Source: Vajdasági Magyar Értéktár (Hungarian Depository of Vojvodina) Link: http://ertektar.rs/ertektar/ertek/A-Ferenc-csatorna-a-mai- Duna%E2%80%93Tisza%E2%80%93Duna-csatorna-bacskai-szakasza/84
Franz's canal (Backa part of today's Danube-Tisa-Danube canal)
Presenting:
Franz's canal (today’s Danube-Tisa-Danube canal) starts from Baja, flows near Bezdan, Sombor, Stapar, Vrbas and Srbobran. At Bačko Gradište it branches into two parts and near Bečej joins Tisa. It was named after the Austrian Tsar and Hungarian king Franz I (1768-1835). The total length of the canal is 123 kilometers.
Building of the canal was started in 1793 on the section between Bačko Gradište and Bački Monoštor by the plans and under the supervision of Joseph Kiss and Gábor Kiss. It was put into operation in 1802. 25 years after its construction, the engineering consortium made a profit of 20 million forint from leasing the land around the canal, and after the end of concession; its ownership went to the treasury. Thanks to the canal, the navigation route was shortened by 227 km, which had greatly eased transportation of salt from Transylvania as well as cereals from Banat to the western market.
In 1854, due to moving its bed, a new lock was built at Bezdan, which the Hungarian state financed with 8.036.000 crowns. Works were carried out by the public limited company founded by István Türr. In the same period, a 46 km long navigation canal from Baja to Bezdan was built, parallel to the Danube. For the purpose of irrigation, between 1871 and 1875, the so called Franz Joseph irrigation canal was built from Mali Stapar to Novi Sad. Then, the lower lock was moved to Bečej, where, from 1895 to 1900, the first electrical power ship lock of steel construction in Europe was built; the István Türr lock.
With building of this canal, almost 150 hectares of territory, once covered with ponds and swamps, was made into quality, fertile ground, and a navigable route was established. The depth of the canal varied from 1.7 and 2.0 metres. In Franz's canal, ships of 650 tons could run, and in Franz Joseph canal, ships of 300 tons, the annual circulation was around 350 thousand tons. It has lost its transit importance only with the development of railway, and later road network.
Proposed by Zoltán Dévavári PhD
Franz's canal first joined Tisa at Bačko Gradište
Plan of the canal with locks
Franz's canal near Srbobran: such ships used to travel through the canal
Vrbas - part of Franz's canal
Vrbas- the upper lock
Today's appearance of the canal near Kula
Joseph Kiss, the architect of the Franz's canal
Explanation:
Franz's canal, on the territory of historical Hungary, was the undertaking of a particular importance for water management, drainage and irrigation as well as navigable traffic, which in a short time turned Bačka into the most developed agricultural region in the country, symbol of fertility and wealth. Its technical undertaking and that of the adjoining lock were the pinnacle in the hydrography of that time. The canal has determined the identity and geographical concept of the population of Bačka to date, and history of its construction has become interwoven in many literary works from this region.
Resource:
Faludi, Gábor: Franz`s canal and Istvan Türr (Faludi Gábor: A Ferenc-csatorna és Türr István). Baja, 2004. Gruber, Enikő: Life and time of Joseph Kis, engeineer in hydrograpy (Gruber Enikő: Kiss József vízépítő mérnök alakja és munkássága). Magazine Létünk (Genesis), 2010/1. 141–149. (http://adattar.vmmi.org/cikkek/1849/letunk_2010.01_14_gruber_eniko.pdf) Heincz, Albert: Water management. In: Borovski, Samu (edit.): Counties and cities of Hungary. County Bacs-Bodrog II 372–388. Kalapis, Zoltán: On the grave of Joseph Kiss in Vrbas. In. The former water world of Banat and Backa. Novi Sad, 1993. 21–26. Bordás, Győző: Fűzfasíp (Willow reed) (novel). Novi Sad, 1992. Bordás, Győző: Csukódó zsilipek (Lowered locks) (novel). Novi Sad, 1995. Majtényi Mihály: A császár csatornája (The Tsar’s Canal) (novel). Budapest, 1943. Majtényi Mihály: Élő víz (Live water) (novel). Novi Sad, 1951. Molter, Károly: Tibold Márton (Marton Tibold) (novel). Cluj. 1937. Vasagyi, Mária: Pokolkerék (The wheel of hell) (novel). Novi Sad, 2009.