Oder–Spree Canal
Encyclopedia
The Oder-Spree Canal, or the Oder-Spree-Kanal in German
, is a canal
in the east of Germany
. It links the Dahme river, at Schmöckwitz
in the south-eastern suburbs of Berlin
, with the River Oder
, at Eisenhüttenstadt
. It provides an important commercial navigable connection between Berlin and the Oder, and hence Poland
.
The canal has several connections to the River Spree
. For a stretch of about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) near Fürstenwalde the canal utilises the river as part of its route, and there is a navigable connection to the river upstream of this section, although these reaches are relatively shallow and are generally only used by leisure craft. However the principal connection is via the River Dahme, which joins the River Spree at Köpenick
, to the east of the centre of Berlin.
German 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....
, is a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in the east 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...
. It links the Dahme river, at Schmöckwitz
Schmöckwitz
Schmöckwitz is a German locality within the Berlin borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Köpenick.-History:The locality was founded in 1375 with the name of Smekewitz...
in the south-eastern suburbs of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, with the River Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
, at Eisenhüttenstadt
Eisenhüttenstadt
Eisenhüttenstadt is a town in the Oder-Spree district of Brandenburg, Germany at the border with Poland. The town was founded in 1950 alongside a new steel mill as a socialist model city and has a population of 32,214...
. It provides an important commercial navigable connection between Berlin and the Oder, and hence Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The canal has several connections to the River Spree
Spree
The Spree is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, and in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic...
. For a stretch of about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) near Fürstenwalde the canal utilises the river as part of its route, and there is a navigable connection to the river upstream of this section, although these reaches are relatively shallow and are generally only used by leisure craft. However the principal connection is via the River Dahme, which joins the River Spree at Köpenick
Köpenick
Köpenick is a historic town and locality that is situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital city of Berlin. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopting the current spelling in 1931...
, to the east of the centre of Berlin.