Conference
DTD Hydro-system
The Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal (DTD) is a unique hydro-engineering system for flood control and hydro-technical, amelioration forestry, water supply, waste water evacuation, navigation, tourism, fishing and hunting. There are 694 km of canal in total, of which 600 km are navigable. The first canal was built in 18th century and DTD Hydro-system got its contemporary shape after the World War II with an engineer Nikola Mirkov.
Novi Sad lock
By the end of the 16th century the Danube, Tisa, Moris, Zlatica, Galacka, Begej, and other water courses were left on their own. Their flooding turned territory of Vojvodina into a range of swamps, pond, and marshes.
The first hydraulic works started in the beginning of the 18th century. In Banat, the digging of canals-artificial riverbed for the river Begej, from Timisoara to Klek, in the length of 70 km started in the most threatened flood prone territory in 1718. In Backa, the first canal was dug between Kula and Vrbas in 1785, for the purpose of take away of surface waters and the operation was carried out by Josef Kis. The second canal was dug between Sivac and Vrbas in 1787. The Grand Backa Canal - the largest hydraulic system in the Danube region and south-eastern Europe at that time, which was designed by brothers Josef and Gustav Kis, was built from 1793 to 1801.
Before Nikola Mirkov continued the DTD Hydro-system project there were 170 km of canal, 5 locks - Bezdan, Mali Stapar, Becej, Klek and Itebej, and 4 sluices. In 1947, the continuation of the project was approved by national highest authorities, the design was finished in 1957 and DTD hydro-system was being built for the next 20 years. The work was finished in 1977.
Dam on the Tisa River
Nowdays, there are 25 sluices, 17 locks, and 5 pump stations on DTD Canal. The largest and probably the most significant structure of the whole Hydro-system is the dam on the river Tisa at Novi Becej.
Bezdan Lock
Bezdan Lock was the first underwater concrete structure in Europe. The construction of this navigation lock started in 1846 and it was completed in 1856, which was confirmed by placing the commemorative plaque on the central part of the southern wall of the lock chamber. The text is written in the Latin language, which, as translated, reads:
"This LOCK was built during the reign of Tsar Franz Joszef I, who reigned with good fortune. The only one in Europe built until then of of concrete and under the auspices of the Minister of trade, the knight Toggenburg and Governor Komitat Koronin Kronberg. It was built under C.R. edile of the inspector John Mihalik in the period from 1855 to 1856"
Johan Mihalik was the first in Europe who applied submerged concrete foundations. With only the simplest water pumps he had at his disposal at that time, he decided to build the structure in a way that had never been used by anyone before. When he excavated the foundation pit, he did not pump water out. Instead, he set both a foundation pit and one of the chamber walls under water.
Bezdan Lock
The lock connects the Vrbas-Bezdan Canal with the Danube. It had two pairs of double gates at both ends of the chamber. The pair that was used was the one that matched the water level at the moment of passing of a vessel through the lock.
Bezdan Lock has not been used as a lock since 1995, and it serves only for the needs of defence against high waters of the Danube River. When it was constructed, it was a break-through in science and technology of that time and as such, it was entered into all major worlds’ engineering encyclopaedia.
Mali Stapar
The Lock in Mali Stapar was built in 1802. Initially, it was one of four locks on the Grand Backa Canal. It is the only one among the locks built in the period of construction of Backi Monostor-Backo Gradiste Canal that is still functional. The lock has double gates that were originally made of oak tree and replaced with iron gates by the end of the 19th century. The walls made of bricks have been rehabilitated several times.
Mali Stapar Lock
The latest large scale reconstruction was carried out in 1979. The Lock was made to enable passing of vessels with 500 t of carrying capacity.
The Grand Backa Canal has been constructed by a privately owned company, which faced great difficulties and financial problems. In order to increase the budget, they requested from the authorities a permission to construct mills on the locks, which would be powered by the difference in water levels. In 1795, the State administration in Vienna allowed the construction of the mills only on two locks, in Mali Stapar and in Vrbas. The current mill was put in operation in 1848. It worked all until 1976, when the last lease holder, Lazar Acanski, ceased the milling operation.
In 1898, the Central Directorate for canal management was established in Budapest and the Technical (business) Directorate for canal management was established in Mali Stapar. This date is also connected with the head-office building. It was located there all until 1912.
Mali Stapar Mill
The Old Machine
Pre-conference Tour
Viminatium
The territory of a present-day Serbia was in a past a part of ancient Roman Empire for six centuries, and during that time many significant towns developed here. One of them was Viminatium, situated on the estaury of the Mlava river at the Danube, in a plain, the last wide space before the entrance into the Iron Gate. More then once it was chosen as a spot for the concentration of the army and a starting point in numerous wars, and the location of the city itself enabled its quick economic growth.
Remains of Viminatium
With archaeological excavations in the last quarter of XX century Viminatium, with its six - century long history is presented as the city which developed dynamically and which was meeting place of cultures of the east and the west, and also a place where caravans of traders and armies in forays met. The extraordinary remains discovered in necropoles round the city are the affirmation of the assumptions about huge welth of its citizens - over 14.000 tombs were discovered till now and frescoes in the tombs represent climax of late antique art.
Lepenski Vir
An archaeological site of Lepenski Vir is situated in the Iron Gate. It was the centre of one of the most important prehistoric cultures. Remains of sacred architecture from 7.000 to 6.000 BC were discovered on its location.
Architecture of Lepenski Vir is of a specific style. Habitations in settlements are in a shape of a knobby segment with a steep roof. In the middle of all settlements there was a wide square, a place where various rituals were performed. Based on the shape and the proportion of the habitations it can be concluded that construction of Lepenski Vir had certain mathematical knowledge.
Lepenski Vir Art
Huge sculptures made of big pebbles representing human figure, on which only human head was formed, were put round fire places. In the latter phase the sculptures get the shape of human figure and become real idols.
Tabula Traiana
During the period of the Roman rule, a road was built in the Iron Gate, which perhaps in this very place the best depicts strength of an ancient Rome in this area. In order to make the connection with east easier and to enable a raid on Dacia, Roman emperors carved the road into braes of Iron Gate. The road was finished by the emperor Traiana in 100, and he ordered a tabula to be set up above the road in honour of that - Tabula Traiana.
Tabula Traiana
The famous Tabula Traiana, monumental inscription of the building of the road to Dacia, can only be seen if one travels on the river, by a ship or a boat. Magnificence of constructing virtue of the ancient Romans can be seen in the remains of the road of the emperor Traiana, the road which enabled him to subjugate and vanquish barbaric Dacia which was unconquered till then.
Djerdap I
Hydro energetic and navigation system Djerdap I is the largest hydro technical object on the Danube river, with 1.278 meters in length. Djerdap I is situated on the entrance of the Iron Gate, 10 kilometers upstream from Kladovo, on the very border of Serbia and Romania. It was built in 1970 and its representing the common project of two countries, which are both having the same parts of the main object at disposal.
Djerdap I Dam
Djerdap I Lock
Post - Conference Tour
Eiffel's Lock - Becej
The lock in Becej is the monument of culture of exceptional significance for the Republic of Serbia.
Eiffel's Lock
It was built in 1898, and for the first time in Europe, the lock's mechanism was driven by electricity it produced itself. The manufacture of a steel part of the lock was entrusted to the workshop of a famous French structural designer Gustav Eiffel. Because of that, the contemporary lock in Becej is also known as "Eiffel's lock".
The lock is located at the confluence of the DTD Canal with the river Tisa. It was built in two levels, with the sliding gates and a double gate (towards the Tisa).
Since 1975, it has been out of use and protected as a monument of culture.
Klek Lock
The lock in Klek was built in 1914, with one chamber for passing of vessels. The construction of added structures and reconstruction that were carried out in 1969 meant that one more chamber was added so that the lock became a two-level lock with three double gates.
Klek Lock
The old chamber was built of non-armoured concrete and founded on wooden piles. The added structure was made of armoured concrete. Together with a lock it makes an integral part of Klek hydro-knot. The lock was planned for navigation of vessels with up to 500 t of carrying capacity.
