History of the Big Jump 2005

History of the project

1997 : In the context of the Living Elbe project (Main partners: Deutsche Umwelthilfe and Gruner+Jahr), Roberto Epple initiates the First international Elbe Swimming Day : 14 July 2002, 2 PM ! 5 years before the event no body could believe that the river Elbe would become the longest freshwater beach (at least for one day). The river Elbe was in 1989 the most polluted river in Europe !

2002 : 14 of July: The First international Elbe Swimming Day was a big success.(55 swimmingplaces along 1000 km from the spring (Czech Republik) to Hamburg). 100 000 citizens celebrated the River Elbe.

2002 : After the big success, ERN European Rivers Network plans a european wide River swimming day, the so called BIG JUMP. The feasibility study was positive.

2003 : ERN starts the preparation of the campaign (ateliers, workshops, promoting tour through Europe)

2004 : 17th of July, ERN announces by press release officially the BIG JUMP 2005 -2010 - 2015
and the official multilingual Website www.bigjump.org is opened !

2005 : The preparatory phase starts. WWF, EEB (EEB : European Environmental Bureau regrouping European NGO's) and RhineNet (EU interreg Program) supports Big Jump. Many regional partners join BJ !

2005 : 17.07.05 : Big Jump 2005 - the First European River Swimming Day - was a phantastic river celebration !! Estimated 200-300 000 participants across Europe ! Thank you ! Extraordinary participation in Big Jump: 31 rivers, 22 countries, 216 official actions, 240 spontaneous non official jumps, 250 000 people, extraordinary coverage by media

Report in engl Report in french french.
Bathing and event places 2005 (Map)

2006 : (intermediary year ) More the 44 Big Jumps overall in Europe .

2007 : (intermediary year) A serie of local Big Jumps are launched in regions with low partizipation in 2005 as well as a preversion of a mediterranean BJ ! : Date July 15 , 3 pm ( GMT + 2) !
More then 120 Big Jump in 15 countrys was realized - again a great success !

2008 : BJ all over. ! Good partizipation ! More then 80 Big Jump connus !!!! Germany : 20,
Belgium : 18, Spain 22, France : 6, others : 15

2009 : Good participation in the 2009 Big Jump ! 20 in Belgium/Luxembourg, 18 in Germany, 10 in France, 9 in Spain,9 in Netherland,7 in Italy, 3 in Hungary ....

2010 : The europeen wide Big Jump 2010 was a real Biiiiig Jump ! 250 official and up to 400 inofficial or privat Big Jumps in 20 countrys ! Thank you to all the organisators !

2011-2012-2013 : Excellent ! More then 115 / 218 / 175 Big Jumps in this intermediary year !

2015 : ???

Big Jump is a project by European Rivers Network
and its european partners and many local organizers