MALI STAPAR HYDRO COMPLEX
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- The oldest canal in Backa was constructed in 1786, and it stretched from Sivac to Vrbas
- Using partially its route, the brothers József and Gabor Kis designed the Grand Backa Canal to connect the Danube and the Tisa – 1794 the lock at Mali Stapar and in 1795 it was decided to allow the building of mills near Vrbas and Mali Stapar
- 1842 – The state took over the Grand Backa Canal
- 1870 – The Hungarian Assembly ceded the tasks related to further regulation of canals in favour of Istvan Tűrr and his Joint Stock Company Frensis Canal CO with the head-office in Budapest
- 1872 to 1875 – The building of the canal from Mali Stapar to Novi Sad. The Emperor Franz Joszef laid down the foundation stone of the Panonia monument
- 1898 – The Central Directorate for Canal Management was established in Budapest while Technical (Operations) Directorate was established in Mali Stapar so that the head-office building dates back to those times. It was used as the head-office building all until 1912.
- The original mill in Mali Stapar was built above the sluice on the left bank of the canal by the end of the 18th century. The contemporary mill was put in operation in 1848. It worked all until 1976 when the last lessee, Lazar Acanski, stopped milling.
The lock at Mali Stapar is the only preserved and functional among the old locks. It is a one-level lock with walls that were originally made of brick, bottom covered with oak tree floor, and two gates made of oak tree with ironware forged in Austria. The lock was renovated after the World War II. The bottom was covered with concrete and wooden gates were replaced with iron ones. The lock has four sluices today. The wooden bridge stands above the lock.
The complex of structures in Mali Stapar includes the lock, old mill, and head-office building; the protected surroundings consist of structures with the accompanying land plots along the canal. The procedure of proclaiming the subject complex for spatial cultural-historical site is in progress.
The Lock was built in 1875. It is 9,5 m wide. The chamber between the lower and upper lock head is not made of bricks and it is in the form of a trapeze-like earth canal profile. The lock had two double gates turned so that they can enable navigation only in the case of higher water levels in Baja-Bezdan Canal in comparison to Bezdan-Bačko Gradište Canal. The regulation of inflow from Baja-Bezdan Canal was carried out through openings on both sides of the lower gate, which were opened or closed, as necessary. The Šebešfok practically has never been used as a lock and it is now operating as a safety sluice.
Bezdan Lock was completed in 1856 and it was the first underwater concrete structure in Europe. For that purpose, even the concrete factory has been placed in the construction area. Concrete laying works lasted continuously (during the day and night) for 90 days. The lock 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. The lock connects the Vrbas-Bezdan Canal with the Danube. It has not been used as a lock since 1995 and it serves only for the needs of defence against high waters of the Danube.
The lock in Bečej, which is considered to be designed in the Eiffel's studio, was completed in 1896. It is located at the confluence of the DTD Canal with the river Tisa. The lock was built in two levels, with two sliding gates and one double gate (towards the Tisa). It is the first lock in Europe with its own direct current drive. Since 1975 it has been out of use and protected as a monument of culture.
