vodní elektrárna Strž Water structure

The power plant Strž in Kroměříži is an important technical work built between 1920 and 1923 on the river Moravia. The building is registered in the Central List of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic under the number 101819. It represents a unique connection of pioneering energy technology with cultivated functionalist architecture.

The history of the place is closely related to the course, which has been feeding drives for mills since the 16th century and later served the needs of the Podzámecká Garden. In the past, Jez has repeatedly been the subject of disputes between the ecclesiastical dignitaries and the nobility, often damaging the Morava River. In 1841 Cardinal Maxmilian Josef Sommerau-Beckh had an expensive reconstruction carried out with the help of a group of pioneers, creating a more permanent work. Today, eat on the 114th river kilometre, which stabilizes the bottom, was built within the construction of a power plant and reaches a total height of 6.11 meters.

The construction of the power plant itself responded to the need for efficient use of hydropower in the first decades of the 20th century. The project, financed by the common costs of the state and the Moravian Regional Committee, took advantage of the revolutionary inventions of Dr Viktor Kaplan. After successful tests abroad and in Poděbrady, Kaplan turbines with circular wheels of 2,2 metres diameter were installed in Kroměříži. As a result, the power plant became one of the most modern energy facilities of its time. František Křižík was involved in the electrification of the building.

The architectural solution of the building, the authors of which are engineers Gustav Madlmayr and Karel Mikeš, combines technical efficiency with aesthetic rendering. The engine room is hidden in a classic cloak. Pilasters and half-circle arched windows of the lower wing resemble Renaissance gazes, while the upper wing uses elongated arcades of evocative Empire buildings. The building stands on the right bank of the river and has a wide drive equipped with leporims and rough jaws.

Since its launch in July 1923, the power plant has undergone significant changes. The most important was the installation of the third turbine in 1948. The ownership structure has changed over the years; Since 2016 the owner of Czech Hydro s.r.o. Power plant with installed output 2.8 MW remains a functional technical device.

There is a blue tourist route to the Club of Czech Tourists around the power plant, which runs from the Kromeriz railway station along the river Moravia in the direction of Chropyni. At the Minov bridge, this road crosses with a green sign leading to Kojetín. Thanks to its location by the river and proximity to natural monuments such as the Morava Shoulder, the locality is a sought-after destination.

Power plant The market represents a valuable document of technical progress and architectural invention of the first half of the 20th century. Visiting this place offers an opportunity to become familiar with the history of Czech energy in an environment that still maintains its aesthetic and functional value after 100 years.