Výzkumný ústav vodohospodárský T. G. Masaryka / T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute - Prague, CZ - Research Institutes on Waymarking.com

T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute (Výzkumný ústav vodohospodárský T.G. Masaryka), located at Vltava river bank in Prague' district Podbaba, is one of the oldest governmental research isntitutions in the Czech Republic (and former Czechoslovakia).

Water Research Institute was one of the first scientific institutes established in the independent Republic of Czechs and Slovaks. The institute was founded as the State Hydrological Institute by the Ministerial Council Resolution on the 19th of December 1919. Report of the Council meeting aptly characterizes the reasons that led to the establishment of the Institute: "...Czech engineers in their otherwise excellent and recognized work are dependent only on pure speculation, and lack access to research and test institutes, which would bring their projects and ideas tested before presenting them to the public and perform."

During the first ten years of the existence of the Hydrological Institute, its staff worked in inadequate conditions in locations scattered throughout Prague. The effectiveness of the research activities was limited by these unsatisfactory conditions and therefore an idea of possible building of the Institute in Prague was initiated in 1921. Finally, it was decided that the Institute would be located in Prague-Podbaba. The construction started in 1927 according to the final architectural design developed by architect František Bartoš. Hydrotechnical problems became more important and therefore the Ministerial Council Resolution from 1925 approved an establishment of the Hydrotechnical Institute and in 1930 the two institutes were fused. An additional building was completed in 1933 and the staff of the Institute could fully focus on its research activities. The post-WWII development in the water management research was associated with a number of new challenges. The Institute extended its research capacities in the areas of water purity and quality, wastewater treatment and water supply and maintained its capacities in hydrology and hydrotechnics. Development in hydropower industry was associated with new research requirements and the Institute initiated construction of the third building, which included hydrotechnic and aerodynamic laboratories.

After fall of Communism in 1989, the Institute was transferred under the supervision of the newly established Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic as one of the first professional institutions oriented on individual elements of the environment. In 1999 the Institute's activities were extended to waste management. In August 2002, the Institute was affected by a devastating flood, whose consequences influenced its activities for almost 3 years. In spite of this fact, the professional activities of the Institute were not interrupted and its premises, computer networks, libraries and other assets were gradually restored. The restoration was highly facilitated by hard work of the staff and help, involving financial contributions and gifts, that was provided by the state, public and partner organisations, particularly from abroad. The situation was fully stabilised in 2005, when the activities of laboratories for water, waste and other environmental elements were launched in a new building in Prague-Podbaba and also adequate conditions were formed for other research activities.