Sosa Dam
Encyclopedia
The Sosa Dam is a barrier in the Free State of Saxony
in East Germany. It supplies drinking water
to the Western Ore Mountains
as well as acting as flood protection.
in the Ore Mountains
and taken into service in 1952. The barrier
itself is a crooked gravity dam made of quarrystone. It is the last dam of this type that was built in Germany. The impounded stream is the Kleine Bockau
.
In addition the waters of the Große Bockau
are diverted along a hillside channel west of the Auersberg
from Oberwildenthal via Wildenthal to the reservoir.
Following the foundation of the state of East Germany, the construction of the dam was turned over to the Free German Youth
as the first central youth objective within the first two-year plan. In view of the simple materials used for its construction it remains even today as technically impressive. Its realisation as a youth objective took on a strong idealogical slant in the years that followed. The facility was given the sobriquet "Dam of Peace" (Talsperre des Friedens) and was mentioned in the Song of the Youth Brigades (Lied der Jugendbrigaden: "We provided water in Sosa...).
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No public ways run over the dam. Bathing, angling and leisure sports are not permitted, but there is a public footpath around the reservoir. There is a car park near the dam that can be accessed by road from Sosa.
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
in East Germany. It supplies drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
to the Western Ore Mountains
Western Ore Mountains
The Western Ore Mountains is a natural region that forms the westernmost part of the Ore Mountains in the German federal state of Saxony. It is also part of the major landscape unit known as the Saxon Highlands and Uplands...
as well as acting as flood protection.
History
The dam was built between 1949 and 1952 in the Höllengrund near EibenstockEibenstock
Eibenstock is a town in the western Ore Mountains, in the Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the river Mulde.- Geography :...
in the Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
and taken into service in 1952. The barrier
Barrier
A barrier or barricade is a physical structure which blocks or impedes something.Barrier may also refer to:-Physical barriers:* Automatic full barriers, which serve to block roads at railway crossings...
itself is a crooked gravity dam made of quarrystone. It is the last dam of this type that was built in Germany. The impounded stream is the Kleine Bockau
Kleine Bockau
Kleine Bockau is a river of Saxony, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Saxony...
.
In addition the waters of the Große Bockau
Große Bockau
Große Bockau is a river of Saxony, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Saxony...
are diverted along a hillside channel west of the Auersberg
Auersberg
Auersberg is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany.- See also :*List of mountains in the Ore Mountains...
from Oberwildenthal via Wildenthal to the reservoir.
Following the foundation of the state of East Germany, the construction of the dam was turned over to the Free German Youth
Free German Youth
The Free German Youth, also known as the FDJ , was the official socialist youth movement of the German Democratic Republic and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany....
as the first central youth objective within the first two-year plan. In view of the simple materials used for its construction it remains even today as technically impressive. Its realisation as a youth objective took on a strong idealogical slant in the years that followed. The facility was given the sobriquet "Dam of Peace" (Talsperre des Friedens) and was mentioned in the Song of the Youth Brigades (Lied der Jugendbrigaden: "We provided water in Sosa...).
Leisure use
See also
- Cranzahl DamCranzahl DamCranzahl Dam is a dam in the Free State of Saxony in East Germany. It was built from 1949 to 1952 near Sehmatal-Cranzahl and the Bärenstein mountain in the Ore Mountains to supply drinking water to Annaberg-Buchholz and the surrounding area. Together with the Sosa Dam it was one of the two...
(Talsperre der Freundschaft) - List of dams and reservoirs in Germany
Sources
- Rainer Thiel: Der Stausee unterm Auersberg. Trafo-Verlag Weist, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-89626-390-0
- Christian Wünsche (Hrsg.): Waren wir Helden!? Sosa-Erbauer erinnern sich. Berlin, 2002. Anfragen: Günter Krenkel, Rostock, Telefon: 0381-682394
- Kube, Walter: Mein Abenteuer Sosa | MDR.DE