Cholera entered Europe in the early 19th century, during the first global outbreak. The disease began spreading westward from Asia in the 1810s, carried by trade routes and the movement of armies and migrants. By 1831, cholera had reached the eastern edges of Europe, quickly moving through Russia and then into the heart of the continent.

The arrival of cholera marked a new era, as countries faced repeated and deadly outbreaks. Outbreaks were driven by increased global travel and rapid urbanization during the 19th century. As more people moved to cities, especially in industrializing regions, living conditions for the poor deteriorated, creating an environment where the disease could spread quickly.

For a long time, it was thought that bad odors – so-called “miasms” – caused the disease. Those smelly gasses rose from the numerous polluted waterways, or canals and streams in the cities, which often functioned as dumping grounds for human and animal waste.

In reality, cholera outbreaks were mainly caused by contaminated drinking water. Before the late 1800s, most people used shared wells and rivers for water.

In the 1850s, the English physician John Snow identified unsafe water as a source of contamination. However, the disease was not fully understood until 1884 when Robert Koch discovered that it is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. From then on, the transmission could be clarified.

Cholera is a waterborne bacterial infectious disease and is accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, which can result in death from dehydration. Victims often develop a bluish skin color, making the disease known as the “blue death”.