History of wells of mineral water 1886 - 2000

The first reports of emergence of mineral water in German Jeseník (Deutsch-Jassnik) appears round 1830. Jeseník was ranked at that time with 143 houses and about 1000 inhabitants among the larger villages. Emergence of mineral water was down between peasant estates Nr. 8 and Nr. 160 in the Short quarter. The village used to be in former times divided into four quarters - Long, Church, Chapelle and Short. Dividing border was made up by stream Luha and road connecting villages Hůrka and Vražné. So in the Short quarter in which there were only four peasant courts; the acidulous water rose free topsides and built small wells which were according to needs fastened by people with stones. Later, round 1880, the acidulous water was already caught even into wells equiped with shaft rings. At that time drinking water was used to common needs. To its difference was not paid much attention - people and animals got used to it.

A considerable attention started to be paid to wells of mineral water as late as in 1895. In 1896 industrialist Artur Krizický succeeded in buying a piece of land even with well of acidulous water from the farmer. The well was caught into the water well. Because this well was situated under the linden, it was named "Linden". The linden shadowed the well until 1946 when it was hit by lightning and had to be removed.

Mr. Krizicky began early after building the water well with production of lemonades which he flavoured with lemons and sugar. Without question the superiority in flavouring the mineral water in Bohemia belongs to him. It is not known if the product was in the market declared even as a flavoured mineral water or exclusively as "lemon lemonade of delicios taste". Mr. Artur Krizicky however did not have much enterpreneurial luck and he went early bankrupt. Cause of his bankruptcy even when clouded in gloom of old days; is too much contemporary: "..his co-workers stole lemons and sugar so firm that the bankruptcy could not be avoided...".In insolvence proceedings a former owner farmer Josef Trompis bought the piece of land even with the well back and in 1898 he sold it to Adam Kobierský. He was, it seems, more expert of mineral waters than producer of drinks and he took necessary measures for official enlistment of the well among the wells of mineral waters with curative actions. Due to him in 1900 an expert analysis of Jeseník's mineral water was made for the first time namely on two workplaces - at the university in "...curative water of the first class, applicable for medications of heart, kidneys, urinary tracts and stomach...."

In 1905 the piece of land with the well was bought from Adam Kobierský by Vinzenz Stefan from Moravian Ostrava. In the personality of this owner evidently gathered round qualities and competences of both his predecessors. Not only he understood well a meaning and value of mineral water but also he was efficient industrialist and businessman. Immediatelly after buying the first well he lastly endeavoured to buy the surrounding pieces of land with emergences of mineral water. When the farmer H. Kahlik finally in 1907 sold the piece of land, there was born in shirt time wells Herma and Zita. "....Mr. Vinzenz Stefan understood his business and also thanks to its delicious quality he sold the well-known Jeseník's acidulous water in relativelly short time everywhere with the greatest success. Consumption of Jeseník's acidulous water that found deserved popularity also among physicians kept growing and its distribution soon spread even out of borders of monarchy. To curative effects and delicious taste of the mineral water can be ascribed that German Jeseník enjoyed also rising favour of summer guests. (Deutsch-Jassniker Sauerbrunn, Herrenberg).

Since the beginning of industrial using of wells of Jeseník's acidulous water we can see on its construction a perfect knowledge of definition of the mineral water. Wonderful master piece of the first builders of Jeseník's acidulous water is evident since initiative technical treatment of the well to final filling of bottles and their distribution. A big stress was layed above all on hygienic protection of wells. They were mainly enclosed; namely with surface of underground buildings. Water wells of not caught wells served not only to water accumulation but also to its saturation. On their mantle there was mounted even sophisticated filling set. Fascinating is that this simple facility enabled absolutely natural saturation of water by natural and wholly identical carbon dioxide (CO2).

Well builders however noticed that the surroundings of the main well used to be very often richly foaming. So they built under ground in the surroundings of water well either cavities or additional small wells generally with average of 60 cm and those were then covered up by copper bells or funnels and tightened with clay. Tip of such a valve was ended with tube with whose second end the mantle of water well was traversed so that by the bell caught gas was driven in acidulous water in the main well. During reconstruction works we found fragments of three additional small wells by Linden well as well as copper funnel by well Herma.

Of preservation the highest possible amount of gas in water was taken notice even by technology of its filling into bottles. The filling of bottles happened as near as possible to the well generally in cellar rooms under ground. Water wells were provided with sophisticated filling facility that opened and closed with move of bottles in hands of the filler. Except the valves responsive to move of tubes the water well was provided also with the main cap. Briefly we can describe a practiced manufacture production in the following way:

Filler who sat on a bench at the bottom of water well, hands-up over the shoulders and behind him standing helper put in them two empty bottles. The filler put the bottles on filling facility of water well so that he inserted feeding tubes into mouths of bottles. Inclining the body and so with movement of hands down even the tubes inserted into bottles swang whereby they opened valves and water flew into the bottles. The filling was finished by lifting of bottles whereby even the tubes inserted into mouths of bottles were lifted upwards and so the valves were closed. The filler put his hands with full bottles up again at shoulders' level and behind him standing helper took them over. He put him in the hands other empty bottles and the whole cycle was repeated. The full bottles were generally immediately closed and placed into bottle crates. Even during this manufacture production it was possible to achieve respectable performances if we take in mind that there were available three water wells, by each of them two workers, i.e. in sum 12 hands and that one bottle was filled about 6 seconds: To receptive reader could not evade the most substantial: that this performance was achieved without using of
For the same reasons - out of unfamiliary with original state such an extensive and consequential devastation of wells happened by its "post-February" users that they practically were not able to keep their possible using.

Nevertheless Vinzenz Stefan transfered the firm even with fifteen employees in 1918 to his son Oskar Stefan. He owned it until after-war confiscation. Before the end of war Oskar Stefan left with his family by one of the last trains to Bavaria and since that time none of his countrymen has heard of him any more.

The last skilled and simultaneously agonized attempt to restore the wells was made in 1946-1948 by national custodian Osvald Pastrňák. He was after two years forfeited of custody of Jeseník's acidulous water by one post-February decree that "...asks it is made a normal disposal with this property according to decree Nr. 108/45 Sb. however providing that business operation will be seldom stopped...." (reference Nr. 12054/2-II/48 from 14th October 1948). Following tragedy in the history of even on emperor court well-known Jeseník's acidulous water (to well Zita empress borrowed her name) is documented with quotation of part of post-February correspondence, reference Nr. 14561/6-II/48 from 29th October 1948 : "... District people's committee in Nový Jičín prescribed to withdraw by means of SNB (Force of national security) workroom keys of firm Jeseník's acidulous water; to former custodian O. Pastrňák. As soon as the keys are delivered to local office, they will be immediately submited to local Municipal people's committee with the view of safeguard of the well and workrooms of the mentioned firm."Result was that at the gate of plant there was hanged padlock, this however did not prevented from its stealing away and damages both on wells and

Restoration of Jeseník's acidulous water was started by sale of pieces of land and building to a new owner in 1994.

A new hydrogeological research was made. Subsequently chemical status of mineral water was analysed by reference laboratory of Ministry of Health and other legislative requirements were met. Since 1996 the Jeseník's acidulous water is produced by company Jeseník's acidulous water s.r.o. again in the market. Production is regulated by the newest pieces of knowledge and experience. Thanks to that the company put on the market some wholly unrivalled products. Qualitative variety of products is achieved for example by the fact that it produces as the only in the Czech Republic mineral water of various saturation. However among the most outstanding preferences of Jeseník's mineral water belongs unrivalledly low content of natrium (Na). Thanks to this unique quality is meets demanding requirement according to the newest principles posed on healthy nutrition. Jeseník's mineral water ensures through its quality a permanent place by its consumers and its task is to replace in their bill of fare decreasingly quality drinking water.


PhDr. Stanislav Pomkla

INFORMATION: http://www.jeseniknadodrou.cz