Elster (Elbe)
Encyclopedia
Elster is a village and a former municipality in Saxony-Anhalt
, Germany
located in Wittenberg
district. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Zahna-Elster
. From 2005 until 2011 it belonged to the administrative municipality
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Elbaue-Fläming
, before 2005 it belonged to the administrative community of Elster-Seyda-Klöden.
and 10 km west of Jessen
. Through the community runs the Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B 187 and the railway line between Wittenberg and Cottbus
.
It lies at the mouth of the Schwarze Elster
, where it empties into the Elbe
. The International Bicycle Trail R2 runs through Elster along the Elbe. A reaction ferry
is still used here for crossing the river. Scenically charming are the Elbauen, which at high water work as natural polder
s. During the so-called Flood of the Century
in 2006, these natural polders were not high enough to keep the water back, leading to a great deal of the community being flooded.
Moreover, in 2004, a new landing stage was dedicated where Elbe cruise ship
s now stop.
and fishing
community. Nowadays, the biggest employers are agriculture
and small handicraft
businesses.
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, 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...
located in Wittenberg
Wittenberg (district)
Wittenberg is a district in the east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Anhalt-Bitterfeld, the district-free city of Dessau-Roßlau, the districts of Potsdam-Mittelmark, Teltow-Fläming and Elbe-Elster in Brandenburg, and the district of Nordsachsen in the Free State of Saxony.-...
district. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Zahna-Elster
Zahna-Elster
Zahna-Elster is a town in the district of Wittenberg, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was formed on 1 January 2011 by the merger of the former municipalities Zahna, Dietrichsdorf, Elster , Gadegast, Leetza, Listerfehrda, Mühlanger, Zemnick und Zörnigall....
. From 2005 until 2011 it belonged to the administrative municipality
Amt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Elbaue-Fläming
Elbaue-Fläming
Elbaue-Fläming was a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district of Wittenberg, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was situated on the right bank of the Elbe, north and east of Wittenberg. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft was in Zahna...
, before 2005 it belonged to the administrative community of Elster-Seyda-Klöden.
Geography and transport
The community lies about 15 km east of WittenbergWittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
and 10 km west of Jessen
Jessen (Elster)
Jessen is a municipality on the Schwarze Elster and lies in the eastern part of Saxony-Anhalt in the district of Wittenberg.-Geography:Jessen is an amalgamated municipality, and has the following subdivisions:-History:...
. Through the community runs the Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B 187 and the railway line between Wittenberg and Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
.
It lies at the mouth of the Schwarze Elster
Schwarze Elster
The Black Elster or Schwarze Elster is a 179 km long river in eastern Germany, in the states Saxony, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, right tributary of the Elbe. Its source is in the Upper Lusatia region, near Elstra....
, where it empties into the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. The International Bicycle Trail R2 runs through Elster along the Elbe. A reaction ferry
Reaction ferry
A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the river...
is still used here for crossing the river. Scenically charming are the Elbauen, which at high water work as natural polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
s. During the so-called Flood of the Century
2006 European floods
From February to April 2006 many rivers across Europe, especially the Elbe and Danube, swelled due to heavy rain and melting snow and rose to record levels...
in 2006, these natural polders were not high enough to keep the water back, leading to a great deal of the community being flooded.
Moreover, in 2004, a new landing stage was dedicated where Elbe cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s now stop.
History
Elster had its first documentary mention in 1187 under the name Alstermunde. Until sometime before the Second World War, it was an important shippingShipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
community. Nowadays, the biggest employers are agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and small handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
businesses.