Main
Encyclopedia
The Main (ˈmaɪn) is a river
in Germany
, with a length of 527 km (327.5 mi) (including the White Main
: 574 km (356.7 mi)) the most significant right tributary of the Rhine.
of Bavaria
, Baden-Württemberg
(forming the border with Bavaria for some distance) and Hesse
. Its watershed competes with the Danube
for water; as a result, many of its boundaries are identical with those of the European Watershed
.
The Main begins near Kulmbach
in Franconia
at the joining of its two headstreams, the Red Main (Roter Main) and the White Main
(Weißer Main). The Red Main rises in the Franconian Jura
mountain range, 50 km (31.1 mi) in length, and runs through Creussen and Bayreuth. The White Main rises in the mountains of the Fichtelgebirge
; it is 41 km (25.5 mi) long. In its upper and middle section it runs in valleys of the German Highlands. In its lower section it crosses the Lower Main Lowlands (Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin
and northern Upper Rhine Plain
) to Wiesbaden
, where it discharges into the Rhine River. Major tributaries of the Main are the Regnitz
, the Fränkische Saale
, the Tauber
, and the Nidda
.
The name derives from the Latin
Moenus or Menus, and is not related to the name of the city Mainz
(Latin: Moguntiacum).
for 396 km to Bamberg
. Since 1992, the Main has been connected to the Danube
via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
and the highly regulated Altmühl
river. The river has been canalized with 34 large locks (300 ×) to allow CEMT class V (110 ×) vessels to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the Danube itself are of the same dimensions.
from source to mouth:
Left
Right
The largest cities along the Main are Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg
. The Main also passes the following towns and cities: Burgkunstadt
, Lichtenfels
, Bad Staffelstein
, Eltmann
, Haßfurt
, Schweinfurt
, Volkach
, Kitzingen
, Marktbreit
, Ochsenfurt
, Karlstadt
, Gemünden
, Lohr
, Marktheidenfeld
, Wertheim
, Miltenberg
, Obernburg
, Erlenbach/Main, Aschaffenburg
, Seligenstadt
, Hainburg
, Hanau
, Offenbach, Hattersheim
, Flörsheim
, and Rüsselsheim
.
The river has gained enormous importance as a vital part of European "Corridor VII
", the inland waterway link from the North Sea
to the Black Sea
.
, with its predominantly Catholic population. The river roughly marked the southern border of the North German Federation, established in 1867 under Prussian
leadership as the predecessor of the German Empire
.
The river course also corresponds with the Speyer line
isogloss between Central
and Upper German
dialects, sometimes mocked as Weißwurstäquator
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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...
, with a length of 527 km (327.5 mi) (including the White Main
White Main
The White Main |Weismain]]), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the River Main. It rises in the Fichtelgebirge and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left-hand, southern headstream, the Red Main, to form the Main. The length of the White Main is variously...
: 574 km (356.7 mi)) the most significant right tributary of the Rhine.
Geography
The Main flows through the German statesStates of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
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...
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
(forming the border with Bavaria for some distance) and Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. Its watershed competes with the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
for water; as a result, many of its boundaries are identical with those of the European Watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
.
The Main begins near Kulmbach
Kulmbach
Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its famous sausages, or Bratwürste.-Location:...
in 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...
at the joining of its two headstreams, the Red Main (Roter Main) and the White Main
White Main
The White Main |Weismain]]), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the River Main. It rises in the Fichtelgebirge and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left-hand, southern headstream, the Red Main, to form the Main. The length of the White Main is variously...
(Weißer Main). The Red Main rises in the Franconian Jura
Franconian Jura
The Franconian Jura is an upland in Bavaria, Germany. Located between two rivers, the Danube in the south and the Main in the north, its peaks reach elevations of up to .Large portions of the Franconian Jura are part of the Altmühl Valley Nature Park...
mountain range, 50 km (31.1 mi) in length, and runs through Creussen and Bayreuth. The White Main rises in the mountains of the Fichtelgebirge
Fichtelgebirge
The Fichtelgebirge is a mountain range in northeastern Bavaria, Germany. It extends from the valley of the Red Main River to the Czech border, a few foothills spilling over into the Czech Republic. It continues in a northeastern direction as the Ore Mountains, and in a southeastern direction as...
; it is 41 km (25.5 mi) long. In its upper and middle section it runs in valleys of the German Highlands. In its lower section it crosses the Lower Main Lowlands (Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin
Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin
The Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin is a subbasin of the Upper Rhine Graben southeast of Frankfurt am Main .- Location :The Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin is located in the eastern part of the Lower Main lowlands. The river Main crosses the basin between Aschaffenburg and Offenbach am Main...
and northern Upper Rhine Plain
Upper Rhine Plain
The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben is a major rift, straddling the border between France and Germany. It forms part of the European Cenozoic Rift System, which extends across central Europe...
) to Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, where it discharges into the Rhine River. Major tributaries of the Main are the Regnitz
Regnitz
The Regnitz is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Main and is in length.The river is formed by the confluence of the rivers Rednitz and Pegnitz, which meet in the city of Fürth. From there the Regnitz runs northwards through the cities of Erlangen and Forchheim...
, the Fränkische Saale
Fränkische Saale
The Franconian Saale or is a 125 km long river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right-bank tributary of the Main, in Lower Franconia. It should not be confused with the larger Saxon Saale , which is a tributary of the Elbe River....
, the Tauber
Tauber
For the singer, see Richard Tauber.For the mathematician, see Alfred Tauber.The Tauber is a river in Franconia, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Main and is 122 km in length...
, and the Nidda
Nidda River
The Nidda is a right tributary of the Main river in Hesse.It springs from the Vogelsberg on the Taufstein mountain range near the town of Schotten, flows through the Niddastausee dam, and the towns of Nidda, Niddatal, Karben, and Bad Vilbel...
.
The name derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Moenus or Menus, and is not related to the name of the city Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
(Latin: Moguntiacum).
Navigation
The Main is navigable for shipping from its mouth at the Rhine close to MainzMainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
for 396 km to Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
. Since 1992, the Main has been connected to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
The Rhine–Main–Danube Canal , located in Bavaria, Germany, connects the Main and the Danube rivers across the European Watershed, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim...
and the highly regulated Altmühl
Altmühl
The Altmühl is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and is approximately 230 km in length.The source of the Altmühl is located close to the city of Ansbach. From here the river runs southeastwards as a narrow brook to enter the Altmühlsee north of Gunzenhausen...
river. The river has been canalized with 34 large locks (300 ×) to allow CEMT class V (110 ×) vessels to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the Danube itself are of the same dimensions.
Tributaries
TributariesTributary
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...
from source to mouth:
Left
- RegnitzRegnitzThe Regnitz is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Main and is in length.The river is formed by the confluence of the rivers Rednitz and Pegnitz, which meet in the city of Fürth. From there the Regnitz runs northwards through the cities of Erlangen and Forchheim...
- TauberTauberFor the singer, see Richard Tauber.For the mathematician, see Alfred Tauber.The Tauber is a river in Franconia, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Main and is 122 km in length...
- MümlingMümlingThe Mümling is a river in Germany. It is long and lends its name to the Mümlingtal in Odenwald. In Bavaria it is sometimes called Mömling in official documents.- Etymology :...
Right
- ItzItzThe Itz is a river in Germany and a right tributary of the Main.The Itz begins in Sachsenbrunn , Thuringia and flows southward through Bachfeld and Schalkau. It crosses into Bavaria and feeds the Froschgrundsee reservoir. It continues through Dörfles-Esbach, Coburg, and Großheirath, then is...
- Franconian Saale
- AschaffAschaffThe Aschaff is a river in the northern Spessart in Bavaria, Germany.It is a right tributary of the Main and is 21,4 km long. It begins at the confluence of Autenbach and Kleinaschaff in Waldaschaff. Loosely translated the name Aschaff means Eschenwasser. The largest tributary is the Laufach...
- KahlKahl (river)The Kahl is a river in the northern Spessart in Bavaria and Hesse, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Main and is 32 km long. The name Kahl comes from the Old High German word kaldaha, which means cool and clear. The Kahl rises from two sources left and right of the road in the Spessart...
- KinzigKinzig (Main)The Kinzig is a river in southern Hesse, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Main. It is 82 km long. Its source is in the Spessart hills, near Schlüchtern. The Kinzig flows into the Main in Hanau. The Main-Kinzig-Kreis was named after the river...
- Nidda
Ports and municipalities
Around Frankfurt are several large inland ports. Because the river is rather narrow on many of the upper reaches, navigation with larger vessels and push convoys requires great skill.The largest cities along the Main are Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. The Main also passes the following towns and cities: Burgkunstadt
Burgkunstadt
Burgkunstadt is a town in the district of Lichtenfels, in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Main, 15 km west of Kulmbach, and 24 km southeast of Coburg....
, Lichtenfels
Lichtenfels, Bavaria
Lichtenfels is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district of Lichtenfels. It is situated on the upper course of the river Main , approx. 15 km southeast of Coburg, and 30 km northeast of Bamberg, in an area called Gottesgarten am Obermain .Lichtenfels became as of middle of the 19...
, Bad Staffelstein
Bad Staffelstein
Bad Staffelstein is a small town in the Bavarian Administrative Region of Upper Franconia in Germany. It is known for the beautiful landscape that surrounds it, which has been given the name "Gottesgarten am Obermain"...
, Eltmann
Eltmann
Eltmann is a town of 5500 inhabitants Eltmann is a town of 5500 inhabitants Eltmann is a town of 5500 inhabitants (in the Haßberge district of Lower Franconia, in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the south bank of the Main river, west of Bamberg. It comprises the town proper, and its outlying...
, Haßfurt
Haßfurt
Haßfurt is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the Haßberge district. It is situated on the river Main, 20 km east of Schweinfurt and 30 km northwest of Bamberg. In 1852, Ludwig's Western Railway reached the town and between 1892 and 1995 it also had a branch line to Hofheim...
, Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
, Volkach
Volkach
Volkach is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria. The town was founded in 906 AD.Volkach's main tourist attraction is its annual wine festival. Volkach's wine festival is the culminating festival for the entire Franken wine region.-External links:*...
, Kitzingen
Kitzingen
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
, Marktbreit
Marktbreit
Marktbreit is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria situated at the most southern point of the Main river. It is the birthplace of Alois Alzheimer who first identified the symptoms of what is now known as Alzheimer's Disease...
, Ochsenfurt
Ochsenfurt
Ochsenfurt is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the River Main, here crossed by a stone bridge, 13 miles south from Würzburg by the railway to Munich, and at the junction of a line to Röttingen. Pop. 11,600...
, Karlstadt
Karlstadt am Main
Karlstadt is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the Main-Spessart district seat ....
, Gemünden
Gemünden am Main
Gemünden am Main is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and lies roughly 40 km down the Main from Würzburg.- Location :...
, Lohr
Lohr
Lohr am Main is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Lohr am Main.- Location :The town lies on the Main in the Spessart about halfway between Würzburg and...
, Marktheidenfeld
Marktheidenfeld
Marktheidenfeld is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Marktheidenfeld....
, Wertheim
Wertheim am Main
Wertheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of 24,202. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main.It is known for its wine, castle and medieval town centre.-Geography:...
, Miltenberg
Miltenberg
Miltenberg is the seat of the like-named district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Obernburg
Obernburg
Obernburg am Main is a town in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, Erlenbach/Main, Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
, Seligenstadt
Seligenstadt
Seligenstadt is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Seligenstadt is one of Germany’s oldest towns and was already of great importance in Carolingian times.-Location:...
, Hainburg
Hainburg, Germany
Hainburg is a community of just under 15,800 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Hainburg is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district. The town lies at the edge of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region on the bank of the Main. It...
, Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
, Offenbach, Hattersheim
Hattersheim am Main
Hattersheim am Main is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse .-Neighbouring towns:Hattersheim borders the city of Frankfurt in the northeast, in the southeast with Kelsterbach, in the southwest with Raunheim...
, Flörsheim
Flörsheim
Flörsheim am Main is a town in the Main-Taunus district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the river Main, opposite Rüsselsheim, 12 km east of Mainz.-Neighbouring communities and counties:...
, and Rüsselsheim
Rüsselsheim
Rüsselsheim is the largest town in the Groß-Gerau district in the Rhein-Main region of Germany. It is one of seven special status towns in Hesse and is located on the Main, only a few kilometres from its mouth in Mainz. The suburbs of Bauschheim and Königstädten are included in Rüsselsheim...
.
The river has gained enormous importance as a vital part of European "Corridor VII
Pan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
", the inland waterway link from the North Sea
North 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...
to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Main line
In a historical and political sense, the Main line is referred to as the the northern border of Southern GermanySouthern Germany
The term Southern Germany is used to describe a region in the south of Germany. There is no specific boundary to the region, but it usually includes all of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and the southern part of Hesse...
, with its predominantly Catholic population. The river roughly marked the southern border of the North German Federation, established in 1867 under Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
leadership as the predecessor of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
The river course also corresponds with the Speyer line
Speyer line
In German linguistics, the Speyer line, or Main line is an isogloss separating the dialects to the north, which have a geminated stop in words like Appel "apple", from the dialects to the south, which have an affricate: Apfel. The line runs from east to west and passes through the town of Speyer...
isogloss between Central
Central German
Central German is a group of High German dialects spoken from the Rhineland in the west to the former eastern territories of Germany.-History:...
and Upper German
Upper German
Upper German is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Northern Italy.-Family tree:Upper German can be generally classified as Alemannic or Austro-Bavarian...
dialects, sometimes mocked as Weißwurstäquator
Weißwurstäquator
The is a humorous term describing the very different culture and dialect of the southern part of Germany, especially Bavaria, and the rest of the country...
.
External links
- Main River Website on the River Main by the Tourist Board of Franconia.