Küsnachter flood 1878
The flooding of the village stream of Küsnacht in the Swiss canton of Zurich on June 3rd and 4th, 1878 occurred almost exactly 100 years after the flood of July 1778 .
Before the flood
As early as June 2, 1878, heavy rains fell over wide areas of the canton. The "Wochenblatt des Bezirk Meilenes " of June 5th and 8th, 1878 writes of "rainfall that has hardly ever been experienced here". There are reports of washed away bridges and numerous traffic disruptions; Storm bells and "emergency shots" rang out in some lakeside communities on both banks.
The flood
On Monday, June 3, the storm bells rang at noon: From the Küsnacht Tobel , masses of water with rubble, boulders and tree trunks rolled into the narrow creek bed of the Küsnacht village stream, which led in a straight line to Lake Zurich . Initially it was possible to keep the flood in check. Then, however, a wooden walkway that was swept away got caught on the far too low-lying bridge on Seestrasse by the Hotel «Sonne». The water dammed up and formed a braking water roll; Mud and rubble immediately filled the creek bed. The brook broke left and right and devastated houses, gardens and vineyards. "Soon the nearby cellars and lowlands were filled with water and mud, the vineyards on both sides of the stream were moved several feet high with rubble and stones that it is hardly possible to discover what was there earlier."
A huge area of rubble was created south of the stream between the seminar and the Seestrasse. In the north, the brook flooded gardens and houses along the Seestrasse and the lower village before it poured into the lake at the Hotel "Sonne". The Seestrasse had been “eaten up as deep as a man” and the vines only protruded from the rubble with their tips.
Several hundred men were deployed throughout the night and the following Tuesday. They tried to force the floods to the south in order to protect the buildings of the lower village as much as possible. On Tuesday evening, however, after another heavy rainfall, the water masses swelled again meters high, broke through all the obstacles that had been placed in their way and devastated gardens and streets a second time; numerous residents left their homes threatened with collapse. At Untere Dorfstrasse 2, the flood line is a reminder of the flood. The Kusenbach and the Heslibach were also damaged by numerous landslides and filled with mud, wood and rubble.
The village stream as a torrent, in the middle the buildings of the seminar
View of the seminar area
Destruction in front of the Seestrasse. Hotel "Sonne" on the right
After the storm
In contrast to the event of 1778 years ago, the population was not surprised by the flood this time. There was only one fatality to complain about: the day laborer Felix Furrer was swept away by the floods and drowned. In addition, the houses were more stable than in 1778. Although they suffered considerable water damage, they did not collapse.
Around 300 helpers from the surrounding communities took part in the reconstruction; Thalwil on the other side of the lake and the city of Zurich also sent men. The clean-up work progressed quickly and by mid-June most of the roads were open to carts again. The Küsnacht municipal council estimated the damage to land, buildings, wagons, supplies, roads and bridges at CHF 269,440. An extraordinary municipal meeting on June 7th authorized the municipal council to take out a loan from two banks.
Structural measures
After the accident, some streets were renovated, the destroyed Schiedhaldenstrasse had to be completely rebuilt. After another flood on September 25, 1878, the bridge over the Seestrasse was raised by 0.6 meters. The courses of the Düggelbach and Wangensbach were corrected and the confluence of the Kusenbach into the lake was redesigned.
After renewed flood damage on July 7, 1891, a comprehensive building of the ravine was decided. In cooperation with the canton and the federal government, 101 sleepers were installed in barrier stairs; today there are still around 70. The sleepers were made of wood, stone or concrete. The choice of material was based on the local resources and accessibility. The construction period lasted from 1895 to 1899, since then 70 percent of the stream bed has been artificial. It was the first river correction to be financed with federal funds.
On July 14, 1946, another flood led to flooding and flooding of basements and gardens, and the neighboring Heslibach overflowed its banks. After another village stream renovation, Küsnacht has since been spared major flood damage.
legend
The constant floods and devastation found their expression in the legend "The dragon from Küsnachter Tobel". The story tells of a dragon who keeps breaking out of its cave in the ravine and devours everything it encounters. A knight puts an end to the ghost with the help of a consecrated candle, his sword and Our Lady, who tied the dragon to the rock with a diamond chain. In the upper part of the ravine is the "Dragon Hole" named after the legend; a cave in the side wall of the ravine. The Catholic Church in Küsnacht is also dedicated to St. George , the dragon slayer.
literature
- Martin Neuenschwander in Küsnachter Jahresblätter 1978 , Küsnacht 1978
