The Radunia Canal – a source of water for Gdańsk dwellers

Gdańsk development relied heavily on possibilities to ensure potable water supplies to its dwellers and flowing water by which business facilities could be located. The first Radunia canal was built in 1338. Its location changed twice, in 1571–1572 for the last time. Only this route is known – most of it survived till now. 
Probably Gdańsk dwellers used water delivered by pipelines from the Radunia Canal already in the 1340s. Water was supplied to public sumps situated in the main streets of the city. The Old Town and the Old Suburb might have had similar systems, although probably of a smaller range. Access to water determined the development of the city and the location of hospitals, plants, and workshops.
Researchers are divided in their opinions on the location of the first canals. It is probably true that so called small Radunia canal shown by Keyser in the Old Town is the older one of them. It seems, however, that at city foreland it was located nearer the Main Town. The location of the next canal indicated by Kloeppel seems to be the most probable. Speculations formulated by Köhler and Keyser that both canals still existed at the beginning of the 16th c. are erroneous. In 1535 a pump station (Wasserkunst) constructed over the new canal made it possible to pump water to a separate water supply system in the Main Town. Since 1539the system was enriched with water delivered to Gdańsk by pipelines from Krzyżowniki intake. Ensuring adequate water flow in canals and proper water quality was an issue of special concern for Gdańsk authorities, as „das Wasser ein publicum bonum civitatis [sei]”. Orders were issued to reduce water pollution and the tax system and adequate regulations of law made it possible to care for the state of canal embankments and formworks and to make repairs of water intakes, Wasserkunst, the water supply system and sumps.

Gdańsk development relied heavily on possibilities to ensure potable water supplies to its dwellers and flowing water by which business facilities could be located. The first Radunia canal was built in 1338. Its location changed twice, in 1571–1572 for the last time. Only this route is known – most of it survived till now. 
Probably Gdańsk dwellers used water delivered by pipelines from the Radunia Canal already in the 1340s. Water was supplied to public sumps situated in the main streets of the city. The Old Town and the Old Suburb might have had similar systems, although probably of a smaller range. Access to water determined the development of the city and the location of hospitals, plants, and workshops.
Researchers are divided in their opinions on the location of the first canals. It is probably true that so called small Radunia canal shown by Keyser in the Old Town is the older one of them. It seems, however, that at city foreland it was located nearer the Main Town. The location of the next canal indicated by Kloeppel seems to be the most probable. Speculations formulated by Köhler and Keyser that both canals still existed at the beginning of the 16th c. are erroneous. In 1535 a pump station (Wasserkunst) constructed over the new canal made it possible to pump water to a separate water supply system in the Main Town. Since 1539the system was enriched with water delivered to Gdańsk by pipelines from Krzyżowniki intake. Ensuring adequate water flow in canals and proper water quality was an issue of special concern for Gdańsk authorities, as „das Wasser ein publicum bonum civitatis [sei]”. Orders were issued to reduce water pollution and the tax system and adequate regulations of law made it possible to care for the state of canal embankments and formworks and to make repairs of water intakes, Wasserkunst, the water supply system and sumps.