Vodní nádrž Janov Water structure

Welcome to one of the most important waterworks in our region. You are standing right in front of the Genoa water tank, which many of you may know under the names of Hamer or Mostecká dam. Look around you and see the calm of the Hamer Valley in the Erzgebirge Mountains. In front of you is the mirror of the water that originated at the confluence of the Loupnice River and the Klinsky River. It's a place where the force of nature connects to human engineering from the beginning of the last century. At this point you may only perceive the silence and view of the surface, but under the surface and in the construction itself there is a fascinating story about how the city of Most was trying to solve its basic needs.

Now let's move back more than a hundred years in time to understand why this building is here. It all began in the year one thousand nine hundred and six, when the city councilmen of Most realised that the current way of supplying the population with water was no longer enough. It was necessary to find a comprehensive solution to ensure drinking water for the growing population while protecting the surrounding lowlands from devastating spring floods. After several years of searching and planning, Professor Robert Weyrauch was commissioned in the year one thousand nine hundred and eight to work out a definitive project. He was a man with a great vision who could use the terrain of the Hamer Valley to create a tank that was meant to serve multiple purposes at once.

When you look at the dam itself, remember how much work people put into it at a time when there were no modern drivers or computer calculations. The preparatory work began in September of the year one thousand nine hundred and ten. Imagine this valley back then, which was densely wooded. The first step was to cut down the forest and clean the bottom thoroughly so that the building could stand on a solid foundation. The construction of the dam itself began in June of the year one thousand nine hundred and eleven. The whole process lasted several years and ended in the year one thousand nine hundred and thirteen. Notice the robustness of this work. Even though it now acts as a natural part of the landscape, it was a real technical miracle at the time of its creation.

Let the dedicated space around you now work and think about the people who created this building. Robert Weyrauch, as the main designer, put its expertise into the work, but it needed thousands of hands to implement it. Here we come to one of the most interesting parts of this story. At that time there were not enough local craftsmen with specific experience with such large concrete structures. Therefore, workers from Italy and Croatia were hired for concrete and stone-breaking. So imagine this Krušnomountain valley over a century ago, where Czech dialects with Southern languages were mixed, and where people from different corners of Europe cooperated in hard work. Among the personalities associated with this place was Josef Herold, who played a role in the creation process.

We will now stop at details that are not visible at first sight, but which give this place a unique character. At the time of its construction, this dam was the largest in the whole territory of Austria-Hungary. That gives you an idea of her prestige and importance back then. However, the construction was not cheap. The total cost was over four million six hundred ninety-four thousand crowns and fifteen pennies. At that time, it was an astronomical sum that underlines how the mighty city of Most invested in its future and the security of its inhabitants.

But nothing always runs smoothly. Even this monumental building had its problems. After the completion, there were water leaks, which is a critical problem for water works, which may jeopardise the stability of the entire dam. In order to solve this problem, real experts from German Goth had to be called. It is this combination of the domestic project, the Southern labour effort and the German professional redress that has made them a building that has survived for decades and is still in office.

Now, if you look again at the water level and the dam line, feel it not only as a technical object but as a monument to human endurance. This tank is not just about concrete and water, it's about trying to secure the lives of thousands of people in the Bridge. It is a symbol of stability in a landscape that has changed greatly over the years. The water flowing here connects the past to the present.

I wish you to take a quiet look at the surroundings and try to imagine the thousands of workers in the dust and the rumble of the quarry making this work. Walk the surrounding roads, perceive the smell of the forest and observe how the water in the tank mirrors in the sky. It's an ideal place to stop and think about how powerful you can reach the landscape to create something useful and beautiful.

Thank you for your attention and for exploring the history of Genoa water tank. I hope you're interested in this short trip to the past and that you're leaving with a new look at this place. I wish you a pleasant further journey and many wonderful experiences in discovering other secrets of our mountains and valleys. Goodbye.