Königssee
Encyclopedia
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land
district of the German
state of Bavaria
, near the border with Austria
. Large parts are comprised by the Berchtesgaden National Park.
Lying within the Berchtesgaden Alps
in the municipality
of Schönau am Königsee
, just south of Berchtesgaden
and the Austrian City of Salzburg
, the Königssee is Germany's third deepest lake. Located at a Jurassic
rift
it was formed by glacier
s during the last ice age
. It stretches about 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) in the north-south direction and is about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) across at its widest point. Except at its outlet, the Königsseer Ache at the village of Königssee, the lake similar to a fjord
is surrounded by steeply rising flanks of mountains up to 2700 m (8900 ft), including the fabled Watzmann
massif in the west.
The literal translation appears to be "King's Lake", however while does indeed mean "king", there had been no Bavarian kings since the days of Louis the German
until Elector Maximilian I Joseph assumed the royal title in 1806. Therefore the name more probably stems from the first name Kuno of local nobles, who appear in several historical sources referring to the donation of the Berchtesgaden Provostry
in the 12th century; the lake was formerly called Kunigsee.
In 1944 a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located nearby where Heinrich Himmler
had a residence built at Schönau for his mistress Hedwig Potthast.
The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, only electric driven passenger ships, rowing and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. Passenger services along the length of the lake, calling at various points, are operated by the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
company.
Due to its picturesque setting, the lake and surrounding parklands are very popular with tourists and hikers. In addition, the lake's position surrounded by sheer rock walls creates an echo
, which is known for its clarity. On boat tours, it has become traditional to stop and play a flugelhorn
or trumpet to display the echo; formerly demonstrated by shooting a cannon, it could be heard reflected up to seven times.
St. Bartholomä
, a famous pilgrimage church with a small inn nearby, is located on a peninsula about halfway down the western lakeshore. The small Christlieger
island is located near its northern end. South of the Königssee, separated by the Salet moraine
, is the smaller Obersee lake with the 470 metres (1,542 ft) high Röthbach
waterfall. As there is no lakeside path on the steep shore of the Königssee, St. Bartholomä and the southern edge can only be reached by boat or via hiking trails up the surrounding mountains - except for harsh winters, when the lake freezes over. Stepping on the ice however can be fatal, as for a motorist in the winter of 1964, who on his way back from St. Bartholomä drowned in his VW Beetle
. The car was not detected until 1997 at a depth of about 100 m (300 ft).
Berchtesgadener Land
Berchtesgadener Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the district of Traunstein and by the state of Austria.- History :The alpine regions of the south were Bavarian territory from the early Middle Ages. The 11th and 12th centuries saw the founding of numerous mountain villages...
district of the German
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...
state of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, near the border with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Large parts are comprised by the Berchtesgaden National Park.
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
in the municipality
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
of Schönau am Königsee
Schönau am Königsee
Schönau am Königsee is a municipality in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in the German state of Bavaria. It is located at the northern end of the Königssee lake....
, just south of Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
and the Austrian City of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, the Königssee is Germany's third deepest lake. Located at a Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
rift
Rift
In geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
it was formed by glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s during the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. It stretches about 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) in the north-south direction and is about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) across at its widest point. Except at its outlet, the Königsseer Ache at the village of Königssee, the lake similar to a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
is surrounded by steeply rising flanks of mountains up to 2700 m (8900 ft), including the fabled Watzmann
Watzmann
The Watzmann is the third highest mountain in Germany, and the highest peak standing entirely within Germany. Its three main peaks are Hocheck , Mittelspitze and Südspitze .The Watzmann massive also includes the...
massif in the west.
The literal translation appears to be "King's Lake", however while does indeed mean "king", there had been no Bavarian kings since the days of Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
until Elector Maximilian I Joseph assumed the royal title in 1806. Therefore the name more probably stems from the first name Kuno of local nobles, who appear in several historical sources referring to the donation of the Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry or the Prince-Provostry of Berchtesgaden was an immediate principality of the Holy Roman Empire, held by a canonry, i.e...
in the 12th century; the lake was formerly called Kunigsee.
In 1944 a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located nearby where Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
had a residence built at Schönau for his mistress Hedwig Potthast.
The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, only electric driven passenger ships, rowing and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. Passenger services along the length of the lake, calling at various points, are operated by the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
The Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH, or Bavarian Lakes Shipping Company, is a company that operates shipping services on several lakes in the German state of Bavaria...
company.
Due to its picturesque setting, the lake and surrounding parklands are very popular with tourists and hikers. In addition, the lake's position surrounded by sheer rock walls creates an echo
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
, which is known for its clarity. On boat tours, it has become traditional to stop and play a flugelhorn
Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
or trumpet to display the echo; formerly demonstrated by shooting a cannon, it could be heard reflected up to seven times.
St. Bartholomew's Church, Berchtesgaden
St. Bartholomä is a Catholic pilgrimage church in the Berchtesgadener Land district of Bavaria in Germany. It named for Saint Bartholomew the Apostle , patron of alpine farmers and dairymen. The church is located at the western shore of the Königssee lake, on the Hirschau peninsula...
, a famous pilgrimage church with a small inn nearby, is located on a peninsula about halfway down the western lakeshore. The small Christlieger
Christlieger
Christlieger is the name of the only island in the Königssee. It is located near the northern end of the lake, at . It is also called Johannesinsel , after the marble statue of John of Nepomuk that was erected on the island in 1711.The island is 61 meters long north-south and up to 26 meters wide,...
island is located near its northern end. South of the Königssee, separated by the Salet moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
, is the smaller Obersee lake with the 470 metres (1,542 ft) high Röthbach
Röthbachfall
The Röthbach Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Germany, with a vertical drop of 470 metres . The waterfall is located in the Berchtesgaden area on the Obersee lake. The most convenient way to visit the waterfall is to take the electric boat across lake Konigssee to Salet and then to hike up...
waterfall. As there is no lakeside path on the steep shore of the Königssee, St. Bartholomä and the southern edge can only be reached by boat or via hiking trails up the surrounding mountains - except for harsh winters, when the lake freezes over. Stepping on the ice however can be fatal, as for a motorist in the winter of 1964, who on his way back from St. Bartholomä drowned in his VW Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
. The car was not detected until 1997 at a depth of about 100 m (300 ft).