Ramsauer Commemorative Plaque

Johann Michael Ramsauer (1811 – 1883)

Ramsauer was born on 22 October 1811 on a small farm in the village of Kreutern on the outskirts of Ischl.  After attending primary school, at the agae of 13, he was trained as a lumberjack at the salt works administration.

He was particularly interested in mechanics, mathematics and geometry as well as the difficult trigonometry calculation. He taught himself how to design blueprints.

In 1848, Ramsauer was appointed Imperial-Royal saline weir master and master bricklayer and carpenter.

He was now responsible for water engineering. Among other projects, he was in charge of the large weir at the Zinkenbach river (Abersee) and built roads such as the one to Lake Nussensee. Also the driveway up to the Imperial Villa was designed and built by him.

In 1861, he was appointed as construction supervisor (Bauübergeher), an official responsible for municipal buildings and construction works. He proved himself so much that shortly afterwards, he was appointed the only "waterwork master" (Wasserwerkmeister) of Upper Austria. As such, his main concern became the regulation of the Traun River, on which the entire transport of the salt took place. Soon thereafter, he was responsible for the buildings on the entire course of the Traun. For the driving of piles, which was necessary for weirs and towpaths, Ramsauer invented a hydraulic piling machine, a travelling crane, and automatic-opening and -closing water dam gates.

In 1873, when the Vienna World's Fair took place, he received a Golden Medal for Art and Progress for his model of the Traunfall waterfall. He was also awarded gold medals at the world expositions in Paris and London.

In 1873, Ramsauer was finally appointed building adjunct. In that year, he also designed a plan of Ischl, which impresses with its accuracy. When he retired in 1878, for his many merits, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit by Emperor Franz Joseph on 3 November.

To the grave at the cemetery

+1