50 Years of t h e K rKonoše Mountains n a t i o n a l P a r K 50 Years of the Krkonoše Mountains national Park Published by Krkonoše National Park administration in Vrchlabí in 2013 editor: © Jiří Bašta, Jan Štursa Project leader: radek Drahný Graphic design: GreenMango Photos: © archive of Krkonoše National Park administration © 2013 Krkonoše National Park administration, Dobrovského 3, 543 01 Vrchlabí www.krnap.cz krkonose.krnap.cz IsBN: 978-80-87706-36-7 50 Years of t h e K rKonoše Mountains n a t i o n a l P a r K Contents 50 Years of Krkonoše Mountains national Park Preface 1 (Jan Hřebačka) 6 Preface 2 (andrzej raj) 8 Krkonoše national Park 1963–2013 (Jiří Bašta) 10 an Inhabited Mountain range (from the Middle ages to the First World War) 10 Forty Four Pioneer Years (from the Founding of Czechoslovakia until 1962) 12 First Decade, First steps (1963-1973) 14 Building the Institution and the Collapse of Forest ecosystems (1974–1989) 19 renewal of the National Park and Visions for the Future (1990–2013) 41 references 61 Great Krkonoše Cases (Jan Štursa) 62 Modrý důl Valley 64 The Year 1968 in Krkonoše 70 Motorcycle Olympics 74 ascents of Mt. sněžka by Pioneers and Youth 80 The Labská and Luční bouda Chalets 84 Grousing over the Trails 90 Larch Bud Moths 94 The story of the spring anemones from Čertová zahrádka (Devil’s Gardens) 98 Mt. Lysá hora 102 Dwarf Pine versus Mat-grass 108 White and Green ski slopes 114 Obří bouda Chalet 120 across the Krkonoše Mountains by air? 124 scars on the slopes of the Krkonoše Mountains 128 Troubles of Two Old settlers 136 Heritage of the Krkonoše Farmers 142 Heads or Tails? 148 Friend or Foe? 154 70 km along the ridges of the Krkonoše Mountains 160 Mt. sněžka 166 On the relationships between Man and the Krkonoše Nature 180 Preface Jan hřebačka a s I walk in the Krkonoše Mountains, I usually find myself thinking about how these mountains will look in the future. My thoughts mostly move towards considerations on everything we should do to ensure a problem-free future for the national park and its natural values. However, this year is different. Many times I have found myself thinking about what it looked like here 50 years ago, when the national park was founded. What problems our colleagues had to face, the huge amount of work they carried out, and the credit they deserve for the fact that the Krkonoše nature has been care- fully protected for half a century. There were many problems and expectations, but certainly much pleasure in their work too. The first director, Miroslav Klapka began to build the Krkonoše National Park along with a few experts. Their work was pioneering and certainly deserves our admiration today. Names such as Josef Fanta, eva Kalašová, Vladimír Šatný, Václav Veselý, Zdena Beranová and Josef Horáček will always remain connected to the early days of the KrNaP administration and its operations. as time went by, it became clearer that the establishment of a national park had been necessary. The protection of the unique Krkonoše nature had to overcome many difficult 8 obstacles, such as the development of tourism with- have experienced the most significant changes, with out regard for the capacity of the territory, e.g. the a move away from traditional forestry management construction of giant recreational buildings. Despite and towards near-natural methods, supporting natural all the efforts of our colleagues, the face of Krkonoše processes, leaving part of the wood mass to rot, etc. suffered more scars, but the worst was still to come. Together with many other influences, this is extremely In the 1980s, Krkonoše was struck by an ecologi- beneficial for the development of biotopes and en- cal catastrophe caused by acid rain. Thousands of dangered species, which are returning to Krkonoše in hectares of predominantly spruce stands gradually relatively large numbers. sightings of Lynx, and even died off and the prognosis was not at all favourable. Wolves and Otters, are now frequent. symbolically, the Luckily, in connection with the changes in the politi- Three-toed Woodpecker and the Corn Bunting have cal regime, there were also enormous changes in the returned to us after more than 50 years absence. approach to environmental protection and the air pol- species which had never been observed in Krkonoše lution load was reduced. Thanks to the selfless help before, such as the soprano Pipistrelle, are also ap- from the Face foundation and Prof. Fanta, healthy pearing here. forests are returning to Krkonoše. However, the land- scape character of Krkonoše is again endangered by all of this is result of the work for nature which our col- another massive wave of construction. although mis- leagues started 50 years ago, and which all employ- takes were clearly made, Krkonoše has coped with ees of the KrNaP administration have continued ever this pressure for more construction, thanks to the since. They deserve our great thanks. It is the result existence of the national park. of many conflicts of opinion, but also of the respect for the interests of nature protection by the towns and since 1st January, 1994 the Krkonoše National Park villages in Krkonoše, as well as the local inhabitants administration has also administered the forests. This and visitors. We hope for another 50 years of support makes it easier to fulfil the mission of a national park. from the public. The impact on the condition of the forest stands, and especially on the methods applied in the forests, is Jan Hřebačka indisputable. During the last twenty years the forests Director of the Krkonoše National Park administration Mumlava Waterfall (photo radek Drahný) 9 Preface andrzej raj a fter I graduated from the Forestry Faculty at the University of Life sciences in Poznań in 1983, I decided to begin my professional career in the Western sudetes. although I wanted to work in national parks, fate played its role and I spent the first 4 years in the state Forest Company. I remem- ber these working years very positively, as I gained my first experiences of caring for forest ecosystems in montane conditions. The Krkonoše Mountains were nearby and on frequent visits to the Góry Kaczawskie Mountains, in the surroundings of Bolków or Kaczorów; I could observe the beautiful panorama of the Western sudetes with the high- est belt of Krkonoše in the background. My love of, and interest in, high mountain nature led to my dream coming true when I started to work for the Karkonoski Park Narodowy (KPN). The early months, or even years, evoked many doubts, sometimes even feelings of hopelessness. We observed and endured the results of the ecological disasters which afflicted the Krkonoše and Jizerské hory Mountains. The theoretical knowledge gained from my studies and work in the state Forest Company, were of little use in the organi- sation of work in the field of nature protection in the park and forest ecosystems. The variety and extent of the threats were so serious, that it was necessary to get to know and analyse them from scratch. I became convinced after 10 several years spent in KPN, that Krkonoše are the I became the Director of KPN, I have been primarily most beautiful mountains in the world. Creating suit- the creator and organiser. I really appreciate the coop- able protection methods called for extensive and mul- eration with both the previous Director Ing. Jiří Novák, ti-faceted consultations with scientists and experts and the current Ing. Jan Hřebačka. We have strength- at home and abroad. I quickly built contacts with the ened our relations in scientific research, publishing, Czech side, especially with the KrNaP staff, who were nature conservation, environmental education, pro- facing the same problems as the Polish side. Our re- viding access to the parks for tourists and in social lationships gained a new dimension and considerable dialogue. The new funding opportunities for nature momentum in the early 1990s, during a time of great conservation that emerged with the entry into the eU political transformations in our countries. My first per- have formed the basis for the organisation and imple- sonal contacts I had with Jan Štursa, Jiří Flousek, Petr mentation of many joint inter-disciplinary projects. It Štěpánek and Hana Petříková. From the start we dis- has strengthened our work and relationships. In many cussed the need to harmonise the nature protection cases, this cooperation has led to the development of regulations on both sides of the border, primarily in personal friendships. the field of protecting forest ecosystems. a very im- portant impulse for cooperation was the preparation I really appreciate our joint Polish-Czech activities in of documents for inscription of the two national parks the international arena, especially the enthusiastic on the list of UNesCO MaB World Biosphere reserves, participation of: the Director Ing. Jan Hřebačka, the which was successfully achieved in 1992 as the bi- Deputy Director Jakub Kašpar, the spokesperson lateral Krkonoše/Karkonosze Biosphere reserve. radek Drahný, the Head of the Nature Conservation another important moment for our was also the Department Jiří Flousek, the Head of the education first scientific conference ‘Geo-ecological Problems Department Michal skalka, and our long-time colleague in the Krkonoše Mountains,’ held in Karpacz in the Jan Štursa, now retired. Our joint participation in many autumn of 1991. On the initiative of the President of international organisations, conferences, workshops, the scientific Board of KPN, Prof. Leszek szerszeń, it seminars and the organisation of joint events means was decided that this conference would be held every that the Krkonoše/Karkonosze National Parks are well three years and at which the results of latest scien- recognised and appreciated by the international nature tific and practical research from the Krkonoše region protection community.