Zprávy památkové péče 2013, 73(3):249-258

Structural and technical monuments on the former connecting route of the State Railway Company from Vienna to Brno and Znojmo

Jiří Kacetl

The connecting route of the State Railway Company (StEG) from Vienna through Lava to Brno was one of the main transport routes of the Danubian monarchy until 1918. Its importance declined in the 20th century and it was split by the Iron Curtain, so it became a mere regional route on the Moravian and Austrian sides terminating at the periphery of the borders. This geopolitical situation was particularly evident on the Moravian side through the lesser modernization of the tracks, resulting in the unconscious survival of many relics from the glorious period of the monarchy.
The structures and technical buildings on the Moravian stretch of the route are certainly worthy of continued attention by the conservation community. Three decades ago, the most valuable bridge works were already identified and included in statutory protection. In the case of the viaduct over the Jihlava valley, however, the compromises of the government authorities are quite visible by the end of the century, leaving just a sad torso of a monument of prime European heritage importance. On the other hand, the work of conservationists was very successful in the recent repairs of the Červený Most bridge near Znojmo and the "Železňák" bridge near Střelice.
At present, our attention should be focused on other structures of the StEG Connecting Route. In 2012, thanks to the initiative of members of the Association for Public Transport in southwestern Moravia, the nearly authentically preserved station building in Hevlín from 1910 was successfully entered onto the list of cultural monuments. There are one or two original StEG station buildings from 1870, however, which certainly deserve monument protection. The best preserved candidates for inscription are in Břežany, Moravské Bránice, and Střelice. There should also be discussion about the protection of other interesting buildings, such as the residential building for railway personnel in Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou, the last standing StEG heating plant at the same place, or the waterworks in Moravské Bránice. Finally, the Budkovický Tunnel is notably worth more emphasis as a pioneering work in the use of dynamite, or the monumental structural and technical design of the culvert beneath Bukovina Hill near Moravské Bránice.

Keywords: Staatseisenbahn-Gesellschaft/Společnost státní dráhy, State Railway Company, StEG, railway transportation, railway architecture, station building, railway bridge, railway tunnel

Published: September 1, 2013  Show citation