|
The early human cultures at the river Nile, in Mesopotamia and at the river Indus knew and used waterwheels already several thousands of years ago! It is commonly believed that the technical knowledge found its way from there to the dry areas in the western hemisphere. On the other hand, it may as well be sort of a parallel invention made in the area of Nuremberg, Bavaria, where similar watermill wheels were used since the 11th to 13th century. Whatever theory may be true, the first waterwheels of the type covered here are documented to have been installed in the Franconian/North Bavarian area in the years of 1413, 1420 and 1429... The unique, black wooden giants saw widespread service during the 18th century, when some 250 wheels watered the farmlands between Schwabach to the South and Forchheim to the North, on a distance of only some 35 Kilometers! The valley of the river Regnitz was, from the city of Fürth northbound, very well suited for this kind of watering technique since it offered sandy grounds, shallow shorelines and a small and steady decline of the waterbed. Under the given circumstances, waterwheels were the ideal means of keeping the grounds wet during the typical dry summers in that area. |
|
Waterwheels were never used north of Forchheim because the Regnitz was usable for ships there since the days of the famous King Karl the Great. The utilisation of waterwheels would have made it necessary to build dams into the river, thus creating obstacles for ships. Today, only eight surviving waterwheels take warm and bacteria rich surface water out of the river Regnitz and down to the fields. A vintage but still valid document back from 1693, the »Baiersdorfer Wasserordnung«, states that the waterwheels may be used only from May 1st to September, 30th of every year: A lot of work for farmers and members of local clubs, interest groups and political parties! At the beginning of the season -just after the regular spring floodings are gone- the mighty wooden wheels are erected by strong men. At the end of summer, they are disassembled again for storage during winter. The traditional technology adapts itself to the rhythm dictated by nature... |