Robert Melzer

Melzer's Monument (Czech: Melzerův pomník) is a stone memorial in the Jizera Mountains in the Czech Republic, standing about a kilometre before the dam of the Bedřichov water reservoir. It commemorates gendarme Robert Melzer, who died in an accident during the reservoir's construction in the early 20th century.

Where does the monument stand, and how do you get there?

The monument sits beside the green-marked hiking trail that runs from the Bedřichov Pass (Bedřichovské sedlo) toward the Bedřichov water reservoir, about 1 km before the dam itself. It's a popular walking stretch in the heart of the Jizera Mountains, taking hikers from the pass down to the reservoir and past the site of the historic accident along the way.

What happened on 19 August 1905?

The Bedřichov reservoir was built between 1903 and 1905. On 19 August 1905, a paymaster arrived at the construction site to deliver wages to the workers, escorted by gendarme Robert Melzer, whose job was to guard the money. On the way back, Melzer decided to ride a narrow-gauge railway wagon that was normally used to haul building material to the dam site — even though carrying passengers on it was forbidden.

Why did the accident happen?

While climbing the incline, the wagon derailed and the gendarme suffered serious injuries. Despite medical treatment, Robert Melzer died four days later, on 23 August 1905, in a hospital in Liberec (then known as Reichenberg). His death was a direct result of riding a works railway car meant only for materials, not people — an incident the local community chose to mark at the site itself.

What does the monument look like?

A large granite boulder bearing a metal plaque was erected at the site of the accident, set on a high pile of stacked stones. This form — raw stone topped with a commemorative plaque — is typical of the many monuments scattered across the Jizera Mountains, each recalling a tragic event tied to the construction of the region's water and forestry infrastructure around the turn of the 20th century. Melzer's monument is one of these historical markers, still passed today by hikers heading toward the reservoir.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert Melzer? A gendarme who, on 19 August 1905, escorted a paymaster carrying wages for the workers building the Bedřichov water reservoir.

How did Robert Melzer die? On the return trip he boarded a narrow-gauge wagon used to haul construction materials, even though carrying people on it was forbidden. The wagon derailed while climbing an incline, and the gendarme died of his injuries on 23 August 1905 in a hospital in Liberec.

Where exactly is the monument located? About 1 km before the Bedřichov water reservoir, right beside the green-marked hiking trail that leads from the Bedřichov Pass to the reservoir.

What does the monument look like? A large granite stone with a metal plaque, set on a pile of stacked stones at the site of the accident.

When was the Bedřichov reservoir, during whose construction Melzer died, built? It was built between 1903 and 1905; the accident happened in the final year of construction, in the summer of 1905.

Can you see the monument without a special detour? Yes — it stands directly on the marked hiking trail connecting the Bedřichov Pass with the reservoir, so hikers walking that route pass right by it.