125 Jahre Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (EWZ)


Zürich, Limmat & Grossmünster 1912

Zürich, Limmat & Grossmünster 1912

125 Jahre Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (EWZ) Bericht publiziert in der Züriberg-Zeitung (Schweiz) vom 31. August 2017 « In Zürich war es ohne Lampen pechschwarz» Ein bisschen Geschichte betreffend dem Elektrizitätswerk in Zürich, Schweiz. PDF mit Kompletten Bericht:

Züriberg Zeitung EWZ Bericht (PDF)

125 Year Anniversary of the Zürich City Electrical Company (EWZ), A report published by the “Züriberg Zeitung” (Switzerland) from 31st of August, 2017 “In Zürich without electricity the nights were pitch-black”. The Report (PDF file available in link above) gives some of the history of of the electrical company in the city of Zurich and is in German with an English summary here;

The first street lighting appeared in Zurich in 1778 in the form of oil lanterns between the town hall and the main watch. In 1806 the citizens assembly voted in street lighting for the rest of the city but in order to save oil, this was not lit on full-moon nights.

In 1855 a visiting Dr. of Physics had already lit the city in a display of floodlamps that made the “banks of the Limmat appear as bright as if lit by a full-moon” but it took another 37 years to bring electrical street lighting to the city.

In 1856 gas lighting was officially introduced and by 1881 there were 1288 public lanterns in the city and outskirts. The gas director, Louis Hartmann was quoted as saying “Of the two competitors, electricity (and petrol) we have nothing to fear”, he felt that Zurich was not the place “where such luxury lighting will be used, where cost and outlay plays no role”. Only 9 years later he was proved wrong when the city gave the commission to build an electrical plant on the river Limmat. In 1892 the Electrical Company of Zurich (EWZ) was formed and in 1893 they were able to celebrate the first electrical lighting powered by the new plant (Kraftwerk Limmat) as they started operations.

The EWZ was a pioneer of their time and continue to bring innovation in to their operations.

translation C.P.

 


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