Jasień (river)

The Jasień is a river flowing through the Polish city Łódź. Its spring is located in the eastern part of the city, under Lawinowa street, on height of 250 meter above the sea level. Then the river goes through the city centre and becomes the tributary of the Ner river on the height of 173 meter above the sea level.^[1] All the Jasień's basin falls within the area of Łódź. The river is 12.6 kilometers long.

History

Despite the narrow river bed, the Jasień's current is moderately fast due to the huge slope of the area. With the river's bed's initial and final height amplitude of 77 meters, the Jasień was found to be an excellent drive for machines. At the end of 15th century, on the section from Niciarniana street to Piotrkowska street, the river powered four watermills.^[2]

On the first half of 19th century the Jasień played a great role in industrialisation of Łódź. Tytus Kopisch - a German entrepreneur turned four watermills into laundry press, bleachery and fulling mills which enabled him to start his own textile factory. Soft water of the Jasień became known and valued as an industrial material and by the end of 20's of 19th century the shore of the Jasień was a built-up area with A. W. Potempa's cotton fabric factory, J.T. Lange's dye house and the cottonworks of Ludwik Geyer. Geyer soon became one of the richest entrepreneurs of the city and bought out all those places. In 1842 Traugott Grohmann got the mill located by Targowa street and used water of the Jasień for his steam machinery. In 1853 Karl Scheibler came to Łódź and received from local government terrain around present-day Park Źródliska. After a short time he absorbed many smaller companies into his fabric empire and became one of the most powerful businessmen of 19th century Poland.^[3]

Parks and ponds

Humid vicinity of the Jasień favoured the creation on parks and reservoirs in Łódź. These days, the river goes through Park źródliska, Park nad Jasieniem, Park widzewski and Wladyslaw Reymont's Park and creates ponds in each of those but the first.

Tributaries

Jasień has two main tributaries:

• The Karolewka
• The Olechówka

Besides, Jasień has many nameless, underwater creeks as tributaries.

See also

• Ner
• Łódź

References

External links

Coordinates: 51°42′50″N 19°24′46″E / 51.7138°N 19.4129°E / 51.7138; 19.4129