Stallegg Hydraulic Power Station

Electricity has been produced in Donaueschingen since 1889 to light up the royal housing quarters. While attending the International Exhibition of Electricity in Frankfurt am Main in 1891, the Lord of Fürstenberg realised that it was possible to transport electricity over long distances. He thus decided to build his own hydraulic power station, initially in order to provide the royal palace and brewery near Donaueschingen with electricity. The Wutach River was the only suitable source and so, in 1894, building works began at Stallegg Castle by the Wutach River. The arch dam was made from a new type of building material: concrete. It was completed in early 1895. The arch dam principle was revolutionary for its time. Water was channelled through a tunnel to the turbine house, crossing a distance of 191 m, and creating a net hydraulic head of 10 m. Until 1940, the power station itself housed a Francis turbine generating 150 kW of power. From 1895, the brewery pump house was supplied with electricity. On 6 October 1895, a new era began for the people of Donaueschingen: 3,480 streetlamps lit up at night! The year 1940 saw the fitting of a second turbine and the extension of the dam wall to a height of 8 m, making it possible to generate 270 kW of power. After a fierce dispute, the plant was shut down on 1 July 1979 and sold. Since 2000, it has been used to generate electricity again. The Kaplan turbine produces 355 kW of power per hour. None of the machinery and equipment from 1895 remains. The oldest component is the Francis turbine from 1900. Park in Göschweiler by the town hall and follow the signs. Walk down Hinterhäuserstrasse and turn left towards Stallegg. After ca. 2 km, you will reach the fairground which lies beyond the Stallegg estate. You can stop off there for a bite to eat. After that, it is only around 900 m to the power plant. It is also possible to visit the dam wall, the Stallegg Tanne (pine tree), and the Stallegg Bridge, all of which are in the surrounding area. On the way back from the power plant to the fairground, you can see the ruins of the Stallegg Castle (also known as Amalienschlössle) on the left.