Ascherbach (river)
Encyclopedia
The Ascherbach is a left tributary
of the Lichte
in Thuringia
, Germany
, and is 4 km long.
(city quarter Schmalenbuche) close to the Rennsteig
, the watershed between Franconia
and Thuringia
in the Thuringian Highlands.
, the Ascherbach flows first through the Schmalenbuche (city quarter of Neuhaus am Rennweg), terns to east and follows the so-called Neuhaeuser Grund (Neuhaus Valley), and finally to reach the housing estate Ascherbach (western municipality part of Lichte
). The most western part of this housing estate is also called Glanzfiertel which is an indication to placer gold
and gold prospecting
.
On the intersection of the two municipality sections Lichte (Ascherbach) / Lichte (Waschdorf) the brook flows into the Lichte River and follows further the Lichte Valley to the Leibis-Lichte Dam
and to the mouth into the Schwarza (Saale).
). This mediaeval naming, in connection with Glanzviertel and Glaseseiff, are indications that the stream was a known source of gold
In fact the rivers and streams in the area of the Lichte valley have been known for centuries for deposits of placer gold and are considered to be the most significant sources of gold in Germany. Recreational placer miners continue to find occasional gold nuggets.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Lichte
Lichte (river)
The Lichte River is a right tributary of the Schwarza in Thuringia, Germany, and is 17 km long.- Source :The Lichte rises as the Little Lichte in Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Thuringian Highlands.- Course :...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and is 4 km long.
Source
The Ascherbach rises in Neuhaus am RennwegNeuhaus am Rennweg
Neuhaus am Rennweg is a town in the district of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, 17 km north of Sonneberg, and 22 km southwest of Saalfeld.-References:...
(city quarter Schmalenbuche) close to the Rennsteig
Rennsteig
The Rennsteig is a ridge walk as well as an historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in central Germany....
, the watershed between Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
and Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
in the Thuringian Highlands.
Course
On its way northeast through the Nature Park Thuringia WaldNature park
A nature park is a landscape protected by means of long-term planning, use and agriculture. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present state and promoted for touristic purposes....
, the Ascherbach flows first through the Schmalenbuche (city quarter of Neuhaus am Rennweg), terns to east and follows the so-called Neuhaeuser Grund (Neuhaus Valley), and finally to reach the housing estate Ascherbach (western municipality part of Lichte
Lichte
thumb|220px|Wallendorfer Porcelain Manufacture, Oct. 2006thumb|220px|[[Leibis-Lichte Dam]], 102.5 m highLichte is a municipality in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt in Thuringia, Germany, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig.- Geography :...
). The most western part of this housing estate is also called Glanzfiertel which is an indication to placer gold
Placer deposit
In geology, a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word placer, meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mining is an important source of gold, and was the main technique used in the early...
and gold prospecting
Gold prospecting
Gold prospecting is the act of searching for new gold deposits. Methods used vary with the type of deposit sought and the resources of the prospector...
.
On the intersection of the two municipality sections Lichte (Ascherbach) / Lichte (Waschdorf) the brook flows into the Lichte River and follows further the Lichte Valley to the Leibis-Lichte Dam
Leibis-Lichte Dam
The Leibis-Lichte Dam is a dam in the German state of Thuringia in the Thuringian Highland. It impounds the River Lichte and lies between Lichte municipality section Geiersthal and Unterweissbach. To that particular Storage reservoir belongs the Deesbach Forebay...
and to the mouth into the Schwarza (Saale).
Name
The name Ascherbach doubtless derives from Asche and Bach (ash and brook/rivulet). In earliest documentary records, which go back to 1386, the Ascherbach was named Glaseseiff (placer gold depositPlacer deposit
In geology, a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word placer, meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mining is an important source of gold, and was the main technique used in the early...
). This mediaeval naming, in connection with Glanzviertel and Glaseseiff, are indications that the stream was a known source of gold
In fact the rivers and streams in the area of the Lichte valley have been known for centuries for deposits of placer gold and are considered to be the most significant sources of gold in Germany. Recreational placer miners continue to find occasional gold nuggets.