Ise (river)
Encyclopedia
The Ise is a roughly 50 km long, almost natural river in East Lower Saxony
, Germany
, which crosses the district of Gifhorn from north to south and discharges into the Aller
at Gifhorn
itself.
.
The Ise is formed west of Neuekrug
in Saxony-Anhalt
, immediately on the old Inner German Border with Lower Saxony, by the confluence of several small streams. In this Lower Saxony border region the river often runs dry in summer, but below the point where it is joined by the Rade ditch (Graben) its water flow is more consistent.
From there the Ise flows by the villages of Stöcken
, Wollersdorf, Wentorf
, Hankensbüttel
, Alt Isenhagen
, Wunderbüttel
, Schönewörde
, Wahrenholz
, Wagenhoff
, Neudorf-Platendorf
, Käsdorf and Gamsen to Gifhorn
.
The river's only water level gauge (Pegel) is located near Neudorf-Platendorf, 13.4 km from its mouth.
Just before Gifhorn
the Ise feeds the castle moat in Gifhorn as well as the Mühlensee lake, on which the Gifhorn Mill Museum
stands. In Gifhorn's town centre the Ise meets the Aller
, shortly after the point where it is dammed to power a mill. In older lexica, Gifhorn is characterised as an old 'marsh castle' (Sumpfburg) on the two rivers.
of 421.1 square kilometres (162.6 sq mi). This is bisected in a north-south direction by the Elbe Lateral Canal that flows at a height of 65 metres (213.3 ft) above sea level. The natural stream passes under the canal in culvert
s. The most important tributaries of the Ise are the Bruno, Beberbach and Knesebach; others include the Fulau, Gosebach, Isebeck, Momerbach and Riet. The catchment area of the Elbe
begins east of the Ise region.
of 2004 assessed chemical water pollution
of the Ise as variable. The values for organic pollution, nitrate, ammonium and phosphate contamination varied from lightly polluted to critically polluted. At the Jägerhof, a popular destination for day trippers, on the B 188
near Gifhorn there has been a testing station since 1967 where water quality is measured. The White-stem Pondweed, a species of plant that is in danger of becoming extinct in Lower Saxony, grows very luxuriantly in this particular area.
. Several hundred metres downstream is another mill, the Cardenapsmühle. This has been a watermill at least since the 27 January 1213 (when it was mentioned in a deed of donation by Otto IV
) and, until its closure in 2004, was one of the oldest working mills in Europe.
, where the Otter Centre
is located. The Otter Centre is a very popular tourist destination with about 100,000 visitors annually. Since 1987 they have worked on revitalising the Ise. As part of a research and development project, a lot of work has been carried out in the valley. The aim was to create a self-sustaining environment around the waterway. The leading animal species for this project was the European otter
. Since 1987 the Otter Conservation Project (Aktion Fischotterschutz) has purchased around 500 hectares (1,235.5 acre) of agricultural land by the river and has converted the bulk of it into grassland
. In addition, 46 km of unused river bank has been planted with alder
s. As part of long-term scientific work accompanying the project, its development has been documented and assessed.
. It was used as a monastery until the Protestant Reformation
and has since become a Protestant convent
.
, submitted a plan to float logs down the Ise, an activity known as timber rafting
(Flößerei). Its purpose was to convey logs from the royal forests to the ducal Residenz
town of Celle
, where it was needed as fuel for heating Celle Castle
and other royal buildings. On the Ise north of Gifhorn were several royal forests that could have been logged. For some reason the project was not carried out. In 1617 the rafting of logs to Celle was again proposed by the officials of Knesebeck
and Gifhorn to the Duke of Celle, by this time Christian the Elder
. Estimates at the time put the cost of transporting logs by horse and cart at about 10 times that of rafting them down the river. These plans foundered on the rocks of the Thirty Years War which started in 1618. As a result, timber rafting down the Ise was not introduced until the reign of Duke Christian Louis
. For this he called for a senior forester from Harzburg
and a mine surveyor from Clausthal to advise him. In the Harz mountains they had a lot of experience with timber rafting because logs were needed for the ironworks
there. Based on the recommendations of the advisors, in 1659 the river was cleared of rubbish, bushes and mud by several hundred farmers conscripted for the purpose. Extensive earthworks were created in order to get rid of the many meander
s and shorten the course of the river. The canal cuts in the Ise valley left artificial ox-bows. Wooden sluice
s with sluice channels were built at Wahrenholz
and Gifhorn. The first test run was carried out in 1659 and timber rafting officially began on the Ise in 1661 when 4,400 stère
s of wood fuel was transported to Gifhorn and from there down the Aller
to Celle.
To begin with 100 men were employed on the task. They freed logs that had jammed at critical points such as sluices, bends, bridges and ox-bows. Later a smaller workforce was employed. Under good conditions it took 10 days for log rafts to reach Celle, otherwise it might take up to 3 weeks. There were 10 assembly points on the Ise where the logs were tied together into rafts. The rafts of logs were about 2.5 metres wide by around 20 metres long. The logging crew comprised 2 or 3 raftsmen. Losses occurred as a result of logs sinking or being stolen en route. In Gifhorn, where the Ise enters the Aller, the logs continued to Celle. In Celle they came to rest at a needle dam
and were then hauled ashore. After the death of Duke George William
, in 1705, timber rafting on the Ise and Aller went into decline. When the royal household moved to Hanover, Celle lost the baroque
lustre of a Residenz town. Raft dealers took over the business. Around 1880, timber rafting on the Ise finally petered out. The cause was the upgrade of tracks and roads and the construction of sawmill
s in the vicinity of the forests.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, 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...
, which crosses the district of Gifhorn from north to south and discharges into the Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
at Gifhorn
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
itself.
Course
The source of the Ise lies at a height of 74 metres (242.8 ft) above sea level and its mouth at 51 metres (167.3 ft). The river is about 50 km long and its slope of 0.05% is very gentle. The waters of the Ise flow via the Aller and Weser into the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
The Ise is formed west of Neuekrug
Neuekrug
Neuekrug is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Diesdorf. The municipality consisted of the three villages Höddelsen, Reddigau and Neuekrug. The Salzwedel Dumme river rises near...
in Saxony-Anhalt
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...
, immediately on the old Inner German Border with Lower Saxony, by the confluence of several small streams. In this Lower Saxony border region the river often runs dry in summer, but below the point where it is joined by the Rade ditch (Graben) its water flow is more consistent.
From there the Ise flows by the villages of Stöcken
Wittingen
Wittingen is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 30 km southeast of Uelzen.- Division of the town :Wittingen consists of 27 districts:- Demographic data :...
, Wollersdorf, Wentorf
Obernholz
Obernholz is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, Hankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel is a municipality in the Samtgemeinde Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Uelzen, and 30 km north of Gifhorn.-History:...
, Alt Isenhagen
Hankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel is a municipality in the Samtgemeinde Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Uelzen, and 30 km north of Gifhorn.-History:...
, Wunderbüttel
Wittingen
Wittingen is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 30 km southeast of Uelzen.- Division of the town :Wittingen consists of 27 districts:- Demographic data :...
, Schönewörde
Schönewörde
Schönewörde is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, Wahrenholz
Wahrenholz
Wahrenholz is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, Wagenhoff
Wagenhoff
Wagenhoff is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf is a village in the municipality of Sassenburg in Gifhorn district in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Location :The village lies east of the River Ise and the state forest of Dragen....
, Käsdorf and Gamsen to Gifhorn
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
.
The river's only water level gauge (Pegel) is located near Neudorf-Platendorf, 13.4 km from its mouth.
Just before Gifhorn
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
the Ise feeds the castle moat in Gifhorn as well as the Mühlensee lake, on which the Gifhorn Mill Museum
International Wind- and Watermill Museum
The International Wind- and Watermill Museum , at Gifhorn in the German state of Lower Saxony, is the only one of its kind in Europe. On the museum's open air site, which covers an area of around , there are currently 16 mills from 12 different countries . The mills are either original or faithful...
stands. In Gifhorn's town centre the Ise meets the Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
, shortly after the point where it is dammed to power a mill. In older lexica, Gifhorn is characterised as an old 'marsh castle' (Sumpfburg) on the two rivers.
Catchment area
The Ise has a catchment areaDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 421.1 square kilometres (162.6 sq mi). This is bisected in a north-south direction by the Elbe Lateral Canal that flows at a height of 65 metres (213.3 ft) above sea level. The natural stream passes under the canal in culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s. The most important tributaries of the Ise are the Bruno, Beberbach and Knesebach; others include the Fulau, Gosebach, Isebeck, Momerbach and Riet. The catchment area of 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...
begins east of the Ise region.
Water quality
The Lower Saxony water quality reportWater quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
of 2004 assessed chemical water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
of the Ise as variable. The values for organic pollution, nitrate, ammonium and phosphate contamination varied from lightly polluted to critically polluted. At the Jägerhof, a popular destination for day trippers, on the B 188
Bundesstraße 188
The Bundesstraße 188 or B 188 is one of the longer German federal highways crossing northern Germany. It connects the B3 with the B5....
near Gifhorn there has been a testing station since 1967 where water quality is measured. The White-stem Pondweed, a species of plant that is in danger of becoming extinct in Lower Saxony, grows very luxuriantly in this particular area.
Points of interest
The Ise used to be maintained by the Iseverband Wasser Association in Wahrenholz but has been superseded by the Aller-Ohre-Verband in Gifhorn. There is no shipping on the river but it is well suited to canoe tours (boats may be hired near Gifhorn). In recent decades the Ise and its surrounding landscape has been discovered to be a valuable natural habitat, so that its use for nature conservation has become a top priority. In general, the river crosses wide, flat meadow country, far from habitation, in a sparsely-populated region. Shortly before its mouth in Gifhorn, near the river banks, are the Gifhorn Mill Museum and Gifhorn CastleGifhorn Castle
Gifhorn Castle is a castle in Gifhorn, Germany, built between 1525 and 1581 in the Weser Renaissance style. The castle was fortified until 1790 with moats, ramparts and bastions and was never captured...
. Several hundred metres downstream is another mill, the Cardenapsmühle. This has been a watermill at least since the 27 January 1213 (when it was mentioned in a deed of donation by Otto IV
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
) and, until its closure in 2004, was one of the oldest working mills in Europe.
Otter habitat
The Emmer stream (Emmer-Bach), that discharges into the Ise, flows through HankensbüttelHankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel is a municipality in the Samtgemeinde Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Uelzen, and 30 km north of Gifhorn.-History:...
, where the Otter Centre
Hankensbüttel Otter Centre
The Otter Centre in Hankensbüttel in the German district of Gifhorn is a nature experience centre, that is laid out in of open land by a lake known as the Isenhagener See. The Otter Centre showcases the European Otter which is a species threatened by extinction, as well as several related species...
is located. The Otter Centre is a very popular tourist destination with about 100,000 visitors annually. Since 1987 they have worked on revitalising the Ise. As part of a research and development project, a lot of work has been carried out in the valley. The aim was to create a self-sustaining environment around the waterway. The leading animal species for this project was the European otter
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
. Since 1987 the Otter Conservation Project (Aktion Fischotterschutz) has purchased around 500 hectares (1,235.5 acre) of agricultural land by the river and has converted the bulk of it into grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. In addition, 46 km of unused river bank has been planted with alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
s. As part of long-term scientific work accompanying the project, its development has been documented and assessed.
Name derivatives
The old district of Isenhagen, now part of Gifhorn district, was partly named after the river and its local newspaper is the Isenhagener Kreisblatt. In the vicinity, not far from the river, is the old Isenhagen AbbeyIsenhagen Abbey
Isenhagen Abbey is a convent in Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn in the German state of Lower Saxony. It was founded by the Cistercian order but is now a Lutheran convent. It is managed by the monastic chamber in Hanover.- Origins :...
. It was used as a monastery until the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and has since become a Protestant convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
.
Timber rafting
In 1571 the Celle Duke, William the YoungerWilliam, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Wilhelm , called William the Younger, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Lüneburg from 1559 until his death. Until 1569 he ruled together with his brother Henry of Dannenberg....
, submitted a plan to float logs down the Ise, an activity known as timber rafting
Timber rafting
Timber rafting is a log transportation method in which logs are tied together into rafts and drifted or pulled across a water body or down a flatter river. It is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving...
(Flößerei). Its purpose was to convey logs from the royal forests to the ducal Residenz
Residenz
Residenz is a very formal, otherwise obsolete, German word for "place of living". It is in particular used to denote the building or town where a sovereign ruler resided, therefore also carrying a similar meaning as the modern expressions seat of government or capital...
town of Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
, where it was needed as fuel for heating Celle Castle
Celle Castle
Celle Castle or, less commonly, Celle Palace, in the German town of Celle in Lower Saxony was one of the residences of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
and other royal buildings. On the Ise north of Gifhorn were several royal forests that could have been logged. For some reason the project was not carried out. In 1617 the rafting of logs to Celle was again proposed by the officials of Knesebeck
Knesebeck
Knesebeck is a lively village in Gifhorn . It is home to important industries in the region and offers at the same time good opportunities to recreate and socialize. Knesebeck actively cultivates its traditions such as its music, ecclesiastic life and cultural events...
and Gifhorn to the Duke of Celle, by this time Christian the Elder
Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Christian the Elder, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, was Prince of Lüneburg and Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden.- Life :...
. Estimates at the time put the cost of transporting logs by horse and cart at about 10 times that of rafting them down the river. These plans foundered on the rocks of the Thirty Years War which started in 1618. As a result, timber rafting down the Ise was not introduced until the reign of Duke Christian Louis
Christian Louis, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Christian Louis was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. A member of the House of Welf, from 1641 until 1648 he ruled the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, and, from 1648, until his death the Principality of Lüneburg....
. For this he called for a senior forester from Harzburg
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg is a town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort.- Location :...
and a mine surveyor from Clausthal to advise him. In the Harz mountains they had a lot of experience with timber rafting because logs were needed for the ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
there. Based on the recommendations of the advisors, in 1659 the river was cleared of rubbish, bushes and mud by several hundred farmers conscripted for the purpose. Extensive earthworks were created in order to get rid of the many meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
s and shorten the course of the river. The canal cuts in the Ise valley left artificial ox-bows. Wooden sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
s with sluice channels were built at Wahrenholz
Wahrenholz
Wahrenholz is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
and Gifhorn. The first test run was carried out in 1659 and timber rafting officially began on the Ise in 1661 when 4,400 stère
Stère
The stere or stère is a unit of volume in the original metric system equal to one cubic metre. The name was coined from the Greek στερεός stereos 'solid' in 1793 France as a metric equivalent to the cord. The stère is typically used for measuring large quantities of firewood or other cut wood,...
s of wood fuel was transported to Gifhorn and from there down the Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
to Celle.
To begin with 100 men were employed on the task. They freed logs that had jammed at critical points such as sluices, bends, bridges and ox-bows. Later a smaller workforce was employed. Under good conditions it took 10 days for log rafts to reach Celle, otherwise it might take up to 3 weeks. There were 10 assembly points on the Ise where the logs were tied together into rafts. The rafts of logs were about 2.5 metres wide by around 20 metres long. The logging crew comprised 2 or 3 raftsmen. Losses occurred as a result of logs sinking or being stolen en route. In Gifhorn, where the Ise enters the Aller, the logs continued to Celle. In Celle they came to rest at a needle dam
Needle dam
A needle dam is a weir designed to maintain the level or flow of a river through the use of thin "needles" of wood. The needles are leaned against a solid frame and are not intended to be water-tight...
and were then hauled ashore. After the death of Duke George William
George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George William was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. In 1689 he occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg....
, in 1705, timber rafting on the Ise and Aller went into decline. When the royal household moved to Hanover, Celle lost the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
lustre of a Residenz town. Raft dealers took over the business. Around 1880, timber rafting on the Ise finally petered out. The cause was the upgrade of tracks and roads and the construction of sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s in the vicinity of the forests.
Sources
- Jürgen Delfs: Die Flößerei auf Ise, Aller und Örtze, Gifhorn 1995, ISBN 3-929632-24-1