Nejstarší limnigraf na území České republiky – jeho smysl, vznik, přemístění a zánik

Abstract

The aim of the present study is an insight into the history of installing the oldest limnigraph on the Czech Republic´s territory. Despite an undisputed success and progress of the Czech hydrology under the leadership of the Swiss hydrologist Andreas Rudolph Harlacher in 1870–1890, installation of limnigraphs in our country was markedly delayed, as compared to Switzerland, Germany or even within the Austrian Empire. Actually, the first limnigraphs appeared in the above countries some 10–30 years earlier. A digitization of the oldest Czech systematic water level observations and gathering of all archive materials related to the “Staroměstské mlýny” site in Prague resulted in an unexpected finding: the oldest limnigraph recording sheet was revealed, however, for an unknown limnigraph profile. Only two facts were clear, i.e., that the profile of limnigraph was situated in Prague (but unclear were exactly) and that the recording started in November 1900. Our paper answers the basic questions were the limnigraph was located, what instrumentation it included, why the recording was cancelled, and what was the further destiny of this limnigraph. Additionally, we present a brief information on the very beginnings of installation of limnigraphs in the period 1900–1914 on the territory of the present-day Czech Republic.