Oste-Hamme Canal
Encyclopedia
The Oste-Hamme Canal or Hamme-Oste Canal is a canal
in north Germany, that links the rivers Oste
and Hamme. It runs from the Oste near Spreckens four kilometres above Bremervörde
through the former Teufelsmoor
("Devil's Moor") and Gnarrenburg
, until it reaches the Hamme near Viehspecken. The part of the canal near its mouth into the Hamme is also known as Kollbeck.
The canal was built between 1769 and 1790 by Jürgen Christian Findorff and was used to drain the Teufelsmoor and to transport freight (mainly peat
to Bremen
and Hamburg
) in small barges (Bullen). Its long construction time was due to the difficulties caused by the soft peat soil which repeatedly collapsed and meant that the channel had to be re-excavated. From the 1860s numerous flap gates (Klappstaue) and double sluice gates were installed, that made it easier for the peat barges.
The canal initially formed the only inland water link between the Elbe
and Weser. It is 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) long, has a bed width of four metres and a water surface width of six metres. It is 0,9 metres deep. Today the canal is overgrown and no longer navigable. Nevertheless because the flap gates are maintained it is possible to walk the route.
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 north Germany, that links the rivers Oste
Oste
The Oste is a river in northern Lower Saxony, Germany with a length of 153 km, left tributary of the Elbe. It flows through the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg, Stade and Cuxhaven and empties into the Elbe river near Otterndorf. Its drainage area is 1.711 km² and the decline between the...
and Hamme. It runs from the Oste near Spreckens four kilometres above Bremervörde
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
through the former Teufelsmoor
Teufelsmoor
The Teufelsmoor is a region of bog and moorland north of Bremen, Germany. It forms a large part of the district of Osterholz, and extends into the neighbouring districts of Rotenburg .- Geography :...
("Devil's Moor") and Gnarrenburg
Gnarrenburg
Gnarrenburg is a municipality in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km southwest of Bremervörde, and 40 km northeast of Bremen.Gnarrenburg belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen...
, until it reaches the Hamme near Viehspecken. The part of the canal near its mouth into the Hamme is also known as Kollbeck.
The canal was built between 1769 and 1790 by Jürgen Christian Findorff and was used to drain the Teufelsmoor and to transport freight (mainly peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
) in small barges (Bullen). Its long construction time was due to the difficulties caused by the soft peat soil which repeatedly collapsed and meant that the channel had to be re-excavated. From the 1860s numerous flap gates (Klappstaue) and double sluice gates were installed, that made it easier for the peat barges.
The canal initially formed the only inland water link between 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...
and Weser. It is 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) long, has a bed width of four metres and a water surface width of six metres. It is 0,9 metres deep. Today the canal is overgrown and no longer navigable. Nevertheless because the flap gates are maintained it is possible to walk the route.