Biber (Rhine)
Encyclopedia
The Biber is a small river on the border between Germany
and Switzerland
. The source is located at Watterdingen in the municipality Tengen, district of Constance in Baden-Wuerttemberg. After about 24 km the Biber river flows into the Rhine at the Biber Mill west of Hemishofen
in the Canton of Schaffhausen
. The Biber is the largest tributary of the High Rhine
on the stretch between Stein am Rhein
and Schaffhausen
.
, Germany. Then the Biber flows through the town of Blumenfeld
, where she falls over the Blumenfeld waterfall. After Beuren, the Riedgraben flows in from the left. After Büßlingen, it crosses the border into Switzerland, where it flows through the former municipalities of Hofen and Bibern, before flowing through Thayngen
, the seat of the fromer Reiat district. Shortly after Thayngen, the Biber leaves Switzerland and flows through Bietingen and Randegg, where the Dorfbach joins, coming from Gottmadingen
. Then it crosses the border again and the last kilometers flow through the upper part of the canton of Schaffhausen
, through the municipalities of Buch and Ramsen. It flows into the Rhine at Biber Mill, west of Hemishofen
.
name Biber means beaver
. Presumably, the river was named after the animal.
Beavers were eridicated in the watershed of the Biber over 150 years ago. Around the turn of the millennium, the animals have repopulated the river. They were first spotted in the estuary and the lower reaches. The then moved into the Randegg/Bietinge area. In 2005, beaver tracks were found in Bibern
. These animals probably came from the valley of the Thur
, crossed the Rhine and gradually followed the Biber upstream.
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 Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The source is located at Watterdingen in the municipality Tengen, district of Constance in Baden-Wuerttemberg. After about 24 km the Biber river flows into the Rhine at the Biber Mill west of Hemishofen
Hemishofen
Hemishofen is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.-History:The Iron Age grave sites at Sankert indicate that this area has been settled since 800-600 BC...
in the Canton of Schaffhausen
Canton of Schaffhausen
The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. The principal city and capital of the canton is Schaffhausen.- History:Schaffhausen was a city-state in the Middle Ages, documented to have struck its own coins starting in 1045. It was then known as Villa Scafhusun. Around 1049 Count Eberhard von...
. The Biber is the largest tributary of the High Rhine
High Rhine
The High Rhine is the name used in Germany for the part of the Rhine River that flows westbound from Lake Constance to Basel.The High Rhine begins at the outflow of the Rhine from the Untersee in Stein am Rhein and turns into the Upper Rhine in Basel...
on the stretch between Stein am Rhein
Stein am Rhein
Stein am Rhein is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.The town has a well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses...
and Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
.
River
On its way to the Rhine, the Biber crosses the Swiss-German border three times. The source of the Biber is near Watterdingen in the municipality Tengen, in the HegauHegau
The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...
, Germany. Then the Biber flows through the town of Blumenfeld
Blumenfeld
Blumenfeld is a surname and may refer to:* Alan Blumenfeld, American actor* Anat Blumenfeld, Israeli biochemist* Benjamin Blumenfeld , Russian chess player* Erwin Blumenfeld , German-American photographer...
, where she falls over the Blumenfeld waterfall. After Beuren, the Riedgraben flows in from the left. After Büßlingen, it crosses the border into Switzerland, where it flows through the former municipalities of Hofen and Bibern, before flowing through Thayngen
Thayngen
Thayngen is a village and a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009 Altdorf, SH, Bibern, SH, Hofen, SH, Opfertshofen merged into Thayngen.-Geography:...
, the seat of the fromer Reiat district. Shortly after Thayngen, the Biber leaves Switzerland and flows through Bietingen and Randegg, where the Dorfbach joins, coming from Gottmadingen
Gottmadingen
Gottmadingen is a municipality in the district of Konstanz, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated next to the border to Switzerland, 5 km southwest of Singen, and 12 km east of Schaffhausen....
. Then it crosses the border again and the last kilometers flow through the upper part of the canton of Schaffhausen
Canton of Schaffhausen
The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. The principal city and capital of the canton is Schaffhausen.- History:Schaffhausen was a city-state in the Middle Ages, documented to have struck its own coins starting in 1045. It was then known as Villa Scafhusun. Around 1049 Count Eberhard von...
, through the municipalities of Buch and Ramsen. It flows into the Rhine at Biber Mill, west of Hemishofen
Hemishofen
Hemishofen is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.-History:The Iron Age grave sites at Sankert indicate that this area has been settled since 800-600 BC...
.
Biber correction
The area between Buch and the mouth of the Biber is flat and mostly use for agriculture. It was frequently flooded by the Biber. To correct this, the canton of Schaffhausen altered the course of the river in several stages between 1902 and 1907. Many of the countless loops of the river were straightened. The old loops were filled with material excavated from the new course of the river.Beavers in the Biber
The GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name Biber means beaver
European Beaver
The Eurasian beaver or European beaver is a species of beaver, which was once widespread in Eurasia, where it was hunted to near extinction both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion of its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties...
. Presumably, the river was named after the animal.
Beavers were eridicated in the watershed of the Biber over 150 years ago. Around the turn of the millennium, the animals have repopulated the river. They were first spotted in the estuary and the lower reaches. The then moved into the Randegg/Bietinge area. In 2005, beaver tracks were found in Bibern
Bibern, Schaffhausen
Bibern was a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009 Bibern merged with Altdorf, SH, Hofen, SH, Opfertshofen and Thayngen to form the municipality of Thayngen....
. These animals probably came from the valley of the Thur
Thur River (Switzerland)
Thur is a long river in north-eastern Switzerland. Its source is near the mountain Säntis in the south-east of the canton of St. Gallen. In this canton it flows through the Toggenburg region and the town Wil. After Wil it flows through the canton of Thurgau and its capital Frauenfeld. The final ...
, crossed the Rhine and gradually followed the Biber upstream.