History of the structure

The first municipal waterworks in Kożuchów were built in the 16th century. Earlier, water had been drawn from public wells located in the market square and, over time, from numerous private wells dug by the townspeople.  After the emperor Rudolph II issued a privilege allowing the felling of trees for the construction of water pipes in 1577, water began to be drawn from nearby hills and stored in reservoirs located in several places in the town. A network of water supply lines was constantly made denser, which sometimes allowed delivering water to particular parcels. In the 18th century wooden pipes began to be replaced with copper ones. In 1882 Sturm und Zeller company based in Breslau installed several pumps that fed water from its sources to 37 reservoirs and 35 hydrants. The year 1908 marked a breakthrough for the waterworks in Kożuchów. It was then that a modern water tower and iron-removing filters were put into operation. The water intake was based on three new deep water wells, from which water was brought to a collector well. From there it was fed by an electric pump through filters to fresh water reservoirs located under the pump station floor, from where it was fed by reciprocating pumps to the water tower. The last stage was a gravitational distribution of water to the municipal network. The tower was damaged during the war hostilities in 1945. As one of the top-priority buildings, it belonged to a group of structures that were most rapidly restored to service. It has been operating to this day, with a break in the years 2014-2015 for the purpose of conducting construction and renovation works, during which the tower’s structure was reinforced and the façades, architectural details and technical equipment were subject to conservation works.

Site description

The tower is situated on the highest elevation of Kożuchów, approx. 500 m to the south of the Old Town Market, at a road to Szprotawa. The structure is 37.5 metres tall and is made of clinker bricks and left non-plastered. The tower body, having a form of a cylinder narrowing upwards, was designed on a circular floor plan. Above, at the height of 22 m, a far wider head is located with an Intze reservoir with a capacity of 150 m3. The entire structure is covered with a pyramid-shaped roof topped with a slender spire. The entrance is located on the east side, framed with a brick portal whose triangular finial rests on side surrounds widening downwards. The entrance opening terminates in a segmental arch, while the niche above it - in a pointed arch. The field between them includes a relief with a coat of arms of Kożuchów and the date 1908. On the ground floor, there are three window openings framed with brick surrounds, having a form inspired by the entrance portal. Each of the three upper storeys of the body features four small windows arranged alternately. At the overhang, in a strip between the tower body and the head, there is a plastered strip with structural elements accentuated by clinker brick ribs formed into pointed arches. Inside each arch there is a round window or blind enclosed by a brick surround. A strip of regularly arranged windows is located at the reservoir level. The walls of the reservoir are crowned with crenellations. The roof includes four small dormer windows illuminating the attic. Each of them is covered with a gable roof and crowned with a small spire. The interior of the tower is partitioned into five levels. The masonry ceiling above the basement is of the Klein type. Other partitions include platforms made of boards resting on steel beams. The central part of the tower body features wooden stairs with handrails. 

The tower is situated on the highest elevation of Kożuchów, approx. 500 m to the south of the Old Town Market, at a road to Szprotawa. The structure is 37.5 metres tall and is made of clinker bricks and left non-plastered. The tower body, having a form of a cylinder narrowing upwards, was designed on a circular floor plan. Above, at the height of 22 m, a far wider head is located with an Intze reservoir with a capacity of 150 m3. The entire structure is covered with a pyramid-shaped roof topped with a slender spire. The entrance is located on the east side, framed with a brick portal whose triangular finial rests on side surrounds widening downwards. The entrance opening terminates in a segmental arch, while the niche above it - in a pointed arch. The field between them includes a relief with a coat of arms of Kożuchów and the date 1908. On the ground floor, there are three window openings framed with brick surrounds, having a form inspired by the entrance portal. Each of the three upper storeys of the body features four small windows arranged alternately. At the overhang, in a strip between the tower body and the head, there is a plastered strip with structural elements accentuated by clinker brick ribs formed into pointed arches. Inside each arch there is a round window or blind enclosed by a brick surround. A strip of regularly arranged windows is located at the reservoir level. The walls of the reservoir are crowned with crenellations. The roof includes four small dormer windows illuminating the attic. Each of them is covered with a gable roof and crowned with a small spire. The interior of the tower is partitioned into five levels. The masonry ceiling above the basement is of the Klein type. Other partitions include platforms made of boards resting on steel beams. The central part of the tower body features wooden stairs with handrails. 

Visitor access. Limited access to the building. The building can be viewed from the outside.

Author of the note: compiled by Anna Jackiewicz, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 12-12-2017

Bibliography

• Andrzejewski T. (ed.), Kożuchów. Zarys dziejów, Kożuchów 2003.
• Januszewski S., Wodociągowe wieże ciśnień woj. zielonogórskiego. Studium historyczno-konserwatorskie, Wrocław 1992, Archives of the Regional Monument Protection Office in Zielona Góra.
• Kowalski S., Muszyński J., Kożuchów. Zarys historii, Kożuchów 1995.