Page 109 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

The territory of Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops on III. military mapping (1876–1878),
crop scale: 1 : 20,000

Sokolov region). At this time, two main hop growing The most important factor that transformed hop
areas in Bohemia were defined: Žatec (where the red growing into an agricultural industry was the railway,
hop variety was grown) and Ústí nad Labem (with the which reduced transport costs to one-eighth of their
green variety). previous levels and accelerated the transport of hops
at an unprecedented rate. It also enabled better supply
Since II. military mapping was no longer sufficient for lines to Žatec. 109
the requirements of the army of the Austrian monarchy
for accurate, and especially current, maps, in 1868, the In the years 1871–1873, Žatec became one of the most
Austrian Ministry of War decided for new mapping. important railway junctions in Bohemia. It gained the
Already in the years 1876–1878, followed in Bohemia, preconditions to maintain its position as the largest
Moravia, and Silesia III. military mapping at a scale centre of hop processing and distribution. In contrast,
of 1 : 25,000. The elevation is expressed not only by its share in hop production itself decreased because
hatching but also by contour lines. The original maps further suitable areas for new hop fields were no longer
are colourful and very clear. available.

III. military mapping shows the shape of the territory of The extraordinary increase in the area of hop fields
the nominated property at the beginning of industrial in Bohemia in the second half of the 19 century is
th
development, including the already stabilised railway. evidenced not only by statistical data. While according
In addition to a further slight increase in hop field areas, to the data of the stable cadastre (before the middle
the maps show the initial stage of the restructuring of of the 19 century), it was 4,336 ha, in 1907, the
th
the road network into a system of state and district historically largest area of 17,280 ha was reached. It
roads. Žatec became not only a critical railway junction was then that hop fields arose in those areas where
but also a road junction, which was very important for they still exist, albeit to a somewhat reduced extent.
transportation from more distant places in the Saaz Ohře’s floodplains were not affected by this increase
hop growing region, the development of which was because long-term continuity can be observed there
just beginning. In the immediate vicinity of Žatec, when comparing individual mappings. But it was
they gained good road connections with the town of then that the establishment of hop fields spread,
Staňkovice and Trnovany. Elsewhere, however, only for example, in a large area south of Ohře, in the
old field roads still survived in the Ohře floodplain space between Žatec and Rakovník, which is already
(Tvršice, Selibice, Zálužice, Rybňany, Stekník, interspersed with forests, and from Lubenec to Nové
Hradiště, Strkovice, Lišany, Levonice, Mradice and Strašecí. Undoubtedly, a change in the drying method
others). However, new wooden bridges over the river using hop kilns and the improvement of transport
in Rybňany, Zálužice, Hradiště, and Mradice meant opportunities for quality certification in Žatec and
significant transportation improvements. other trades played an essential role in this.