloin tällöin osui tuulenpuuska
kalliolohkareiden välitse rotkoon ja uhkasi sammuttaa tulen.
"He viipyvät kauan tänä yönä", sanoi Assim muutamien tuntien
vaitiolon jälkeen. Ja kun tähän huomautukseen ei odotettu vastausta
eikä saatu, virkkoi hän itsekseen, pannen muutamia risuja tuleen:
"Vielä vähän aikaa on tuli palava. Mutta kohta se on itsensä loppuun
kuluttava. Hyvä on. Me pääsemme rauhaan."
Assim meni rotkon suulle, katseli pilven keskessä vaeltavaa kuuta
taivaalla ja kuunteli nautinnolla myrskyn laulua. Ihanammin kuin
tänä yönä ei ollut pohjolan metsä koskaan soinut, niin tuntui ainakin
hänestä. Hän tahtoi pukea sanoihin mitä tunsi, mutta ei voinut. Sen

hän kuitenkin käsitti, että metsän laulu ilmaisi arvoa ja vihaa, tuskia
ja miehuutta, synkkiä kokemuksia ja voiton varmuutta.
Mutta näiden äänien seasta kuului muitakin, jotka eivät olleet
myrskyn. Ne huusivat ulkona metsässä: Alako, Alako! — ja Assimin
kasvot, jotka olivat ilmaisseet jotain haaveilevaa ja uinailevaa,
kävivät silloin valppaiksi, kuulostaviksi ja kummasteleviksi. Kun hän
oli tullut vakuutetuksi siitä, etteivät korvansa häntä pettäneet, sanoi
hän Singoallalle:
"Täällä metsässä on ihmisiä, jotka huutavat avukseen kansamme
Jumalaa!"
"Se on rukoukseni kaikua", sanoi Singoalla ja kohotti päätään;
"minä olen rukoillut kansani jumalalta kieltäymyksen voimaa ja olen
sen saanut. Mutta etkö kuule muita ääniä metsässä? Etkö kuule
Erlandin ja Surunlapsen ääntä?"
"En."
"Yö on peloittava niille, jotka peljätä osaavat. Ehkä vapisee
Surunlapsen sydän ja ehkä vie pelko hänen askeleensa harhaan.
Mene heitä vastaan, Assim, ja opasta heidät tänne!"
"Täällä on paljon tutkittavaa tänä yönä metsässä", sanoi Assim ja
meni. —
Kun hän vihdoinkin palasi, oli hänellä kuoleva poika sylissään ja
hän laski sen Singoallan jalkojen juureen.
* * * * *

Olisihan kyllä voinut olla tukalaa pujotella välitse ja kiivetä ylitse
noiden mullin mallin olevien kalliolohkareiden, varsinkin öiseen
aikaan ja hämärässä kuutamossa; mutta kävihän se sentään aika
helposti, ja ritarista tuntui kuin hän useamman kuin yhden kerran
olisi tätä tietä kulkenut ja siihen miltei tottunut. Sitä hän vain
ihmetteli, ettei hän poikasena ollessaan, jolloin niin paljon metsässä
harhaili ja etupäässä haki ja rakasti sen hämärimpiä piilopaikkoja,
kuitenkaan ollut lähemmin tutustunut tähän hullunkuriseen polkuun,
joka uhkasi saattaa itseensä vuoren kuninkaan linnaan.
Nyt ei hän enää ollut kaukana rotkon suulta. Silloin pysähdytti
hänet se ajatus, että hänkin kulki tänä yönä metsässä jatkaakseen
pakanakuninkaan Torin työtä ja tappaakseen metsän pahimman
peikon, jättiläisnaisen, tuon viekoittelevan, joka oli imenyt elinvoiman
hänen sydämestään. Mutta sitten muisti hän ruton, joka oli tullut
maailman kaikkea elämää hävittämään, ja joka siis teki tappamisen
turhaksi, jopa naurettavaksikin. Ja hän muisti tuon kalpean pojan ja
sanan: isä, ja puukon, josta tippui voivottelevia veripisaroita ja jonka
hän pensaaseen nakkasi, ja muisti kuusen kukkulan laella ja laulun:
"Suloista on neitoansa kohdata, suloisinta silloin kuin hämärä maita
peittää."
Ne olivat kaikki sekavia muistoja, eikä ritari kyennyt niitä
järjestämään. No niin, miksei pysyä niille kaikille
välinpitämättömänä, ja miksi vähääkään välittää mistään menneestä,
nykyisestä tai tulevasta? Kunhan kulkee kulkeakseen, ei välitä
matkansa määrästä, menee tuonne rotkoon siksi, että on sattunut
askeleensa sinne päin suuntaamaan eikä minkään muun vuoksi.
Onhan vain kuin uoma yhtä mittaa vuotavan mielialojen virran,
mutta antaa virran mennä menojaan eikä koeta pysäyttää sen

laineita. Sellaisessa mielentilassa kulki ritari eteenpäin ja astui
väliäpitämättömin askelin rotkoon.
Hän katseli ympärilleen. Hänen vieressään seisoi, seinään nojaten,
mustaverinen mies, joka häntä hehkuvin silmin katseli. Mutta se ei
liikuttanut ritaria. Se oli taaskin noita vaikutuksia, joista voi olla aivan
välinpitämätön. Mutta syvemmällä rotkossa näki hän muutakin. Näki
naisen kauniimman kuin koskaan oli voinut kuvitella, surullisemman,
polvistuessaan tuossa kuolleen pojan yli, kuin kaikki se suru mitä
ritari oli voinut ajatella — sillä siinä surussa, mitä hän tähän saakka
oli nähnyt, oli aina ollut heikkoutta ja lohdutuksen tarvetta tai
myöskin epätoivoa ja vihaa, mutta tämä suru oli luonnollinen ja
sekoittamaton eikä se ollut mitään muuta kuin oma itsensä. Hän
tunsi tuossa naisessa kasvojenpiirteitä, joita hän oli rakastanut ja
vihannut, epäjumaloinut ja kironnut; hänen muistonsa eteen
kuvastui päivän paistetta ja kukkaistuoksua, yöllistä pimeyttä ja
kauhua. Hän tunsi taas mielensä hämmentyvän. Silloin kuuli hän
mustan miehen sanovan:
"Singoalla, ritari on täällä. Et tarvitse enää kauemmin odottaa
kuolemaa."
Ja ritarille sanoi mies, hänen käteensä tarttuen:
"Älä vitkastele, vaan päätä, mitä olet alkanut! Hän tietää, mitä
varten tulet. Surunlapsi ehti ilmoittaa tulosi, ennenkuin silmänsä
ummisti. Sinä tulet kostamaan vääryyttä, jota Singoalla on sinulle
tehnyt, kun teki sinut silmiensä valoksi ja sydämensä haluksi ja
lupauksiensa puolisoksi ja poikansa isäksi. Hän on julmasti loukannut
sinua rakkaudella ja uskollisuudella. Hän ansaitsee kuoleman ja
toivoo sitä kättesi kautta. Hän tahtoo kuolla oikeutetun vihasi
ensimmäisen uhrin — oman poikasi — viereen. Niin, hän on hyvin

rikollinen ja ansaitsee kuoleman, sen voin minä todistaa, joka olen
kuullut ne lukemattomat huokaukset, joita muistosi on pusertanut
hänen rinnastaan, ja nähnyt ne loppumattomat kyyneleet, joita hän
on sinun tähtesi vuodattanut. Tapa hänet, herra ritari! Sitten tulee
tilinteko meidän välillämme."
"Se on tarpeetonta", sanoi ritari; "minä lähdin häntä tappamaan,
niinkuin sanot, mutta metsä on mieleni muuttanut. Rutto on tullut
eikä enää maksa vaivaa kuoleman kanssa kilpailla. Sen ja paljon
muutakin olen metsässä oppinut. Sitäpaitse ei tuo nainen ole se, jota
etsin, vaikka he ovatkin toistensa näköiset. Tuo tuossa on ihminen;
hän itkee kuollutta lastaan ja hän näyttää niin surulliselta, että
rintani voivottelee häntä katsellessani…"
"Mitä", huudahti Assim, "etkö aio lopettaa mitä olet alkanut? Onko
sinulla rohkeutta peräytyä? Jos uskallat mielesi malttaa, silloin saat
kuulla sen kamalan…"
"Älä jatka", sanoi ritari, "minulla on rohkeutta mihin tahansa enkä
minä mitään pelkää. Ei kukaan ole vielä voinut sanoa minun
pelkäävän. Minulla on rohkeutta malttaa mieleni. Älä häiritse minua,
sillä sielussani alkaa valjeta, ja minä olen kohta saava muistoni
kootuksi. Tämän naisen kasvot luovat valoaan syvälle menneisyyden
kuiluihin."
"Joudu!" sanoi Assim; "hän tahtoo kuolla kätesi kautta. Hän ei voi
elää ja samalla kertaa tietää, että sinä hänen puolisonsa, olet
tappanut hänen ja sinun poikasi. Älä ole julma tuota naisparkaa
kohtaan! Hän anoo kuolemaa kuin armoa. Palkitse hänet siitä
lempeydestä, jota hän on sinulle osoittanut! Hän ei ole virkkanut
kovaa sanaa lapsensa murhaajasta; itseään on hän syyttänyt, vaan
ei sinua…"

"Niin", sanoi ritari, "olet oikeassa. Hänen kasvonsa ilmaisevat
liikuttavaa hyvyyttä. Minä rakastan noita kasvoja, vaikka niitä
nähdessäni tahtoo sydämeni sulaa. Minä olen kova ja karkea mies,
kiivasluontoinen ja taipuvainen ihmisiä ylenkatsomaan; mutta tämä
nainen voisi pelkällä läsnäolollaan muuttaa minut, varsinkin jos saisin
hänen jalkainsa juuressa istua ja hän jostain pyhästä kirjasta tahtoisi
lukea minulle Jumalan rakkaudesta ja armosta…"
"Hän ei ole sama kuin ennen", sanoi Assim ja häntä kammotti;
"hän puhuu kuin mielipuoli. Herra ritari", huusi hän, "älä kokoo
muistojasi, varo lapsuutesi muistoja; muuten ehkä johtuu mieleesi
päällikön viisitoistavuotias tytär, tuo hento lapsi, jonka sydämen
ryöstit… Näkisit todellisuuden ja katuisit niin, ettet sitä kestää
jaksaisi! Ei, pidä ne pyhät ennakkoluulosi, jotka tähän saakka ovat
olleet varustuksesi, kilpesi ja jousesi, ja juokse umpisilmässä sitä
tietä, jota olet verellä tahrannut! Minä sanon sinulle, että tämä
mustasilmäinen nainen on olento, aivan toista sukua kuin sinä, on
salaperäinen luonnon lapsi, joka yhtä vähän kuin kukkakaan on
muuta kastetta saanut kuin mikä lankee taivaasta, joka ei koskaan
ole rukoillut minkään muun temppeliholvin alla kuin tähditetyn
taivaan ja jota eivät mitkään muut pyhät savut ole kietoneet kuin ne,
jotka usvana maasta nousevat. Pyhää vettä ei hänen päälleen ole
heitetty, eivät koskaan ole häntä papit siunanneet eikä hänellä ole
toivoakaan sinun taivaaseesi tulla. Hän on — kuuletko? — hyljätty
olento, pakana, puoleksi peikko, noita, joka katseidensa ja poskiensa
ja äänensä pakanallisella loihtuvoimalla on sinut noitunut ja tästä
kauheasta rikoksestaan kuoleman ansainnut. Ylös ritari! Pistä hänet
kuoliaaksi! Olet aseeton… täss' on miekka. Tapa noita-akka, niinkuin
olet tappanut hänen sikiönsä! Pian! Älä arvele! Pian, tai tapan minä
sinut!"

Ja Assim pisti miekkansa Erlandin käteen ja tahtoi temmata hänet
mukaansa. Mutta tämä irroittautui ja sanoi kiivastumatta:
"Sinä puhut, niinkuin olet kuullut munkkien puhuvan. Jo riittää.
Sinä tahdot sekoittaa mieleni, mutta se ei onnistu. Tuo nainen tuossa
ei ole noita, vaan jumalanlapsi, joka suree maailman onnettomuutta
ja jonka sydän minunkin kurjuuttani hellii. Sillä en tahdo kieltää
olevani onneton. Tekee mieleni itkemään ja katumaan, vaikken
oikein tiedä, olenko ainoastaan minä rikkonut jotain vastaan, vai
onko kohtalokin minua vastaan rikkonut."
Hän astui muutamia askeleita Singoallaa kohden ja jatkoi:
"Vaimo parka, sinä suret tuota poikaa, etkä ehkä tiedä, että minä
olen hänet tappanut. Ritarikunniani kautta vakuutan minä, että
kernaasti tahtoisin antaa henkeni saadakseni hänet henkiin ja tuskasi
lohdutetuksi. Mutta sitä en minä voi, ja lupaan vain sen, minkä voin
täyttää: etten enää koskaan palaja kattoni alle, vaan, jos rutto minut
säästää, pukeudun jouhipaitaan elämäni loppuajaksi ja elän kasvien
juurista ja rukoilen joka päivä Jumalalta anteeksi syntejäni. Sen
tahdon tehdä. En tästä päivästä ole vaimoani Helenaa näkevä enkä
poikaani Erlandia; jätän linnani ja tavarani, ja vietän päiväni
katumuksen tekijänä täällä metsässä. Se ei tosin voi sinun suruasi
lievittää, mutta minua se on lohduttava, sillä joka hetki tunnen yhä
selvemmin, että olen onneton; kuta kauemmin sinua katselen, sitä
enemmän mieleni selviää, kuta varmemmaksi muistoni tulevat, sitä
varmemmasti tulen minä vakuutetuksi siitä, että sinä… oi,
Jumalani!… että sinä… niin, minä tunnen sinut, Singoalla… sinä
nuoruuteni unelma… ensimmäinen rakkauteni… puolisoni!"
Oltuaan tähän saakka liikkumatonna kuin kuvapatsas, kumartui
Singoalla nyt yhä lähemmä poikansa ruumista kohden, ja ritari kuuli

hänen itkevän. Silloin meni hän hänen luokseen, nosti hänet ylös ja
sulki hänet syliinsä. Hänen rintansa kohosi, hänen silmänsä kostuivat
kyynelistä, joiden läpi kimmelteli selvinnyttä mieltä ilmaiseva katse.
Mutta tämä syleily oli lyhyt; eräs ajatus sen keskeytti; ritari kääntyi
pois ja kulki käsi otsallaan ulos rotkosta, ja Assim, joka seurasi häntä
louhukosta, näki hänen hiljalleen astuvan metsän sisään.

RUTTO.
Kun päivä koitti, oli ilma raskas ja taivas pilvessä. Silloin kun aurinko
jonkun kerran puhkasi pilvet, oli sen valo kellan vaaleaa ja outoa. Oli
herennyt tuulemasta ja tullut tyyni ilma, joka pilvisestä säästä
huolimatta oli tukehduttavan kuuma.
Varhain aamulla heräsivät munkit kiivaaseen soittoon. Veli
Johannes avasi portin ja näki miehen, joka oli puettu kirjaviin
kuluneihin vaatteihin. Hän pyysi saada puhutella munkkeja. Kohta
tulivat muutamat näistä saapuville priorin kanssa. Nopealla
silmäyksellä tarkasteli isä Henrikki miehen kasvoja ja huudahti: "Mitä
sinä tahdot? Sinähän olet sitä jumalatonta joukkoa, joka kymmenen
vuotta sitten ryösti tämän luostarin, vai valhettelevatko silmäni?"
Mutta mies vastasi: "Sen asian olisit voinut unhottaa jo. Minä tulen
nyt pyytämään sinulta apua, jos voit mitään apua antaa. Me
saavuimme tänne yöllä ja leirimme on metsässä. Ajosrutto raivoo
keskessämme."
"Ajosrutto?" sammalteli priori kammeltelevin kielin.
"Niinpä niin, musta surma", sanoi mies.

"Musta surma!" kertoivat munkit ja horjahtivat holvin pilareita
vasten tai heittäytyivät suulleen maahan tai painoivat kalvenneet
kasvonsa rintojaan vasten, mutisten: Miserere domine!
Isä Henrikki tointui ensiksi ja sanoi miehelle: "Me seuraamme
sinua kaikki."
"Ylös!" virkkoi hän munkeille. "Niittomies on tullut. Tässä täytyy
pelastaa vehnä, kun ohdakkeita revitään iankaikkisessa tulessa
poltettaviksi. Nouskaa ylös ja varustautukaa juhlalliseen
saattokulkuun! Ottakaa risti, ehtoollisleipä, kastemalja ja
pyhäinjäännösrasia! Ylös!"
Munkit nousivat vavisten ylös. Neljännestunnin kuluttua lähti
saattokulkue luostarista. Vieras mies oli oppaana. Vastaantulijat
heittäytyivät maahan kasvoilleen. Toiset heistä tiesivät jo kamalan
vieraan tulosta; toiset, jotka olivat tulleet yksinäisistä kodeistaan
erämaassa eivätkä tänä aamuna vielä ketään tavanneet, eivät siitä
mitään tienneet. Kulkiessaan eteenpäin risteineen ja lippuineen,
ehtoollisineen ja pyhäinjäännösrasioineen veisasivat munkit, mutta
laulu kuului soinnuttomalta raskaassa ilmassa, niinkuin olisi kaiku
metsästä kadonnut:
    Aufer immensam, Deus, aufer iram,
    Et cruentatum cohibe flagellum:
    Nec scelus nostrum properes ad aequam
                P endere lancem.
    Non opus summi pereat magistri,
    Nec sinas passam fore passionem,
    Corde sed manans lavet omne crimen
                sanguis et unda.

Väkijoukko seurasi saattokulkuetta, joka vieraan opastamana
lähestyi ahoa, mihin muukalaiset nyt, niinkuin kymmenen vuotta
takaperin, olivat leirinsä tehneet.
Täällä oli ruumiita, sairaita ja kuolevia. Täällä oli äänetöntä
epätoivoa, kuoleman kauhua, surua ja onnettomuutta. Toiset noista
muukalaisista huusivat raivoisin äänin: Alako, Alako! Toiset kantoivat
vettä lähellä olevasta lähteestä, sammuttaakseen sairaiden sisusten
polttoa.
Valitushuudot vaikenivat, kun saattokulkue astui esiin metsän
reunasta, ja ruttovirren synkät sävelet vaakkuivat ahon ylitse.
Vaaleiden pilvien ympäröimänä, jotka suitsutusastioista kohosivat,
kiersi saattokulkue ahon. Mutta väkijoukossa, joka uteliaisuudesta oli
lähtenyt seuraamaan, levisi kuiskauksina tieto rutosta, ja katsojat
haihtuivat kuin akanat tuuleen.
Isä Henrikki tarttui ristiin, kulki elävien ja kuolleiden lomitse, ja
pystytti pyhän merkin keskelle tätä surkeuden kenttää. Senjälkeen
hajaantuivat munkit aholle pelastamaan pakanasieluja ja tuskia
lievittämään. Terveet ja sairaat taivuttivat päänsä kastemaljaan ja
saivat siitä sen kylvyn, jonka avulla he tulisivat saamaan armon
kristittyjen Jumalalta. Moni sairas, joka nyt kastettiin, sai kuolevana
vastaanottaa viimeisen voitelun. Viinillä ja vedellä virvoitettiin
kuivuneita kurkkuja, lohduttavilla sanoilla epätoivoisia mieliä. Niitä
muukalaisia, jotka olivat terveitä, kehoitettiin tarttumaan lapioihin ja
kaivamaan hautoja kuolleille. Niin tapahtuikin, ja tuntimääriä messusi
muuan munkki yksitoikkoisella, vapisevalla, mutta uupumattomalla
äänellä tämän haudan partaalla, johon yhä useampia uhreja
kannettiin.

Sillaikaa kuin munkit tätä tekivät, levisi tieto suuren murhamiehen
tulosta yli koko seudun. Kaikkien sydämet vapisivat. Monet
turvautuivat ihmiskeinoihin onnettomuutta häätääkseen. Muutamat
pakenivat vaimoineen ja lapsineen edemmäs etelän metsiin;
uudisasukkaat yksinäisissä metsätaloissa tarttuivat jousiin ja nuoliin,
uhatakseen jokaista, joka uskalsi heitä lähestyä. Mutta eivät voineet
nuolet eivätkä jouset säikyttää pois kamalaa vierasta. Jo edellisillä
viikoilla oli monin paikoin niillä seuduin epäilyttäviä taudinkohtauksia
ilmaantunut, mutta ei kukaan ollut uskonut tai tahtonut uskoa, että
se oli tuon hirviön työtä. Kun ei nyt enää ollut epäilystäkään hänen
läsnäolostaan, näyttivät samalla viimeisetkin näkymättömät esteet
hänen tieltään kaatuneen. Muukalaisten tulon jälkeisenä yönä lensi
murhanenkeli ovelta ovelle, eikä mikään liitonmerkki oven pielessä
estänyt häntä astumasta sisään.
* * * * *
"Ei, heidän vetensä ja viininsä ja öljynsä ja laulunsa ja
suitsutuksensa eivät mitään auta. Meidän on kuoleminen.
Eläkäämme siis niin kauan kuin elämme. Pelottomien matkamiesten
tulee viettää iloisia kemuja haudankin partaalla."
Niin puhuivat muukalaiset miehet ja ottivat aseensa ja menivät
Ekön linnaan, jonka kellareissa varmaankin olisi runsaasti olutta ja
viiniä. Tultuaan salmen rannalle huomasivat he nostosillan olevan
ylhäällä ja linnan pihalla oli miehiä, jotka olivat käärineet huiveja
kasvojensa ympärille, niin että tuskin muuta näkyi kuin heidän
silmänsä; he vaeltelivat yksikseen, ikäänkuin olisivat pelänneet tulla
toisiaan lähelle.
"Halloo! Nostosilta alas!" huusivat muukalaiset.

Linnan pihalla olevat miehet vastasivat tuohon kehoitukseen
uhkaavilla liikkeillä, sitten kivillä ja nuolilla. Mutta siitä välittämättä
kahlasivat muukalaiset salmen yli. Silloin pakeni linnanväki venheissä
yli järven sen toiselle puolelle. Sitten pidettiin iloista elämää Ekön
linnassa: juotiin ja laulettiin yöhön saakka, jolloin vieraat
murhapolton liekkien valossa, jotka torneista ja räystäistä roihusivat,
lähtivät tiehensä.
Mutta Helena rouva ja hänen poikansa ja palvelijansa olivat jo
linnan viimeisen päivän aamuna muuttaneet luostariin toivoen pyhän
paikan seinien sisällä ja hengenmiesten läheisyydessä saavansa
jotain viihdytystä vapiseviin rintoihinsa. Missä ritari Erland ja tuo
pieni pyhiinvaeltaja olivat, sitä ei kukaan tiennyt.
* * * * *
Seitsemän päivää on kulunut, kun keskiyön aikana luostarin
portinkello soi.
Hetken kuluttua kuuluu askelia käytävässä ja ääni kysyy:
"Kuka on siellä ulkona?"
"Veli portinvartija! Veli Johannes! Tunnen äänesi. Avaa Erland
Pentinpoika Månesköldille!"
"Mitä!" huudahtaa ääni, "elättekö vielä, herra ritari? Vai onko se
kummitus, joka korvaani pettää?"
Portti avautui ja munkin kalpeat, kuihtuneet kasvot, joissa nyt
ihmettelyä kuvastui, esiintyivät lampun valossa, joka hänellä oli
kädessään.

"Veli Johannes", sanoi ritari, "älä pelkää! Minä en ole haamu, vaan
elävä ihminen, vaikka se kyllä kummalta tuntuu sekä sinusta että
minusta, sillä mihin silmäni sattuukin, on keto niin niitettyä, että siinä
tuskin korttakaan kohoaa."
"Kaikki on muuttunut, sittenkun viimeksi teidät näin, herra ritari.
Jos tahdotte astua tähän kuolon asuntoon, olette tämän katon alla
ainoa elävä olento paitse minua."
"Ei", vastasi ritari, "olen vannonut valan etten astu katon alle,
jonka ihmiset ovat rakentaneet. Kuolon asunto on muuten yhtä
paljon täällä ulkona kuin siellä sisälläkin. Maailma on hautausmaa, ja
sinä veli Johannes, näytät niinkuin olisit siihen elävältä haudattu.
Niinpä olen minäkin mielestäni. Tottahan onkin, että sydämeni on
kuollut ja haudattu eikä voi enää mitään surua tuntea."
"Hyvä se! Poveesi eivät voisikaan muuten kaikki surut mahtua.
Tiedätkö, että puolisosi on kuollut, että uskollisimmat palvelijasi ovat
henkensä heittäneet, että isäsi ja opettajasi isä Henrikki ei enää ole
elävien joukossa? Oletko nähnyt linnasi hiiltyneet rauniot, herra
ritari? Kaikki on turhuus, kaikki, kaikki."
"Jätä lamppusi ja seuraa minua ulos", sanoi ritari, "olen perehtynyt
ajatukseen kaiken katoamisesta, mikä on ollut minulle kallista."
"Herra antoi, Herra otti; kiitetty olkoon hänen nimensä!" huokasi
munkki astuessaan ulos ja kulkiessaan ritarin vieressä. "On vain
muutamia tunteja siitä kuin hautasin rakastetun priorini, mutta ihme
ja kumma!… silmissäni ei ole ollut kyyneliä hänen muistokseen.
Minun laitani on sama kuin sinun; olen haudannut sydämeni veljieni
hautaan."

"Kumpi kuoli heistä ensiksi, puolisoni vaiko poikani?" kysyi ritari
hiukan häilyvällä äänellä.
"Poikasi elää vielä… enkö sitä jo sanonut?… Jollei ole kuollut,
sittenkun panin hänet lohduttajan helmaan. Jumala lähetti luokseni
enkelin naisen haamussa, joka lohduttaen istui vaimosi
kuolinvuoteen ääressä. En tiedä kuka hän on. Ei koskaan ennen ole
häntä näillä seuduilla nähty. Hän puhui kuolevalle Helena rouvalle
kauniita sanoja ja lohdutteli häntä usein nimeäsi mainitsemalla."
"Minä tiedän nyt kuka tuo nainen on", sanoi ritari, "ja hänenkö
helmaansa sinä panit poikani?"
"Mitä olisin muutakaan voinut tehdä?"
"Onko hän nyt poissa täältä?"
"On, hän seurasi tuota vierasta kansaa, tai oikeammin vieras
kansa seurasi häntä. Oli ihmeellistä nähdä: kun hän näyttäytyi heille
ensimmäisen kerran, alkoivat epätoivoiset riemuita, raivot
rauhoittuivat ja rutto pakeni aholta. Hän on korkeampi olento, ja
poikasi lepää hyvin hänen käsivarrellaan."
Vaieten vaelsivat miehet vähän aikaa toistensa rinnalla. Ritarin oli
mieli ikäänkuin tyytyväinen siitä, ettei hänellä ollut mitään
kadotettavaa. Vihdoinkin tunsi hän vapaana seisovansa otsakkain
kohtalonsa kanssa. Hän oli kaiken kadottanut, mutta ei nurissut;
olisihan mieletöntä tässä muunnosten, katoavaisuuden ja kuoleman
maailmassa vaatia ajallisen onnen pysyvää omistusoikeutta. Se, joka
antautuu aistielämän kirjavaan karkeloon, käsittäköön sen
tarkoituksen. Se kullan kiiltävä pilvi, joka aamun uskossa
uiskentelee, ei kaikessa komeudessaan ole ikuisten aatteiden oikea

keskus. Kimmellys vedenpinnalla, laine, joka nousee ja laskee,
humina tammen latvassa, tahdotko vaatia niiltä ikuisuutta, jota niissä
ei ole, tahdotko kivetyttää ne muotoihin, jotka eivät murene? Ellet
tahdo, niin älä silloin myöskään vaadi ikuisuutta linnoilta torneineen
ja harjoineen, älä rikkaudelta ja kunnialta, älä perheelliseltä onnelta,
älä miltään, mihin kokematon tarttuu kiinni ja jonka kadotettuaan
hän hyödyttömiä kyyneliä vuodattaa. Se, joka kerran on saanut
jalansijaa ikuisuuden kalliolla, ei pelkää, vaikka maailman
kannattimet katkeavat, vaikka taivas ja maa muruiksi musertuvat. Se
on vain auringon kimmellystä, joka sammuu, se on aalto, joka on
laskenut, humina, joka on vaiennut. Ritari katseli ylös pilviin ja tunsi,
että mitäpä hänen niihin kirjoitettu kohtalonsa sisältäisikin
tulevaisuutta, ei hän siitä enää voisi pelästyä eikä ihastua: hän on
vapaa — vapaa kaikesta, mitä voi ilmaantua ja tapahtua ja sattua ja
mitä voidaan ajan mittapuulla mitata. Mutta kaiken sen takaa
häämötti hänen sielussaan jotain muuta, joka ei tulisi katoamaan.
Mitä Helenan, mitä pikku Erlandin, mitä Surunlapsen ja Singoallan
kadonneet kuvat sisältänevätkään, mikä lieneekään aate heidän
esiintymisessään ja poistumisessaan, se olisi jotain, jota kuolema ei
saisi kouriinsa, tai ehkä pikemminkin jotain, jota kuolema kirkastaisi.
Kamala muisto oli tuo yö metsässä, kun kuutamo vavisten valaisi
verellä tahrattua veistä, mutta ei sekään kuva enää häntä
kauhistuttanut; siitä oli hän vakuutettu, että rikos on sovitettavissa,
ja hän tahtoi kernaasti, mikäli rikos häntä rasitti, kärsiä
ankarimmankin rangaistuksen. Ei ollut hänellä vaakaa mitatakseen
omaa osaansa elämänsä kolkoissa kohtaloissa, ja jos hänellä se
vaaka olisi ollutkin, olisi hän heittänyt sen käyttämättä luotaan, sillä
hän ei tuntenut halua tinkiä mitään pois rikoksesta ja
rangaistuksesta. Ja hän ajatteli silloin toista vertauskuvaa —
sovinnon vertauskuvaa, ja hartaudella hän kuunteli, kun veli

Johannes, joka hänen vieressään käveli, hiljaisella äänellä lauloi
värssyä ruttovirrestä:
    Da crucem, clavos, scuticam, coronam,
    Lanceam, funes rigidamque mortem
    Inter iratam mediare dextramm
                Et mala nostr a.
Erland Månesköld ja veli Johannes vaelsivat koko yön metsässä.
Kun aamun aurinko valaisi maisemaa, jonka hiljaisuutta ei linnun
laulu, ei kellon kilinä, ei paimenen torvi elähyttänyt, koska musta
surma oli sen äsken jättänyt ja jälkeensä hiljaisuuden heittänyt —
silloin seisoivat nuo molemmat miehet kukkulalla metsäpuron luona,
ja veli Johannes virkkoi:
"Tähän kukkulaanko me siis, veli Erland, erakkoasuntomme
kaivamme."
"Tässä asukaamme", sanoi Erland. Hän katseli nurmikkoa
kukkulan juurella, jossa puron reunalla vielä kasvoi muutamia syksyn
viimeisiä kukkia. Siitä siirtyi hänen katseensa metsään päin, mistä
muinoin hänen sielunsa lemmitty oli tullut häntä vastaan.
"Kaivammeko tässä itäpuolella?" kysyi Johannes. "Meidät herättää
silloin aamurusko ja me voimme aamuvirrellä tervehtiä nousevaa
aurinkoa."
"Ei, veli", sanoi Erland, "ellet erikoisesti halua itäistä puolta, niin
valitkaamme tämä puoli länteen päin, puroa vasten, jossa voimme
ilta-auringolle, oman laskevan elonaurinkomme kuvalle jäähyväiset
heittää veisaamalla virren ylösnousemisen toivosta."

"Hyvä, me valitsemme sitten läntisen puolen…"
"Jollet vain sinä halua toista…"
"Ei, ei, hyvä veljeni", sanoi Johannes ja katseli lempein silmin tuon
entisen ritarin muinoin niin ankaria ja käskeviä, mutta nyt lempeitä
ja nöyriä kasvoja. "Palatkaamme luostariin lapioitamme noutamaan!
Ja sitten työhön käsiksi!"

METSÄN ERAKOT.
Oli kaunis kesä-ilta. Läntinen taivaanranta hohti kullalle ja
purppuralle. Sade, joka oli keskipäivällä langennut, oli virvoittanut
seudun; kuuset ja niityt tuoksuivat, ihmiset hengittivät nautinnolla
puhdasta ilmaa.
Kaukana metsässä kuului uudisviljelijän kirveen kalke; siellä oltiin
uutterassa työssä; sillä nyt oli auran kärki tungettava ketoihin, jotka
viisikolmatta vuotta, aina ruton ajoilta asti, olivat kasvaneet
rikkaruohoa.
Luolansa ovella istui toinen erakoista, kansan suuresti
kunnioittama Erland pyhimys. Tunti sitten oli hän tullut
yrttitarhastaan, jossa melkein koko päivän oli kuokan ja lapion
kanssa työskennellyt? Nyt istui hän sammalvuoteellaan ja katseli
haaveilevin silmin aamuruskoon, jonka heijastus sattui hänen
rauhallisille kasvoilleen. Kädessään oli hänellä kirja mystillisen
hengen tutkistelemuksista, hänen lempikirjansa, joka monta vuotta
sitten oli tuotu aution luostarin holvista.
Toinen erakko, veli Johannes, oli juuri palannut kalasta ja
valmisteli illallista.

Welcome to our website – the perfect destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. We believe that every book holds a new world,
offering opportunities for learning, discovery, and personal growth.
That’s why we are dedicated to bringing you a diverse collection of
books, ranging from classic literature and specialized publications to
self-development guides and children's books.
More than just a book-buying platform, we strive to be a bridge
connecting you with timeless cultural and intellectual values. With an
elegant, user-friendly interface and a smart search system, you can
quickly find the books that best suit your interests. Additionally,
our special promotions and home delivery services help you save time
and fully enjoy the joy of reading.
Join us on a journey of knowledge exploration, passion nurturing, and
personal growth every day!
ebookbell.com

Shaping Tomorrow Today Sdgs From Multiple Perspectives Sandra Hummel

About This Presentation

Slide Content

Tags

Categories

Download

Quick Actions

Statistics

Related Slideshows

Shaping Tomorrow Today Sdgs From Multiple Perspectives Sandra Hummel

About This Presentation

Slide Content

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 5

Slide 6

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 9

Slide 10

Slide 11

Slide 12

Slide 13

Slide 14

Slide 15

Slide 16

Slide 17

Slide 18

Slide 19

Slide 20

Slide 21

Slide 22

Slide 23

Slide 24

Slide 25

Slide 26

Slide 27

Slide 28

Slide 29

Slide 30

Slide 31

Slide 32

Slide 33

Slide 34

Slide 35

Slide 36

Slide 37

Slide 38

Slide 39

Slide 40

Slide 41

Slide 42

Slide 43

Slide 44

Slide 45

Slide 46

Slide 47

Slide 48

Slide 49

Slide 50

Slide 51

Slide 52

Slide 53

Slide 54

Slide 55

Slide 56

Slide 57

Slide 58

Slide 59

Slide 60

Slide 61

Slide 62

Slide 63

Slide 64

Slide 65

Slide 66

Slide 67

Slide 68

Slide 69

Slide 70

Slide 71

Slide 72

Slide 73

Slide 74

Slide 75

Slide 76

Slide 77

Slide 78