Wolfsbachtal waterworks

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wolfsbachtal waterworks, south view 2012

The Wolfsbachtal waterworks is a waterworks in the Essen district of Werden , which was shut down in 1989 and which Friedrich Krupp AG , gas and waterworks had built in the first years of the 20th century to supply the Krupp residence Villa Hügel , the Krupp cast steel factory and the residential colonies of Ensure workers and employees have an independent water supply. The waterworks building is now a listed building.

history

The water for the Krupp cast steel factory came initially from the mine water surrounding coal - mines . The drinking water was obtained from a well. But due to the enormous expansion of the cast steelworks from the middle of the 19th century, the water quantity and quality was no longer sufficient. To this end, Krupp sought to have a water supply that was independent of the city of Essen. In 1864 a supply contract was concluded with the waterworks of the city of Essen, in which Krupp himself contributed 20,000  thalers . The first plans to build a waterworks on the Ruhr were made .

Waterworks hill

The old Hügel waterworks, built by the industrialist Alfred Krupp , is regarded as the forerunner of the Wolfsbachtal waterworks. It was built in the course of the construction of the Villa Hügel , the residence and representative building of the Krupp family , on the Ruhr and began operations on December 10, 1874. Its location was directly below Villa Hügel, roughly level with today's grandstands at the regatta tower on Lake Baldeney , which was not dammed until 1933.

Initially, the waterworks was equipped with three steam-driven balancing water pumps, which pumped the water from the Ruhr into a first flood tank at a height of 140 meters on the hill. A fourth pump was added in 1880. Via appropriate downpipes, the waterworks served the drinking and partly service water supply of the factory, the workers' colonies Westend , Nordhof , Kronenberg and Schederhof , as well as the Villa Hügel , built in the early 1870s . There the water quality steadily decreased, so that in 1882 the renovation of the water pipes of Villa Hügel began. Nevertheless, the quality of the water continued to decline, so that from 1897 onwards the drinking water had to be boiled. Since the amount of water was no longer sufficient, it even became necessary at short notice to draw water from the city network. It became necessary to build a new waterworks.

The Hügel waterworks remained in operation after the construction of the new Wolfsbachtal waterworks around 1901 to supply process water. With the help of steam pipes, it was also used to heat and prepare hot water for Villa Hügel from 1914 onwards. In 1945 the old Hügel waterworks was shut down.

Wolfsbachtal waterworks

Water tank for storing drinking water from the Wolfsbachtal waterworks, built in 1919

The Wolfsbachtal waterworks is located on the Ruhr, about 500 meters downstream from the mouth of the Wolfsbach, and thus about four kilometers downstream of its predecessor, whose water quality was no longer considered to be sufficient. The Wolfsbachtal waterworks now had a capacity of twelve million cubic meters of water per year.

To this end, Friedrich Krupp AG, Gas and Waterworks, had a new reinforced concrete water tank built on the Bredeneyer Heights to store drinking water for the Wolfsbachtal waterworks in 1918 and 1919 . With its capacity of 10,000 cubic meters of water in two chambers, it should also ensure the supply during peak consumption. This tank, which went into operation on September 2, 1919, is designed as an underground tank, not as a raised water tower. Nevertheless, its location on the Bredeneyer heights, namely 60 meters above the Villa Hügel and about a hundred meters above the factories, was completely sufficient to ensure the necessary water pressure on the pipes. A short time after the container was put into operation, the ground subsided, necessitating regular repairs to its bottom.

In 1963, when the Wolfsbachtal waterworks were refurbished, all fittings were replaced. A demarcation agreement from 1953 between the municipal waterworks Essen and Krupp clarified the supply situation, so that the waterworks, in addition to supplying the housing estates, still existing workshops and the Villa Hügel, also supplied Kettwig from 1971 until its closure in 1989 . However, some original technical parts had been lost by then.

Current condition

The brick building of the Wolfsbachtal waterworks was placed under monument protection in 1986. Nowadays it is not publicly available and is used privately.

The previous hill waterworks, which was shut down in 1945, no longer exists.

In 2003 the water tank from 1919 on the Bredeneyer Heights was placed under monument protection on its floor plan of 43.1 by 57.1 meters. The entrance area with its classic and art nouveau elements has also been preserved. Today the building is fenced and not open to the public.

literature

  • Axel Föhl, Manfred Hamm: The industrial history of water. Transport, energy, supply . VDI, Düsseldorf 1985, ISBN 3-18-400619-0 .

Web links

Commons : Wasserwerk Wolfsbachtal  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Krupp water elevated tank  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 51 ° 22 ′ 46 ″  N , 6 ° 58 ′ 21 ″  E