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Pliva Lakes with mills complex on Pliva river, the cultural area

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Status of monument -> National monument

Published in the “Official Gazette of BiH”, no. 58/09.

Pursuant to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, at a session held from 10 to 16 March 2009 the Commission adopted a

 

D E C I S I O N

 

I

 

The cultural landscape of the Pliva Lakes with group of mills on the Pliva river near Jajce is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).

The National Monument consists of the Greater and Lesser Pliva Lakes, including a strip 50 m wide around the lake shores and the group of mills on the Pliva river.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as c. p. no. 16/24/1, 16/24/2, 16/29, 16/11, 16/28/1, 16/16, 16/18, 16/26, 16/27, 16/13, 16/19, 16/21, 16/20, 16/12, 16/25, 16/14, 16/23/2, 16/23/3, 16/17, 16/15, 16/22 and 861/3, title deed no. 2449, 607, 684, 278, 624, 678, 686, 813, 846, 687, 1778, 1088, 2281, 2282, 441, 24, 140, 186, 187, 266, 1089, Land Register entry no. 625, cadastral municipality Jajce II, Jajce Municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH nos. 2/02. 27/02. 6/04 and 51/07) shall apply to the National Monument.

 

II

 

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the Government of the Federation) shall be responsible for providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the protection, restoration, conservation, maintenance and presentation of the National Monument.

The Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and setting up signboards with basic details of the monument and the Decision to proclaim the property a National Monument.

 

III

 

To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument on the site defined in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision, the following protection measures are hereby stipulated:

-       conservation and restoration works, routine maintenance works, and works designed to present the monument shall be permitted with the approval of the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

-       during the restoration, conservation and routine maintenance of the group of mills on the Pliva, the traditional appearance of the mills shall be preserved, and original materials, building methods and binders shall be used; care shall also be taken to respect the natural surroundings;

-       with a view to preserving the natural surroundings, regular monitoring shall be carried out and protection measures shall be implemented in line with the recommendations set out in the Nomination File and the Management Plan for the historic urban area of Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina (documents drawn up by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments; the body responsible for implementing the Management Plan is the Agency for the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage and Tourism Development of Jajce);

-       a programme for the revitalization of the site shall be drawn up, including determining the use of the group of mills in a manner that will not result in damage to the structure of the buildings or to the site and the natural surroundings, while facilitating the sustainable development of the local community;

-       all works that could endanger the National Monument are prohibited, as is the erection of temporary facilities or permanent structures not designed solely for the protection and presentation of the National Monument.

 

The following urgent protection measures are hereby prescribed for the purpose of protecting the National Monument:

-       conducting a detailed architectural survey of the current condition of the group of mills to determine the exact extent of the damage to each of the mills;

-       drawing up a project for the conservation of the property based on the architectural survey;

-       clearing the site of self-sown vegetation;

-       the conservation and restoration of the mills in line with the restoration and conservation project;

-       drawing up a maintenance plan and programme for the group of mills, specifying the organization responsible for implementing the programme.

 

To protect the values of the National Monument, a buffer zone is hereby stipulated with a radius of 200 metres from the boundaries of the National Monument. In this buffer zone the construction of new buildings that could be detrimental in size or height to the National Monument or the natural surroundings is prohibited, as are the extension or addition of further storeys to existing properties that could have the effect of impairing the National Monument.

 

IV

 

All executive and area development planning acts not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision are hereby revoked.

 

V

 

Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canton, and urban and municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the National Monument or jeopardize the preservation thereof.

 

VI

 

The Government of the Federation, the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning, the Federation heritage protection authority, and the Municipal Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in Articles II to V of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.

 

VII

 

The elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.aneks8komisija.com.ba)

 

VIII

 

Pursuant to Art. V para 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Commission are final.

 

IX

 

On the date of adoption of this Decision, the National Monument shall be deleted from the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02. Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 79/02. Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH no. 59/02. and Official Gazette of Brčko District BiH no. 4/03), where it featured under serial no. 279.

 

X

 

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of BiH.

 

This Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep Ahunbay, Martin Cherry, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović, and Ljiljana Ševo.

 

No: 09-2-40/09-21

12 March 2009

Sarajevo

 

Chair of the Commission

Dubravko Lovrenović

 

E l u c i d a t i o n

 

I – INTRODUCTION

Pursuant to Article 2. paragraph 1 of the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a “National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) until the Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has been submitted or not.

The Commission to Preserve National Monuments issued a decision to add the property of the mills on the river Pliva in Jajce to the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) under serial no. 279.

Pursuant to the provisions of the law, the Commission proceeded to carry out the procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National Monument, pursuant to Article V para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

 

II – PROCEDURE PRIOR TO DECISION

In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:

-       Documentation on the location of the property (copy of cadastral plan).

-       Data on the current condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs, data of war damage, data on restoration or other works on the property, etc.

-       Historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision.

 

The findings based on the review of the above documentation and the condition of the property are as follows:

 

Statement of significance

The twenty mills on the river Pliva between the Greater and Lesser Lakes constitute a group of traditional buildings of outstanding interest, and one that makes a major contribution to the townscape and landscape of the historic town of Jajce and its environs. The area is of outstanding natural, geological and scientific interest, and cannot be considered in isolation from its built heritage. The group of mills is a survival from local, small-scale industrial architecture and the expression of local carpentry skills and traditional building methods. Though almost entirely rebuilt, the mills are located in their original setting and were reconstructed using traditional materials and building methods.

 

1. Details of the property                     

Location

The cultural landscape is located 6 km to the northwest of Jajce town centre, where the river Pliva forms a series of lakes, the Greater, Lesser and Round Lakes. The mills themselves are located on the tufa barrier between the Greater and Lesser Lakes.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as c. p. no. 16/24/1, 16/24/2, 16/29, 16/11, 16/28/1, 16/16, 16/18, 16/26, 16/27, 16/13, 16/19, 16/21, 16/20, 16/12, 16/25, 16/14, 16/23/2, 16/23/3, 16/17, 16/15, 16/22 and 861/3, title deed no. 2449, 607, 684, 278, 624, 678, 686, 813, 846, 687, 1778, 1088, 2281, 2282, 441, 24, 140, 186, 187, 266, 1089, Land Register entry no. 625, cadastral municipality Jajce II, Jajce Municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Access to the National Monument is from the east, from the Jajce to Jezero road.

The main axis of eight of the mills lies east-west, approached from the east, and of the other twelve lies south-east/north-west, approached from the south-east.

Historical information

“The whole region of Jajce is rich in natural heritage which is impossible to consider separately from its architectural heritage. In Jajce, these two values intertwine. The phenomenon of travertine and travertine layers on parts of the Vrbas and Pliva watercourses plays a special role. Apart from being part of a unique composition, this belt in itself has a great value as a natural rarity.

[...]

The past researches have established that Plivsko Lake with its surroundings, primarily with the springs of the rivers Pliva and Janj, the waterfalls near Bukva and Sokolina, Dragnić and Oličkin Lakes, the Janj Gorge with the rich ornithofauna, the cave near Plivsko Lake, and the water mills, cascades and natural landscapes, i.e., the forests and meadows with rare flora and fauna, makes an extraordinary natural ensemble.

[…]

            The water mills and stamping mills, where grain was ground and cloth was fulled, are among Jajce's more important commercial buildings. From the waterfall to Pijavici, in the very centre of the town, “there were once up to a hundred water wheels turned by the river Pliva,” powering the flour mills and stamping mills. Since Jurjević's Relacija was written in 1626, this means that leather was also being tanned in Jajce at that time, and that some of the mills were probably already in existence during the time of the Bosnian kings. By 1885 there were fifteen mills on the stretch, with 87 millstones, and one stamping mill for fulling cloth, which continued operating until 1945.

            The only surviving mills in Jajce, five kilometres from the town centre, are known as Mlinčići. They stand on the tufa partition between the Great and the Lesser Lakes, and are buildings of great ethnographic value. In 1984 work began to reconstruct them to a design by Hazim Handžić of the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of BiH. The works were completed in 1985.”(1)

 

2. Description of the property

“The Jajce historical area is an extraordinary and unique combination of architectural and natural heritage, which has preserved to a high degree its authenticity and coherence. In this unique integration of human efforts that bear witness to numerous and various epochs, their succession, mutual supplementation and harmonisation on the one hand, and the forms built by nature in the infinity of its diversity, in the fascinating phenomena of emergence of water, air, and soil, objects of sacral and fortifications architecture met with Varošnica travertine cliffs, residential and memorial buildings with travertine caves, bridges and water mills with the rivers Vrbas and Pliva watercourses and the waterfall.

Jajce's historical urban area is a spatially and topographically self-contained ensemble. Two components are crucial for the formation of the town image. They are the role of the terrain morphology and natural phenomena – rivers, waterfalls, cascades, travertine rocks. The other component is the mutual permeation of the natural and what human hand made. In Jajce, the element of natural conditions is very strong – dominant – so that man's intervention in the "dramatic set" designed by nature only fits into what could be called the genius loci.”(2)  

The cultural landscape of the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce constitutes a distinctive method of exploiting a natural resource, water, and helps to maintain the biodiversity of this area of outstanding natural interest. This cultural landscape is one that has evolved organically, attesting to the interdependence, social development and interaction between people and the natural environment, and to a specific way of using natural resources that is, above all, sustainable. The setting of the mills and the way they make use of the current, far from damaging the natural environment and resources, in fact sustains the specific features and limits of their natural setting.

The cultural landscape of the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce came into being initially for economic reasons, but has evolved into its present form by interacting with and responding to the natural surroundings.

Protecting the group of mills entails not only preserving the wooden mills themselves; the preservation of the ensemble helps to preserve the entire area, which is one of the features by which Jajce is recognized, encourages the sustainable use of natural resources, and helps to maintain the natural values of the landscape.

Natural surroundings

“The river Pliva plays the vital part in the economic and environmental development of the region. It is the left tributary of the river Vrbas, 33 km long, with the catchment area of 768 km2. It is formed from two springs at the foot of Mt Smiljevac – Jastrebnjak at the altitude of 483 m, which after 300 m join into a stream. The Pliva is the most important natural resource of this region. The river and its surroundings are characterised by the specific geological ground composition and specific morphological and hydrological conditions, since its bed in its full length from the settlement of Jezero 20 km to the west of Jajce all the way to its confluence with the Vrbas is made of travertine.

Travertine is broadly distributed and a large part of the town lies on it. According to the geologist Dr. Haberlehner's information, the thickness of the travertine layer in the part of the Pliva bed in the very town centre is between 60 and 70 m, and according to some other scientists even over 100 metres. The continuous and uninterrupted precipitation of this so-called phytogene travertine is the natural and basic phenomenon of the Jajce area.

Certain conditions have to be created for the precipitation of travertine. Actually, water has to contain a certain degree of alkalinity and carbonate hardness. This area is ideal as such conditions can be created owing to the rock composition (limestones and dolomites). The property of limestones and dolomites is that they easily dissolve in water and thus create various natural phenomena like caves, plateaux, steeps, canyons… With the dissolution of limestone in water, one of the most important matters required for the formation of travertine cascades is formed - dissolvable calcium-carbonate. Super-saturation of water with calcium is the basic precondition for its precipitation. Additionally, water has to be clean and should by no means contain increased organic matter concentration, which is a strong barrier for the unique process to develop.

The presence of water algae and some mosses is another precondition for the precipitation of travertine, especially as a factor for shaping the so-called calcareous secretions. These water plants lend a special shape to the precipitated travertine, so that according to the types of flora we differentiate the biological types of travertine.

[…]

One of the essential conditions favourable for the precipitation of travertine is the amount of light, as the lighting defines the types of biocenoses inhabiting cascades, i.e., whether on them the vegetation of the light will prevail or the vegetation of the shadow. The speed of travertine precipitation depends also on the fall and form of the river course, the roughness of the surface on which travertine is precipitated, etc.

[…]

Plivska Lakes are situated on the northwest side from the town centre at a 6 km distance. In that section, the river makes its Veliko (Great), Malo (Little) and Okruglo (Round) Lakes. Veliko plivsko Lake is at the altitude of 425 m, 3.300 m long, and approximately 1 km wide. Its maximal depth is 36 m. Donje (Lower) Lake has a smaller area; it is about 1 km long and about 380 m wide, its maximal depth is 16 m. Geological development of these lakes has passed through all the development processes, so it has the character of tectonic, lacustrine and fluvial phases. The clearly differentiated hydrographic processes conditioned their emergence. Lakes emerged in the late Tertiary, and finally were formed in the Quaternary and Holocene. Plivska Lakes communicate with each other, but their borders continually shift due to the intensive vertical and side erosions. The lakes are separated from each other by the specific travertine barriers, for which decisive period was the latest ten thousand years or so, during which prevailed ecological relations favourable for the travertine precipitation and emergence of lakes. These barriers are another natural phenomenon of this area, formed under specific physical-chemical and biological conditions. Undissolvable limestone formed by dissolution of calcium-bicarbonate would be carried away if the plants and animals keeping it were not settled in such places and thus partly stopped the course of water, forming travertine barriers. These complex communities of flora and fauna act like a filter. The plants inhabiting cascades are adapted to the life in the fast running waters. Mosses and algae, like numerous fibres, can be seen in the direction of water course; they have very strong organs to hold onto the base, while some of the algae in running waters have thick and short gallert stalks. Water plants, just like terrestrial, need carbon dioxide for their growth, which they take from the part of free carbonic acid in water. With this they disturb the chemical balance between the dissolved calcium bicarbonate and free carbonic acid. In exchange for the carbon dioxide taken away, water through the dissolution of calcium bicarbonate releases a certain amount of calcium carbonate onto the plants in the form of the lime crust. In this process, the major role is played by the blue-green algae of which some species live in shallower and warmer waters, where calcium is deposited in their structure. Along with algae, mosses also take part in this process, which cause the formation of the so-called porous travertine. Lime is released and deposits onto the moss roots where it hardens. Plants resist this by incessant growth. The lower moss parts die and turn into porous stone, tuff or travertine. The pore size in travertine depends on the type of the encrusted moss. The moss stalks form travertine with larger pores, and the branches finely porous travertine. For the growth of travertine important are not only some sorts of algae and mosses, but also various epiphytes (plants that live on other plants, but do not use them, e.g. various lichens) which overgrow moss communities on travertine forms. The process of travertine precipitation begins on the surfaces overgrown by epiphytes releasing a sticky substance on the basis of polysaccharides. The organisms releasing the aforesaid sticky matter are called Mucopolysaccharides.

Generally, the youngest travertine precipitates are mostly formed by the blue-green algae. They create conditions for the light moss vegetation (Cinclidotus) to settle after them, which in turn enables the formation of dry parts on travertine barriers. Then higher vegetation can settle there, which gradually shadows the cascade surface parts and thus creates conditions for the development of the shadow moss vegetation (Cratoneurum). It is this vegetation that stimulates the most intensive travertine growth. Travertine precipitation is a natural process which acts also as a factor of protection of the Karst watercourses. Lakes are important objects of the protection of nature.”(3)  

The group of mills

The layout of the mills on the tufa barrier between the Greater and Lesser Lakes on the river Pliva, with their natural setting into which they fit so well as part of the natural order of things, is characterized by an “ebullience” in which their harmony with nature is plain to see. The mills have become an inseparable part of the natural environment, blending with and yet growing organically out of it, as naturally as the vegetation that surrounds them.

The arrangement of the mills is the result of a marked feeling for the area and respect for the natural conditions. It reveals the ability of vernacular builders, their knowledge of the site, their skill in adapting the building to the site and locating each mill where it could most easily be placed so as to feed the water to the mill wheel. The architecture of the mills is evidence of the ability of the vernacular builder to make each mill in a highly practical and simple manner.

The way the mills were built is wholly dictated by their function and raison d'être; these simple but essential structures are free of all superfluity, from construction to the smallest detail, without any decoration. The vernacular builder set them in this stunning natural environment without feeling the need to display his own design and artistic skills. Free of any need for self-expression, the group of mills as a whole, and every detail within it, expresses rather the modesty of the builder, his acceptance of the demands of their function and of the natural surroundings.

The group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce consists of twenty (20) mills, forming two rows on the tufa barriers. They are all timber-built, standing on piles of unequal length, reflecting the sloping site, and have multipaned roofs clad with shingles. In front of each mill is an entrance platform of wooden boards, the same length as the mill and about 70 cm wide. Each mill is completely equipped with millstones, mill wheels and so on.

All the troughs that channelled water to the mill wheels are of wood, consisting of wooden boards on rectangular-section wooden uprights.

As stated in the technical description of the working design for the group of mills on the Pliva, compiled by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina(4), the mills may be classified by structural system, roof structure and layout.

There are two different structural systems:

-       those made of boards interlocking at the corners and forming an integral part of the primary structural system;

-       those made with load-bearing grooved posts at the corners as the primary structure, with a board infill.

In terms of roof structure, the mills may have a gabled or a three-paned roof.

In terms of layout, some are single-celled and others twin-celled with a single roof(5).

The mills are characterized by their simple, archaic appearance, with simplified details necessitated solely by their function. They bear all the signs of having been built by the general jobbing builders known as dunđeri, free of anything superfluous or unnecessary. The structural system is subordinate to the nature of the materials and the specific features of the site. Wooden piles driven into the tufa support a wooden skeleton with a board infill or a vertical load-bearing surface, depending on the type of building. The buildings are topped by light-weight gabled or three-paned roofs(6).

Description of the mills

Mill no. 1(7)

Mill no. 1 is a two-cell unit (two mill wheels), measuring 4.10 x 3.00 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.20 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 36 do 38 cm. The mill cells rest on two rows of rectangular-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 2

Mill no. 2 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.60 x 3.50 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.00 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by four (4) round-section posts, Ø 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular- and square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are three square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 3

Mill no. 3 is a two-cell unit (two mill wheels), measuring 3.50 x 2.90 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.20 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 28 to 30 cm. The mill cells rest on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 4

Mill no. 4 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 4.20 x 3.75 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.30 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by three (3) round-section posts, Ø 35 cm, and three stone bolsters measuring approx. 50 x 50 cm, with a height of 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts and bolsters, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are three square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 5

Mill no. 5 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.60 x 3.30 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.0 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6)(8) round-section posts, Ø 20 and 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front, around the door, are two square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 6

Mill no. 6 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.40 x 3.60 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.50 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6)(9) round-section posts, Ø 28 to 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front, where the door and the side wall meets, is a square-section post into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 7

Mill no. 7 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.20 x 3.30 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.00 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6)(10) round-section posts, Ø 16 cm (in the case of the posts supporting the entrance platform) and Ø 33 and 38 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 8

Mill no. 7 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 3.60 x 2.80 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.10 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by five (5)(11) round-section posts, Ø 16 cm (in the case of the post supporting the entrance platform) and Ø 26 and 30 cm, and one stone bolster. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 9

Mill no. 9 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 3.05 x 2.70 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.0 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by two (2) round-section posts, Ø 28 cm, and two stone bolsters measuring approx. 50 x 50 cm, with a height of 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 10

Mill no. 10 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.60 x 3.10 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.50 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by two (2) round-section posts, Ø 32 cm and two stone bolsters measuring approx. 50 x 50 cm, with a height of 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are three square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 11

Mill no. 11 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.80 x 3.50 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.70 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported six (6) bearing structures; two (2) round-section posts, Ø 16 cm (the posts of the entrance platform), two (2) round-section posts, Ø 30 cm and two stone bolsters measuring approx. 50 x 50 cm, with a height of 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular- and square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 12

Mill no. 12 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.90 x 3.20 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.80 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 24 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 28 and 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular- and square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 13

Mill no. 13 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 5.35 x 3.20 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 3.30 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 16 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 26 and 28 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are three square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 14

Mill no. 14 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.60 x 3.20 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.60 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by four (4) round-section posts, Ø 29 and 32 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are three square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 15

Mill no. 15 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.80 x 3.35 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.80 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) bearing structures: two (2) round-section posts, Ø 30 cm and four stone bolsters measuring approx. 50 x 50 cm, with a height of 15 to 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts and bolsters, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 16

Mill no. 16 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.80 x 2.80 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.80 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 24 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 30 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are two rectangular-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 17

Mill no. 17 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.80 x 3.75 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.70 m in height

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts, Ø 25 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 25 and 28 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 18

Mill no. 18 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.85 x 3.75 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.50 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by four (4) round-section posts, Ø 26 and 32 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular- and square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are two rectangular-section and two square-section posts into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a gabled roof.

Mill no. 19

Mill no. 19 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 3.15 x 2.90 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.60 m in height

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts Ø 18 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 26 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular-, square-and round-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams

The structural system of the mill consists of boards interlocking at the corners. On the entrance front are two rectangular-section and one square-section post into which the primary structural system is slotted.

The mill has a three-paned roof.

Mill no. 20

Mill no. 20 is a single-cell unit (one mill wheel), measuring 2.80 x 3.20 m. The upper part of the mill (the cell) is 2.60 m in height.

The structure of the mill is supported by six (6) round-section posts Ø 18 cm (posts of the entrance platform), and Ø 24 and 26 cm. The mill cell rests on two rows of rectangular- and square-section beams, set lengthwise and crosswise, on the posts, with the floor boards of the mill set crosswise between the beams.

The structural system of the mill consists of square section uprights with grooves at the corners as the primary structure and boards as infill between the uprights as the secondary structure.

The mill has a gabled roof.

 

3. Legal status to date

The mills on the river Pliva in Jajce are on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina under serial no. 279.

 

4. Research and conservation and restoration works

Natural surroundings

Repair works on the channel and falls of the river Pliva to 1990

Repair works carried out before World War I consisted of driving in wooden piles to support a rock-fill barrier. Professional analyses carried out subsequently revealed that this was a flawed repair method, chosen out of ignorance of the physical and chemical characteristics of the tufa: the piles had caused a new level that would lead to a further collapse of the waterfall.

            […]

Investigations conducted for the purpose of drafting the technical documentation to build the Jajce I hydropower plant revealed that the channel had deepened by 5 metres between 1952 and 1957.

When works began on the construction of the Jajce I generating station, the natural tufa barriers of the Round Lake were dug up in order to build in 5 m diameter reinforced concrete inlet pipes.

The project provided for the channel of the river Pliva downstream from the Great Lake to prevent further erosion and to preserve the channel in its natural condition as far as possible, creating suitable conditions for the tufa generators to recover and tufa to be formed.

By raising the height of the natural tufa barriers with the addition of a reinforced concrete crest, the natural lake was turned into an artificial reservoir, the Great and Small Pliva Lakes were merged, a biological minimum of 3 m3/s was stipulated (retained to this day) to be directed to the Small Lake via a water mill, four barriers were erected to create the Round Lake, seven barriers were erected in the channel downstream from the Round Lake, and the crest of the waterfall was constructed.

All these works were carried out between 1956 and 1958. Between 1970 and 1972 a further four barriers were erected downstream from the Round Lake.

Repair works on the channel and falls of the river Pliva carried out between 1996 and 2006

During the night of 31 January to 1 February 1996, high water levels destroyed the main regulatory ledge, ledge no. 1, creating a domino effect that wrought havoc on the entire channel of the river Pliva and caused the right-hand crest of the waterfall to collapse.

            […]

The failure of the barriers resulted in a markedly increased rate of erosion, altering the geometry of the channel in both depth and width, and deepening the channel by as much as six metres in places. The collapse of the banks threatened the stability of the roads, the properties along the banks, and the abutments of all the bridges, which were undermined, causing one to give way completely.

[…]

Despite the urgency, it was only in June that year that an expert team was formed to identify solutions to halt or reduce further degradation of the channel and falls.

The solutions proposed by the expert team under the heading “Intervention Repairs” were designed to make good the reinforced concrete grill of the right flank of the waterfall, fill in the cavern that had been formed, and redirect the water towards the left flank of the waterfall by means of a gabion wall.

The works began in September 1996, but were halted two months later because of a new flood wave, which not only destroyed the repairs that had so far been carried out but also caused further damage. An inspection and analysis of this latest damage revealed that it was no longer possible to make good the falls by means of the repairs proposed and already begun; the problem had become much more complex and required a concomitantly more complex approach to the solution.

The expert commission concluded that:

-       the banks of the entire stretch of the river Pliva should be made suitably stable, as should the abutments of the bridges and the waterfall itself,

-       the works should be kept to a minimum to retain the existing geometry of the channel,

-       the features of the surroundings should be retained and improved to the fullest possible extent,

-       every effort should be made to encourage the formation of tufa in the channel,

-       measures should be taken to prevent the retention of floating waste,

-       the terrain along the river banks should be provided with flood protection,

-       the extremely high costs of total repairs dictated the need to draw up staged project documentation and to carry out the construction and repairs themselves in stages.

The investigative works were mainly based on three drillings each 20 m in depth, one each in front of barrier 1 (left flank of the waterfall), barrier 2 (the intermediate fall in the waterfall) and barrier 3 (the collapsed right flank of the waterfall).

The paper setting out the research works to identify the need for urgent repairs not only provided an analysis describing the disastrous state of the waterfall and tufa deposits, but also highlighted two facts:

-       repairs needed to be carried out as a matter of urgency to prevent the entire main waterfall at the confluence of the Pliva and the Vrbas from collapsing, with unpredictable consequences for both the town of Jajce and the channel of the Pliva;

-       the repair works would not be simple, nor would it be possible to predict all the works with accuracy. Many of the works and solutions applied will need to be adjusted to the actual state of affairs on site, which could hold many surprises almost everywhere(12).

Group of mills

On account of the poor structural condition of the mills on the Pliva, a conservation project was drawn up in the early 1980s.

The project for the group of mills on the Pliva in Jajce was based on a detailed survey of the condition of the complex by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architectural Studio, in December 1981(13).

As stated in the project, the conservation of the complex took into account the fact that the group of mills is an extremely valuable example of vernacular architecture and the local tradition, which came into being spontaneously, to serve a very specific purpose for the community. The technical description of the project for the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce notes that the complex had certain values that should be preserved during the reconstruction. The values to be preserved were said to be the dunđer style of treating the materials, the simplicity of the structural solutions and other details, the sense of ease and spontaneity in the way the mills fitted into their setting, the sense of a certain imprecision and lack of uniformity and, despite the use of almost identical elements, the absence of symmetry. Since the only materials available when the mills were reconstructed were industrial, and with the aim of achieving the same natural appearance as the original buildings, the project provided for the factory-processed timber to be hewn to remove its sharp edges and smooth surfaces. It also provided for all the surviving timbers to be reused wherever possible. Only some of the posts on which the mills rest were to be from factory-processed timber: the majority were to be felled in the forest and trimmed to match the surviving posts. All the metal elements were to be of wrought iron.

During the reconstruction of the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce provision was made for paths linking the mills to provide an unbroken walkway through them. Two kinds were proposed, both based on posts driven into the ground, with in one case beams laid lengthwise and half-logs crosswise, and in the other pairs of posts joined by cross-beams with boards laid over them lengthwise.

The reconstruction works on the mills on the Pliva near Jajce were carried out in 1985.

During the 1992-1995 war the group of mills in Jajce was damaged. Thanks to the Federal Ministry of Culture and the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the Federal Ministry of Culture, the complex on the Pliva has been completely restored.

 

5. Current condition of the property

Natural surroundings

“Tufa is created by moss and algae of a specific type in fresh water, which must meet certain conditions. There is a great expanse of tufa, and much of the town of Jajce is built on it. The generation of tufa formerly outstripped the process of erosion, as can be observed on the upper strata of tufa, the top of which reaches a considerable height. In the 1960s the process [of erosion] gained momentum, as evidence by measurements taken in 1952 and 1957. Over a period of seven years, the level of the river sank by five metres. The same process is occurring at the top of the waterfall.

[…]      

In order to determine the causes of this process, the conditions that are required for the tufa generators to create tufa and the principle of depositing tufa must be known. The ecological conditions needed by the tufa generators, which Dr Pavletić calls bryophytes, are:

-       the necessary light levels, ideally 100%

-       water temperature from 10.3 to 23.4 o C

-       water speed from 0.5 to 3.4 m/sec, and

-       the hydrochemical composition of the water: alkalinity from 3.6 to 2.7, i.e. an abundance of carbonates; water hardness from 10.2 to 7.6 deg, a quantity of free CO2 and a pH value of 7.1 to 7.5

As noted, the erosion of the tufa began long ago, with the cause a long-lasting geomorphological process contingent on changes to the hydrological characteristics of the river. At first the process was somewhat slower, with the tufa generators to some extent compensating for the erosion of the tufa. It may also be assumed that over a long period some of the conditions, such as temperature, chemical composition and water quantity, would have altered.

The causes of increased erosion can be explained as follows:

1. changes to the regime of the Pliva river downstream from the Great Lake following the construction of the hydropower plant with gravitational intervention on the Great Lake in 1895, when as a result of this intervention low water, when the regeneration of the tufa would have been possible, no longer flowed, while mid-level and high water continued to exert constant erosion.

2. inexpert repairs to the waterfall and reinforcement of the banks are another cause of erosion.

3. with disastrously high flood waters in 1932, there was extensive erosion. In a single night the river bed cut into the tufa by about 2.0 m.

4. other interventions to the river bed, such as re-routing water back to the mills, part regulation, the extraction of tufa as building material, etc., also contributed to further erosion. 

The main cause of erosion is thus major variations in water quantity leaving large areas of the river bed without water over a long period.

In 1995 and 1996 there was another surge of high water, and the banks of the river Pliva and some of the ledges of the river were again destroyed. The surge also caused some landslips, damaged some roads, and caused serious damage to the waterfall.

[…]

The increased flow of water led to the riverbed being considerably deepened, and to the undermining and part destruction of the river embankments and the banks along the entire course of the Pliva from Round Lake to its confluence with the Vrbas.” (14)  

Group of mills

The group of mills on the lake in Jajce is in relatively good condition. The basic threat to the complex, which is a serious one, is the lack of routine maintenance, as a result of which not one of the twenty mills is currently in use.

The troughs channelling water to the mills are in a state of neglect, overgrown with low-growing plants, and in some cases completely choked with rubbish and branches, or even in a totally ruinous state.

The park-style area of the entire site is well laid-out and kept properly maintained. The site is equipped with the appropriate furniture (benches and waste bins), and has clearly marked, tidy footpaths and play areas for children. There are restaurants in the north-west part of the park, and toilets in the north-east part.

Damage to the mills

Mill no. 1

The mill is in relatively good condition as is the wooden trough (channelling water to the wheel).

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill(15) are in very good condition, without any damage, and showing signs of having been treated with wood preservative.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheels are covered with moss and are not in working order.

Mill no. 2

The wooden trough, being broken and choked with branches, is not in use, and the water flows past the trough rather than through it.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in very good condition, without any damage. The entrance platform is almost entirely in ruins.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheel is missing, and a millstone is missing inside the mill.

Mill no. 3

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state, with only minor remains visible. The absence of the trough means that the water flows under the mill.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in very good condition, without any damage. The entrance platform is almost entirely in ruins.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The wooden mill wheel support and the wheels themselves are missing.

Mill no. 4

The mill is in relatively good condition as is the wooden trough.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in very good condition, without any damage, and showing signs of having been treated with wood preservative.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheels are covered with moss and are not in working order.

Mill no. 5

The mill is in relatively good condition. The wooden trough has survived, but the water does not flow from the trough to the wheel.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in very good condition, without any damage, and showing signs of having been treated with wood preservative. The entrance platform is slightly damaged.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheels are covered with moss and are not in working order.

Mill no. 6

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state, with only minor remains (the wooden supports of the trough) to be seen. The absence of the trough means that the water flows under the mill.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with only minor damage. The entrance platform is wholly in ruins, making it impossible to reach the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheel is missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 7

The wooden trough is partly in a ruinous state and partly overgrown with vegetation..

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with only minor damage. The floor of the mill has been completely destroyed. The entrance platform is badly damaged, making it unsafe to enter the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. A millstone and the mill wheel are missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 8

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state with only minor remains (the wooden supports of the trough) to be seen.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is badly damaged, making it unsafe to enter the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheel is missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 9

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state with only minor remains (the wooden supports of the trough) to be seen. The water is not flowing under the mill at all.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. One of the entrance doors of the mill is missing. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. There is also some damage to the stone bolsters. A millstone and the mill wheel are missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 10

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is completely overgrown, making it difficult to enter the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 11

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is completely overgrown, making it difficult to enter the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 12

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state.

The mill is in poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. One of the bearing posts is leaning off true. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 13

The wooden trough is in a totally ruinous state.

The mill is in quite poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in poor condition, with significant damage to the walls and the door missing. The floor inside the mill and the entrance platform are in a totally ruinous state, making it impossible to enter the mill.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. A millstone and the mill wheel are missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 14

The wooden trough is partly in ruins. The main inflow does not pass through the trough, but bypasses the mill.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in relatively good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform has survived, but access to the mill is impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheel is missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 15

The wooden trough is partly in ruins and is overgrown with vegetation, making it unusable.

The mill is in relatively poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in poor condition, with damage to the door and part of the floor missing. The entrance platform is damaged and the access path to the mill has been completely destroyed, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss. The mill wheel is missing.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 16

The wooden trough is partly in ruins and is overgrown with vegetation, making it unusable. The main inflow does not pass through the trough, but bypasses the mill.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants, and a tree is growing under the mill.

Mill no. 17

The wooden trough is partly in ruins and is overgrown with vegetation, making it only partly usable.

The mill is in poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in good condition, with minor damage only, but the door is missing and the floor is badly damaged. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants. Low-growing plants are growing around one of the posts.

Mill no. 18

The wooden trough is partly in ruins and is completely overgrown with vegetation. The damage to the trough has caused the water to enter the mill and flood it.

The mill is in poor condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are covered with moss. The floor and the entrance platform are in a totally ruinous state.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants. Low-growing plants are also growing by the entrance and side walls of the mill.

Mill no. 19

The wooden trough is partly in ruins and is overgrown with vegetation, making it unusable. The main inflow does not pass through the trough, but bypasses the mill.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

Mill no. 20

The wooden trough is damaged and overgrown with vegetation, and is consequently unusable. The main flow does not pass through the trough, but bypasses the mill.

The mill is in relatively good condition.

The wooden elements of the upper part of the mill are in good condition, with minor damage only. The entrance platform is entirely in ruins, making access to the mill impossible.

The damage to the wooden elements of the lower part of the mill, the posts, takes the form of missing parts of the posts and signs of rot in the timbers. The middle sections of the posts, which are constantly exposed to moisture, are covered with moss.

The part of the mill in contact with the ground is completely overgrown with low-growing plants.

 

6. Specific risks

-       Deterioration of the group of mills as a result of the lack of routine maintenance

 

III – CONCLUSION

Applying the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.

The Decision was based on the following criteria:

D.         Clarity (documentary, scientific and educational value)

D.iv.     evidence of a particular type, style or regional manner

E.         Symbolic value

E.iii.      traditional value

E.v.      significance for the identity of a group of people

F.         Townscape/ Landscape value

F.i.       relation to other elements of the site

F.ii.       meaning in the townscape

F.iii.      the building or group of buildings is part of a group or site

G.         Authenticity

G.v.      location and setting

I.          Completeness 

I.i.         physical coherence

I.ii.        homogeneity

I.iii.       completeness

 

The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:

-       Copy of cadastral plans

-       Copy of land register entry

-       Title deeds nos. 2449, 607, 684, 278, 624, 678, 686, 813, 846, 687, 1778, 1088, 2281, 2282, 441, 24, 140, 186, 187, 266, 1089

-       Photodocumentation (photographs of the site taken in November 2008)

-       Survey of the condition of the complex by the Institute for the Protection of cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architects' Studio, architect Hazim Handžić, funded by the Jajce I hydro power plant, December 1981

-       Design for the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce, Institute for the Protection of cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, chief designer Aleksandar Ninković, designer Hazim Handžić, funded by the Jajce I hydro power plant, September 1982.

 

Bibliography

During the procedure to designate the natural and built ensemble of the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted:

 

1981.    Survey of the condition of the complex by the Institute for the Protection of cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architects' Studio, architect Hazim Handžić

 

1982.    Design for the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce, Institute for the Protection of cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, chief designer Aleksandar Ninković, designer Hazim Handžić

 

2007.    Text of the nomination file for the natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for inscription on the World Heritage List, various authors.


(1) From the nomination of the cultural property of the historic town of Jajce for inscription on the World Heritage List: Sarajevo: Commission to Preserve National Monuments, 2007, 10-12, Description of the Property, Zones of Natural Heritage and Industrial Premises, by Mirzah Fočo.

Translator’s note: Given that the nomination file is an official document in the public domain, this and all other excerpts from the nomination file, several of which are the work of another translator, are repeated here verbatim, errors included. For ease of reference these excerpts are given in italics. Note that the word sedra, frequently translated in these excerpts as “travertine,” means what I call “tufa” – in English usage, “travertine” is “A kind of calc tufa deposited by certain hot springs in volcanic regions,” and “tufa” (calc-tufa) is “A general name for deposits of CaCO3 formed by deposition from solutions of calcium bicarbonate, Ca(HCO3)2. . .  Calc tufa is found mainly in limestone regions, filling cracks, joints, fissures, and cavities in the rocks, and around springs and resurgences of water which have traversed limestone strata. The calc tufa formed in these cases is often spongy or cellular in character and may enclose fragments of rock, plants, or animal remains. . . Certain hot springs in volcanic regions also deposit a kind of calc tufa known as travertine.” (D. G. A. Whitten with J. R. V. Brooks, The Penguin Dictionary of Geology, London, 1972). The word “tuff” also appears in these excerpts; the Dictionary of Geology defines this as “pyroclastic rocks,” an entirely different phenomenon formed from the hardened volcanic ash deposited by an eruption. In the light of these definitions, it is my opinion that the word “tufa” is the most appropriate term, and the one I consistently use throughout all my translations (e.g. in the section from the Nomination File quoted in Sections 4 and 5 of this Decision), where the word sedra and its derivatives are used in the original local-language text.

(2) From the nomination of the cultural property of the historic town of Jajce for inscription on the World Heritage List: Sarajevo: Commission to Preserve National Monuments, 2007, part 3, 62, Justification for Inscription: Criterion C(iv), Succession of Human Efforts, by Ljiljana Ševo

(3) From the nomination of the cultural property of the historic town of Jajce for inscription on the World Heritage List: Sarajevo: Commission to Preserve National Monuments, 2007, 10-12, Description of the Property, Zones of Natural Heritage and Industrial Premises, by Mirzah Fočo.

(4) The design for the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce (the conservation of the mills) was drawn up in September 1982 by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architectural Studio, chief designer Aleksandar Ninković, designer Hazim Handžić, and funded by the Jajce I hydro power plant

(5) In the design a cell is the term used for the organizational unit of a mill (one mill wheel).

(6) Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architectural Studio, Technical Description, Group of Mills on the Pliva near Jajce, Jajce, 1982

(7) The numbering of the mills is that of the design for the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce.

(8) The mill itself rests on four (4) posts; the other two support the structure of the entrance platform.

(9) The mill itself rests on four (4) posts; the other two support the structure of the entrance platform.

(10) The mill itself rests on four (4) posts; the other two support the structure of the entrance platform.

(11) The mill itself rests on four (4) posts; one post and bolster support the structure of the entrance platform.

(12) From the nomination of the cultural property of the historic town of Jajce for inscription on the World Heritage List: Sarajevo: Commission to Preserve National Monuments, 2007, 110-112, State of Conservation and Factors Impacting on the Monument, Repair works on the Channel and Falls of the river Pliva, by Mirela Mulalić Handan

(13) The survey of the condition of the group of mills on the Pliva near Jajce was carried out in December 1981 by the Institute for the Protection of cultural Monuments and Natural Rarities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Architects' Studio, architect Hazim Handžić, and funded by the Jajce I hydro power plant.

(14) From the nomination of the cultural property of the historic town of Jajce for inscription on the World Heritage List: Sarajevo: Commission to Preserve National Monuments, 2007, 107-109, State of Conservation and Factors Impacting on the Monument, Repair works on the Channel and Falls of the river Pliva, by Mirela Mulalić Handan

(15) The upper part of the mill means the part resting on the posts, and the lower part means the posts and water wheel.



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