Public History: The Infrastructural Utopia of Metropa

Metropa, an "art and peace project" by artist and musician Stefan Frankenberger, envisions a future European railroad network through the visual metaphor of an urban subway map, offering both an infrastructural and a political proposal for the future of the European continent. This essay explores Frankenberger's vision from a historical perspective, tracing the origins of the its visual language, its relationship with past trans-European railway projects, and its political implications. The article concludes that, although metropa's technical and political ambitions are deeply connected to the present, its visual appeal and references to historical precedents enhance its affective and political impact.