History of the project

The history of this project focuses on the steps leading to the realization of another dream of the association: to restore the wind pump in Němčí, including the waterworks and related technical facilities, in close cooperation with the municipality of Malečov. The goal is to establish a "mini-museum" of waterworks from that era as a unique collection unparalleled in the Ústí nad Labem region. In Němčí, the original pipelines, hydrants, and water tank have been preserved. The idea developed over several years and took the form of a concrete plan in July 2023, when the chairman of the association discovered the cut stumps of L profiles in the foundations of the waterworks, which originally formed the mast with the paddle wheel at the top.

The wind pump, along with the entire water supply system, including pipelines to individual houses, was built in Němčí in the 1920s. It was likely completed in 1923, as indicated by the date inscribed on the waterworks (see the photograph taken on 29. 7. 2023). The pump probably remained in operation until the end of World War II, when its blades were damaged by gunfire. In early April 2024, Josef Stehlík from Němčí (87 years old) recalled that in 1955, as a newly trained worker, he saw a wind wheel with bullet-riddled and otherwise damaged blades in the yard of the North Bohemian Fat Plants (STZ) in Ústí nad Labem. The wind wheel was supposed to be repaired there (at that time, STZ cooperated with the state farm Malečov), but due to the electrification of Němčí in 1954 or 1955, the repair never took place. Instead, the pump in the waterworks was powered by an electric motor. From that time, the mast deteriorated until it was cut down in December 1987. According to another eyewitness who lived in Němčí at the time and was 16 years old, this happened on 10. 12. 1987. He remembers it well because, on the same day, his family received a telegram informing them that his father had passed away that morning.

From the statement of the National Heritage Institute ÚOP Ústí nad Labem dated 9. 4. 2024, the following can be read about the wind pump: The facility was constructed as part of the water management solution for the village of Němčí (Nemschen) and served as a water pump powered by wind energy. It was located above the waterworks in the center of the village. The manufacturer of the wind pump itself is not currently known, but the waterworks and water supply line were designed by the company Ernst Jüstel from Ústí nad Labem. The construction was carried out in 1923, as evidenced by a cast iron plaque placed on the preserved waterworks. The mast itself was built as a tower with an iron truss structure of a square pyramid shape, topped by a polygonal upper platform with a plank floor. The structure was assembled from steel L-sections and likely riveted. A drive shaft ran through the center, powering the pump. The technical design of the pump and wind wheel is currently unknown, and even in historical imagery, only parts of the device can be identified. It was most likely a paddlewheel windmill (wind engine) with a double rudder, which is still visible in historical photographs. This detail is quite rare and suggests that a Halladay turbine might have been used. The possibility of another, less common solution—such as a horizontal wheel—cannot be completely ruled out, but based on available materials, this cannot be confirmed. A replica intended for the railway museum in Týniště u Zubrnice was designed as a vertical paddle wheel with a cistern placed within the tower structure.

The wind pump was declared a cultural monument in 1958 and entered into the Central List of Cultural Monuments on 30. 12. 1987, when it was assigned registration number ÚSKP 44014/5-5300. The record states that the object requires a general repair. The pump tower was relocated in 1980 (or possibly 1988) to the cadastre of Týniště for the planned railway open-air museum, where it was stored. Allegedly due to poor technical condition, the equipment was scrapped, and a low-quality replica was produced. By this time, only the cast iron head, presumably for the rotor placement, remained from the original structure. In the spring of 1997, an agreement was reached with the museum to store all parts in a large-capacity Zs wagon, which remained at the railway station in Zubrnice. In 2004, a request was submitted to revoke the monument protection due to the loss of most of the original structure, and the cancellation of monument protection was confirmed by the Ministry of Culture on 13. 8. 2010. After the legal enforcement on 8. 9. 2010, all remaining components of the facility were disposed of.

The complete statement from the National Heritage Office is available HERE. The statement also mentions an aerial survey photograph from 1946, which shows the silhouette of the wind pump without the impeller.

Josef Stehlík, who saw the paddlewheel in the yard of the STK in Ústí nad Labem, confirmed that the wheel had a design similar to that of the wind pump in Višňová near Znojmo. On the website of the Višňové municipality, in the tourist section, the wind wheel is listed as one of the interesting landmarks. It was built in 1910 by the manager of the local estate through the Vienna branch of the Dresden company Rudolph Brauns. In 1911, this company merged with another to form Vereinigte Windturbinen-Werke (VWW), which became a joint-stock company in 1923, headquartered in Dresden and later in Meissen. Given the geographical proximity of Dresden and Ústí nad Labem, in a German-speaking environment, it is likely that Ernst Jüstel procured the wind pump from VWW. Furthermore, as mentioned by the National Heritage Institute in its statement (note 2), the technical drawings of the wind pump prepared in the 1990s for the open-air museum in Zubrnice "state that it was a product of the Brauns and Reinsch - Meissen company" (which corresponds to the aforementioned VWW—more about this company HERE).

The first of the following photographs shows the current appearance of the wind wheel in Višňová, while the others depict the condition of the wind wheel in Němčí around 1960.

Waterworks and the related land plot No. 53/2, measuring 8 m², in the area of Němčí was owned by Severočeská vodárenská společnost, a. s. (SVS). In August 2023, its management discussed and agreed that this property was unnecessary for the operation of the water management infrastructure and could be offered for sale. According to internal regulations, SVS offers unnecessary assets for sale to its shareholders, in this case, the municipality of Malečov. In agreement with the association, the municipality of Malečov expressed interest, purchased the building and land under contract, and has been registered as the owner in the land register since April 2024.

On 9. 6. 2024, a supporter of the windmill association provided a photograph of a section of the wind pump that had been cut off in December 1987. According to a direct witness, who was 16 years old at the time (see above), this part, including the tip of the mast, was lifted by crane onto the back of a lorry and taken away. The rest of the metal structure was gradually cut and pieces measuring 1 to 1.5 m in length were thrown down.

The cut-off part was transported to Týniště u Zubrnice, where it was intended to be used as the foundation for constructing a wind pump to supply water to steam locomotives at the local railway museum. However, the construction never took place, and the metal structure was scrapped around 2017. At the station of the open-air museum, concrete footings with threaded rods for securing the structure are still visible in the ground.

In today's Zubrnice Open Air Museum, an incomplete set of technical drawings is available for the production of the impeller and other parts of the pump. This documentation was specifically prepared for the museum in the 1990s.

On Sunday morning, 16. 6. 2024, the chairman of the association and the mayor went to Němčí to test one of the keys stored at the municipality to see if it would fit the padlock on the door to the waterworks. No such key was found, so they agreed on a solution to ensure that both the municipality and the association would have access to a key for the waterworks.

On that occasion, they walked through the locations of the original hydrants that were put into operation in 1923 and also visited the site of the water reservoir. The water reservoir remains in the same place, but the entrance building has been modified by its owner, Severočeská vodárenská společnost, a. s. On the attached map, the locations of hydrants I and II are marked with a blue circle, while the waterworks in the village and the water reservoir in the forest above the village are marked with a blue square. Photodocumentation of the monitored objects of the water supply system was also taken.

In the Němčí Chronicle, the construction of a fire tank in the 1920s is mentioned. On the map, it is shown near hydrant II. The original documentation for this structure has been preserved.

On the afternoon of 16. 6. 2024, witness Josef Stehlík recalled that when they bought the cottage they now live in, in 1972, the water supply system in the village was not working, and the residents of Němčí at that time relied on their wells. He also mentioned that a neighbor who had lived in Němčí since birth had ruined a paper containing the original water distribution drawing by using it as baking paper under a Christmas loaf. He then decided to map the water distribution system in Němčí by gradually digging probes to trace the pipeline routes and attempting to restore the water supply system. He worked on it continuously in 1973 and 1974. The pipeline was laid at a depth of 110 cm. He recorded the results of his efforts on the cadastral map of that time.

The red circle marks the location of the hydrant he removed and sealed with an oak plug. Hydrant I is not recorded on the map. In the lower left part, the direction to the water tank is marked with a blue arrow. The green arrows indicate pipeline rerouting. The yellow arrow shows the correct route to the removed hydrant. Josef Stehlík stated that the water distribution to the houses, including the pipes leading to the water tank, was under constant pressure from the wind pump. Specifically, when the pump was operating (when the wind was blowing), the water was pushed to the water tank and eventually into the houses, where it was accessed by opening a tap. When the pump was not working, water was drawn from the water tank into the houses by gravity.

The following day, Hydrant II was cleaned with a steel brush to make the inscription legible, and photographs of the details were taken. The inscription on the hydrant, "ERNST JÜSTEL," is inverted, while the inscription "WASSER BAU UNTERNEHMUNG AUSSIG" naturally follows the perimeter. Translated: "Water Management Company Ústí." The inscription on the door to the waterworks is visible in the photograph.

On 28. 6. 2024, the association received via DS (based on its request for preliminary information dated 3. 6. 2024) the opinion of the Department of Spatial Planning of the Department of Planning and Building Regulations of the Municipality of Ústí nad Labem. Its conclusions state that the permissible use of the area does not exclude the intention of "Restoration of the original wind pump on p.p.č. 53/2 k.ú. Němčí." The next step will be to submit a similar request for preliminary information to the AOPK ČR, Regional Office Administration of the Czech Central Highlands Protected Landscape Area.

In the spring of 2024, the chairman of the association approached the administrator of the website www.povetrnik.cz, Jan Doubek, for his opinion and possible advice on the restoration of the pump in Němčí. This led to extensive communication with his colleague Břetislav Koč, resulting in a supportive opinion from the Windmill Section at the Technical Museum in Brno, dated 18. 8. 2024. Jan Doubek is the chairman of the section, while Břetislav Koč is a member (he is also a member of the Czech Wind Energy Society).
On 20. 8. 2024, the association submitted a request for preliminary information to the AOPK ČR, Regional Office Administration of the Czech Central Highlands Protected Landscape Area via the Builder's Portal. The digitized application process was still significantly flawed (which eventually led to the dismissal of the Minister for Regional Development, Ivan Bartoš, at the end of September 2024), so the application was resubmitted on 22. 8. 2024 via the agency's mailroom. On 27. 9. 2024, the chairman of the association met with the head of the Department of Nature and Landscape Protection, Jan Kyselka, at the agency's headquarters in Litoměřice. Kyselka considered the project to restore the wind pump in Němčí questionable. It was mentioned that the association would provide the National Heritage Institute with more precise information to supplement its opinion from 9. 4. 2024 (see above) so that an addendum could be issued to refine the brief for designers. Subsequently, in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute, a project could be developed that would be as close as possible to the original wind pump. The following photograph indicates the determination of the mast height based on the known dimensions of the water tower from the bottom edge of the door to its roof.

On 3. 10. 2024, Martin Krsek, head of the history department of the Museum of the City of Ústí nad Labem, led the chairman of the association to the museum's depository to view a 115 cm diameter wheel marked VĚTR. According to Krsek, the wheel came from the waterworks in Němčí, with VĚTR meaning "windmill." Since the chairman of the association had access to the keys to the waterworks from the municipality of Malečov, he went to the waterworks together with witness Josef Stehlík. At the bottom, there was a recessed space corresponding to the wheel from the museum's depository. When Stehlík saw the photograph of the wheel, he confirmed with the words "this is exactly it" that it is highly likely an original from Němčí. He further stated (confirmed by another witness) that the well is 26 or 27 meters deep, with the first approximately 15 meters lined with masonry and the rest dug into rock. The well and its bottom will still be subject to further investigation.

The following day, 4. 10. 2024, the association received preliminary information from the AOPK ČR, Regional Workplace Administration of the Bohemian Central Highlands Protected Landscape Area, stating that a solution where the height of the wind pump does not exceed the roof ridge of the surrounding buildings is acceptable to the agency.

However, this solution does not correspond to the original intention of the pump restoration. Therefore, a new request for preliminary information will be submitted to the agency, including a new statement from the NPA incorporating all the information that was not yet known at the time of the original statement from 9. 4. 2024. The request for preliminary information will also include the opinion of the Museum of the City of Ústí nad Labem and a surveyor's measurement with a proposed height of the original pump based on historical photographs. In order for the restoration of the wind pump to be meaningful, the replica must be as close as possible to the original pump, including its original height.

At this symposium, among others, the work of Jiří Woitsch, Jiří Chmelenský, and Miroslav Kolk was presented: Small Village Water Management of Podbezdězí, Dubské Švýcarsko, and Ralská Pahorkatina. As part of their research, they used "Statistics of Water Supply Systems of the Czechoslovak Republic According to the State in 1928", compiled in 1932 by the Gas and Water Supply Association of Czechoslovakia in Prague. The statistics include, among other things, a map of the republic marking locations with installed water supply systems. In the statistics, on page 86 under item 795, data related to the pump in Němčí is listed.

The following data is provided for Němčí: Number of inhabitants in the supplied area (80), Origin and quality of water (well), Yield l/vt (0.17), Hardness in German degrees (16.2), Water supply system built in (1924), Cost of new construction in 1000 CZK (260), Cost of subsidy in 1000 CZK (102), Pumps, drive, cleaning equipment (lifting, wind m. 3/4 pcs, reserve electrom. 2 pcs), Water tanks capacity in m³ (855), Number, type, and material of water tanks (1), Pipeline length in meters excluding connections (855), Maximum pipe diameter in mm (80), Minimum pipe diameter in mm (40).

These statistics should be taken with some reservation, as accuracy depended on the individual filling in the data. A comparison with other waterworks listed in the statistics shows that the water supply system in Němčí was among the smaller ones.

On 28. 10. 2024, Atlas Group s.r.o., a provider of geodetic services, prepared a survey of the wind pump for the association as a donation. The survey was based on the dimensions of the preserved waterworks and a suitable historical photograph taken by an employee of the Ústí nad Labem City Museum at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s.

On the very next day, 30. 10. 2024, a new application for preliminary information on the restoration of the pump at its original height was submitted to the AOPK RP Administration of the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area. In addition to the aforementioned survey, the application was also accompanied by the expert opinion of the Museum of the City of Ústí nad Labem and a refined statement of the National Heritage Institute ÚOP Ústí nad Labem.

On the same day, an inquiry was made to the Saxon State Archives in Dresden regarding archival records of the VWW company, which had supplied the wind pump to Němčí. On 31. 10. 2024, a response was received with a promising reference to the company’s archival materials. However, upon examining the selected files on 25. 11. 2024, nothing substantial related to the wind pump in Němčí was discovered in the archive. The archival material, including photographic documentation, primarily pertained to products from the 1930s and 1940s.

On 2. 12. 2024, preliminary information No. 2 prepared by the AOPK RP Administration of the Czech Central Highlands Protected Landscape Area was sent to the association’s DS, confirming acceptance of the mast height of 21 m.

This approval opens the way for beginning work on the documentation for the building permit. More about further developments in the section "Project documentation".

On Saturday, 7. 12. 2024, the chairman of the association and Alexander Černý from Terezín met at the well in the waterworks to carry out multiple actions simultaneously: measuring the water level, measuring the bottom depth, conducting an underwater camera survey (provided by Alexander Černý), and, last but not least, collecting a water sample for analysis (handled by the chairman of the association). Water level measurements were taken twice—once during the camera survey and again during the water sampling. Both measurements showed approximately 15.5 m from the level of the well capping sheets. The bottom depth measurement during the camera survey indicated around 26 m, which aligns with witness accounts (see above). It is possible that the actual bottom is slightly deeper, as sand is visible in the camera footage. The images also show that the well is lined with stones all the way to the bottom. For water analysis, a sample was collected in five sample tubes, which were submitted for testing on 9. 12. 2024 to the Water Management Administration of the Czech Republic, s. r. o.

On 16. 2. 2024, the association received a "Test Report" with the results of the water analysis, to which the laboratory of the Water Management Administration of the Czech Republic, s. r.o. also sent the informational material "Explanation of the results of the water analysis". The water does not meet the requirements of Decree No. 252/2004 Coll., which establishes sanitary requirements for drinking water, in one of the tested indicators. This concerns the indicator "coliform bacteria," about which the informational material states:

At the top, a traffic light indicates the usability of the water for various activities. Green: unrestricted use. Yellow: use with caution. Red: unusable for the purpose without further measures.

The continuation of the next journey is in the section "Project documentation".