9

Tap water

On June 17th 1722 the carpenter Christian David cut down the first tree for the construction of Herrnhut. The immigrants were allocated a plot of forested land near the road from Löbau to Zittau by the count’s steward. Considering the lack of water and the solitude of the area a woman was reported to have exclaimed “How will we get bread at this deserted place?”
That the immigrants were mostly craftsman was probably an advantage in dealing with the challenges of this new settlement. The first well was dug in the same year, 1722, and in 1745 the first tap water was carried in wooden tubes from the Berthelsdorfer Revierteil to Herrnhut – a masterpiece of engineering in a landscape with an only minimal gradient. The leeking wooden tubes were later replaced by iron pipes. Five wells from this time have survived until today; this now covered water pump stands near the bailiwick.