Speyerbach
Encyclopedia
TheSpeyerbach is a left tributary
of the Rhine in the Palatinate part of Rhineland-Palatinate
. In Speyer
, the river split into Gießhübelbach and Woogbach. The Woogbach changes its name to Nonnenbach, then flows into Gießhübelbach shorlty before the latter flows into the Rhine.
in the municipality of Elmstein
, in the middle of the Palatinate forest, east of the Palatinate watershed. It has a height of 296 m AMSL; the surrounding Frankenweide mountains reach up to 609 m high (mount Eschkopf). Soon after the nominal source, it is joined by the much larger Erlenbach
, which rises at the Hussars Fountain,5 km further South, on mount Eschkopf, at a height of 460 m. So, hydrologically speaking, the Hussars Fountain is the true source of Speyerbach.
From the Speyerbrunn, the Speyerbrunn winds through the narrow Elmstein valley, flowing East at first, then North-East, flowing past the main village of Elmstein. Above the valley, the ruins of four castles are lined in a row. Erfenstein Castle and Spangenberg Castle are well-known from the Legend of Leather Bridge. 5 km downstream from Elmstein, the Helmbach flows into the Speyerbach at the hamlet of the same name.
Below Frankeneck
, where the broader Lambrechter valley begins, the Speyerbach takes from the left's most important water supplier, the nearly 20 km long Hochspeyerbach
, and changes its direction to the southeast. The small town of Lambrecht
spreads on both sides of the river.
The Speyerbach breaks the eastern ridge of the Palatinate Forest shortly before Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. The ridge is about 300 m above the river. On the left above the valley are the ruins of Wolfsburg Castle and Winzingen Castle, on the site where Haardter Castle was later erected. 3 km to the right of the valley, we find Hambach Castle
, the symbol of the German democracy
movement, which had an early peak with the Hambach festival of 1832.
In Neustadt an der Weinstrasse the Rehbach
splits off to the left at the Winzinger Wassergescheid, carrying one third of the water. The Speyerbach then flows through a narrow valley in the hill country of the German Wine Route; both sides of the valley are lined with vineyards. It then continues through the Upper Rhine Valley, in a South-Easterly direction. In Speyerdorf the Ranschgraben splits off to the left. Here, the Speyerbach flows through the municipalities of Hanhofen
and Dudenhofen
. At the Hanhofer Wassergescheid, the Mühlbachgraben joins from the right, and the Woogbach split off on the left, taking half the water. Two more tributaries join in the next 3 km: the Modenbach and the Hainbach. In Speyer
, the Woogbach rejoins, and then the Speyerbach flows into the Rhine in the port of Speyer, at Rhine kilometer mark 400.3.
. Transportation was done by drifting
of logs or timber up to about 1.40 m in length; the water discharge was too low for rafts made of tree trunks. The timber was collected before lefting in artificial ponds called Woogen or Klausen
, to be drifted in spring, as the snow melt began. The timing was crucial, because during the drifting season, the water mills, sawmills
and iron works could not be operated and mill workers had to be paid compensation. In an account from 1832, head teacher W. Häge reported the presence, in Elmstein Valley alone, of three mills, five sawmills, one forge and one paper mill
, all of which the drifters had to take into account. Drifting on the Speyerbach was regulated by a "drifting order" of 1320, which decreed that drifting had to be completed on St George's Day
(April 23rd).
After the palatinate had come under Bavarian rule in 1816, drifting on the Speyerbach and other rivers was expanded. In 1822, a "Drifting Office" was opened in Neustadt. When in 1852, a "Drifting Master's Office" was established in Elmstein, the Neustadt had more than 140 km of drifting waters. From 1882 onwards, drifting was gradually abandoned. On the Speyerbach, drifting was practised until 1902, but only above Frankeneck. The last drift contained 6193 stère
of timber.
The middle and lower reaches of today's Speyerbach, are largely the product of human intervention, both in terms of its course and its being canalized
. The meanders that existed during the Spanish Succession War led to the undoing of both French and Imperial troops during the Battle at the Speyerbach in September 1703.
The elimination of the former meanders causes frequent floods, because overflow areas are now missing. In built-up areas, the aesthetics of the river suffered from the canalization and covering. In Neustadt both the Speyerbach and the Rehbach have largely disappeared from view during the second half of the twentieth century. In the first decade of the 21st century, the rivers were partially restored, in order to form a green corridor. The project was completed in June 2010, at a cost of 2.7 million euro, most of which was paid by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
The lower reaches of the Speyerbach, east of Neustadt, flowing South-East to Speyer were probably created by the Romans
to transport timberfrom the Palatinate Forest to Noviomagus Nemetum, the Germanic
precursor of Speyer. The water level in this section is up to 3 m above the surrounding terrain. Previously, it probably followed a more northerly course, south of Haßloch
and then along the course of the current Ranschgraben, taking up the Rehbach near Limburgerhof-Rehhütte
and flowing into the Rhine between Altrincham
and Ludwigshafen.
The distributaries Rehbach (splitting off at Neustadt) and Woogbach (at Hanhofen) are both artificial; they were created in the Late Middle Ages
.
, above Elmstein on the southwestern edge of the 458 m high situated castle hill, is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. In the hamlet of Breitenstein, we find the ruins of Breitenstein Castle; just over 1 km down the Speyerbach from the hamlet of Erfenstein we find on the left the ruins of Erfenstein Castle, on the right those of Spangenberg Castle.
, provides the public since 1990 with information about working in the forest, including drifting on the Speyerbach.
.
to Elmstein
follows the Speyerbach and just under 13 km long.
and the Neustadt district of Geinsheim is in working order. It has a Green restaurant and a weeping willow as a green monument
. The Aumühle Mill between Haßloch Hanhofen has a waterwheel in working order, and a very good restaurant.
and a pony farm with a stud farm
.
— Neustadt — Speyer and the Palatine Ludwigsbahn railroad line between Saarbrücken
and Mannheim
run side by side through Lambrecht valley. The formerly abandoned Kuckucksbähnel railway line from Lambrecht
to Elmstein
was reactivated in 1984.
Tributary
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...
of the Rhine in the Palatinate part of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
. In Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, the river split into Gießhübelbach and Woogbach. The Woogbach changes its name to Nonnenbach, then flows into Gießhübelbach shorlty before the latter flows into the Rhine.
Importance
Although only classified as a river of the third rank under German river classification system, the Speyerbach is the largest river of the Anterior Palatinate. It is 60 km long; its catchment area is 596 km²; its discharge varies between 1 and 5 m³/s. In extreme weather conditions with heavy rain in a short time, the discharge amy be much higher; the highest peak was 19.5 m³/s on 25 May 1978.Course
The nominal source of the Speyerbach is located near the hamlet of SpeyerbrunnSpeyerbrunn
Speyerbrunn is a community of the municipality Elmstein in the Landkreis of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany- History :Speyerbrunn was founded in 1754. Until 1975 the town belonged to the municipality Wilgartswiesen, which was merged with the neighboring towns Schwarzenbach, Erlenbach...
in the municipality of Elmstein
Elmstein
Elmstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :Elmstein lies in the Palatinate Forest...
, in the middle of the Palatinate forest, east of the Palatinate watershed. It has a height of 296 m AMSL; the surrounding Frankenweide mountains reach up to 609 m high (mount Eschkopf). Soon after the nominal source, it is joined by the much larger Erlenbach
Erlenbach (Speyerbach)
The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the (Palatinate region of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the strongest headwater of the Speyerbach, which is the largest river in...
, which rises at the Hussars Fountain,5 km further South, on mount Eschkopf, at a height of 460 m. So, hydrologically speaking, the Hussars Fountain is the true source of Speyerbach.
From the Speyerbrunn, the Speyerbrunn winds through the narrow Elmstein valley, flowing East at first, then North-East, flowing past the main village of Elmstein. Above the valley, the ruins of four castles are lined in a row. Erfenstein Castle and Spangenberg Castle are well-known from the Legend of Leather Bridge. 5 km downstream from Elmstein, the Helmbach flows into the Speyerbach at the hamlet of the same name.
Below Frankeneck
Frankeneck
Frankeneck is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, where the broader Lambrechter valley begins, the Speyerbach takes from the left's most important water supplier, the nearly 20 km long Hochspeyerbach
Hochspeyerbach
The Hochspeyerbach is a 21 km long river in the Palatinate forest in Rhineland-Palatinate and a left tributary of the Speyerbach.- Course :...
, and changes its direction to the southeast. The small town of Lambrecht
Lambrecht
Lambrecht is a town in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany lying roughly 6 km northwest of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.- Location :...
spreads on both sides of the river.
The Speyerbach breaks the eastern ridge of the Palatinate Forest shortly before Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. The ridge is about 300 m above the river. On the left above the valley are the ruins of Wolfsburg Castle and Winzingen Castle, on the site where Haardter Castle was later erected. 3 km to the right of the valley, we find Hambach Castle
Hambach Castle
Hambach Castle near the urban district Hambach of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is considered to be the symbol of the German democracy movement because of the Hambacher Fest which occurred here in 1832.- Location :...
, the symbol of the German democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
movement, which had an early peak with the Hambach festival of 1832.
In Neustadt an der Weinstrasse the Rehbach
Rehbach (Palatinate)
The Rehbach is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is about 29 km long and is a left tributary of the Rhine.- History :thumb | upright | left | Rehbach in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse: View to the West from the bridge of the Landwehrstraße...
splits off to the left at the Winzinger Wassergescheid, carrying one third of the water. The Speyerbach then flows through a narrow valley in the hill country of the German Wine Route; both sides of the valley are lined with vineyards. It then continues through the Upper Rhine Valley, in a South-Easterly direction. In Speyerdorf the Ranschgraben splits off to the left. Here, the Speyerbach flows through the municipalities of Hanhofen
Hanhofen
Hanhofen is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Literature:...
and Dudenhofen
Dudenhofen
Dudenhofen is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.It is situated about 3 kilometers west of Speyer.Dudenhofen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Dudenhofen....
. At the Hanhofer Wassergescheid, the Mühlbachgraben joins from the right, and the Woogbach split off on the left, taking half the water. Two more tributaries join in the next 3 km: the Modenbach and the Hainbach. In Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, the Woogbach rejoins, and then the Speyerbach flows into the Rhine in the port of Speyer, at Rhine kilometer mark 400.3.
Tributaries
- ErlenbachErlenbach (Speyerbach)The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the The Erlenbach is a river in the Palatinate Forest, in the (Palatinate region of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the strongest headwater of the Speyerbach, which is the largest river in...
(right), 4.9 km - Schwarzenbach (left), 3.8km
- Enkenbach (left), 2,6 km
- Mückentalbach (left), 0.9 km
- Weltersbach (left), 2.8 km
- Oselbach (left), 2.1 km
- Legelbach (left), 4.2 km
- Möllbach (right), 1.1 km
- Haselbach (right), 3.2 km
- Helmbach (right), 11.0 km
- Argenbach (right), 5.5 km
- Breitenbach (left), 6.7 km
- Erfensteinertalbach (left), 1.5 km
- Höllischtalbächlein (right), 2.7 km
- Esthalbach (left), 4.4 km
- HochspeyerbachHochspeyerbachThe Hochspeyerbach is a 21 km long river in the Palatinate forest in Rhineland-Palatinate and a left tributary of the Speyerbach.- Course :...
(left), 21.3 km - Luhrbach (left), 2.0 km
- Schlangentalbach (left), 3.8km
- Heidenbrunnertalbach (right), 4.1 km
- Kaltenbrunnertalbach (right), 6.6 km
- RehbachRehbach (Palatinate)The Rehbach is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is about 29 km long and is a left tributary of the Rhine.- History :thumb | upright | left | Rehbach in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse: View to the West from the bridge of the Landwehrstraße...
(left), 29.0 km (distributary) - Bürgergraben (a.k.a. Enggraben) (right)
History
In the past, the Speyerbach was an important freight transport route for timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. Transportation was done by drifting
Drifting
Drifting may mean:*Drifting In film:*Drifting , a 1923 film directed by Tod Browning*Drifting , the first Israeli gay-themed filmIn music:*Drifting, a song by Jimi Hendrix on his album The Cry of Love...
of logs or timber up to about 1.40 m in length; the water discharge was too low for rafts made of tree trunks. The timber was collected before lefting in artificial ponds called Woogen or Klausen
Klausen
Klausen is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 70 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 20 km northeast of the city of Bolzano....
, to be drifted in spring, as the snow melt began. The timing was crucial, because during the drifting season, the water mills, sawmills
Sawmills
Sawmills may refer to:* A sawmill, a facility where logs are cut to length* Sawmills Studio, a famous UK music recording studio* Sawmills, North Carolina...
and iron works could not be operated and mill workers had to be paid compensation. In an account from 1832, head teacher W. Häge reported the presence, in Elmstein Valley alone, of three mills, five sawmills, one forge and one paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
, all of which the drifters had to take into account. Drifting on the Speyerbach was regulated by a "drifting order" of 1320, which decreed that drifting had to be completed on St George's Day
St George's Day
St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303...
(April 23rd).
After the palatinate had come under Bavarian rule in 1816, drifting on the Speyerbach and other rivers was expanded. In 1822, a "Drifting Office" was opened in Neustadt. When in 1852, a "Drifting Master's Office" was established in Elmstein, the Neustadt had more than 140 km of drifting waters. From 1882 onwards, drifting was gradually abandoned. On the Speyerbach, drifting was practised until 1902, but only above Frankeneck. The last drift contained 6193 stère
Stère
The stere or stère is a unit of volume in the original metric system equal to one cubic metre. The name was coined from the Greek στερεός stereos 'solid' in 1793 France as a metric equivalent to the cord. The stère is typically used for measuring large quantities of firewood or other cut wood,...
of timber.
The middle and lower reaches of today's Speyerbach, are largely the product of human intervention, both in terms of its course and its being canalized
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:...
. The meanders that existed during the Spanish Succession War led to the undoing of both French and Imperial troops during the Battle at the Speyerbach in September 1703.
The elimination of the former meanders causes frequent floods, because overflow areas are now missing. In built-up areas, the aesthetics of the river suffered from the canalization and covering. In Neustadt both the Speyerbach and the Rehbach have largely disappeared from view during the second half of the twentieth century. In the first decade of the 21st century, the rivers were partially restored, in order to form a green corridor. The project was completed in June 2010, at a cost of 2.7 million euro, most of which was paid by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
The lower reaches of the Speyerbach, east of Neustadt, flowing South-East to Speyer were probably created by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
to transport timberfrom the Palatinate Forest to Noviomagus Nemetum, the Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
precursor of Speyer. The water level in this section is up to 3 m above the surrounding terrain. Previously, it probably followed a more northerly course, south of Haßloch
Haßloch
Haßloch is a municipality in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Unlike most municipalities in the district, it does not belong to any Verbandsgemeinde – a kind of collective municipality. It lies near the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen built-up area...
and then along the course of the current Ranschgraben, taking up the Rehbach near Limburgerhof-Rehhütte
Limburgerhof
Limburgerhof is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, 7 km southwest of Ludwigshafen.It is known in the region because of an Agrochemical Center of the world's largest chemical company BASF, which has its headquarters in Ludwigshafen...
and flowing into the Rhine between Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
and Ludwigshafen.
The distributaries Rehbach (splitting off at Neustadt) and Woogbach (at Hanhofen) are both artificial; they were created in the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
.
Castles
The ruins of Elmstein CastleElmstein Castle
Elmstein Castle is a castle ruin built in the High Middle Ages overlooking Elmstein in the Palatinate Forest in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was built in the 12th century.- Location :...
, above Elmstein on the southwestern edge of the 458 m high situated castle hill, is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. In the hamlet of Breitenstein, we find the ruins of Breitenstein Castle; just over 1 km down the Speyerbach from the hamlet of Erfenstein we find on the left the ruins of Erfenstein Castle, on the right those of Spangenberg Castle.
Forest service museum
The Forestry Museum Elmstein, situated in the house of Heinrich Haag, the last blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, provides the public since 1990 with information about working in the forest, including drifting on the Speyerbach.
Drift path
Otto Feyock, a retired ranger, has created the Drift Path Elmstein. It has large information panels and starts in the Appenthal part of ElmsteinElmstein
Elmstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :Elmstein lies in the Palatinate Forest...
.
Museum Railway Line
The Kuckucksbähnel Museum Line runs historic steam locomotives and carriages between Neustadt and Elmstein. The reactivated part of the track from LambrechtLambrecht
Lambrecht is a town in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany lying roughly 6 km northwest of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.- Location :...
to Elmstein
Elmstein
Elmstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :Elmstein lies in the Palatinate Forest...
follows the Speyerbach and just under 13 km long.
Mills
The Frohnmühle Mill on Speyerbach between HaßlochHaßloch
Haßloch is a municipality in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Unlike most municipalities in the district, it does not belong to any Verbandsgemeinde – a kind of collective municipality. It lies near the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen built-up area...
and the Neustadt district of Geinsheim is in working order. It has a Green restaurant and a weeping willow as a green monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
. The Aumühle Mill between Haßloch Hanhofen has a waterwheel in working order, and a very good restaurant.
Leisure facilities
Near the Speyerbach we find Holiday ParkHoliday Park
Holiday Park may refer to:* Holiday Park, Germany* Holiday Park, Saskatoon* A term used in England, Australia and New Zealand for a tourist campsite facility offering a wide range of accommodation styles....
and a pony farm with a stud farm
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
.
Economy
Because the raw material (wood) and a supply of energy (water) were available next to each other, large paper mills developed in Lambrecht valley in the 19th century. Because this was very labor-intensive work, they were at the time very important for the regional labor market. The paper mills still exist today, although technological progress has led to job cuts.Transport
Federal road B39 FrankensteinFrankenstein, Rhineland-Palatinate
Frankenstein is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
— Neustadt — Speyer and the Palatine Ludwigsbahn railroad line between Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
and Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
run side by side through Lambrecht valley. The formerly abandoned Kuckucksbähnel railway line from Lambrecht
Lambrecht
Lambrecht is a town in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany lying roughly 6 km northwest of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.- Location :...
to Elmstein
Elmstein
Elmstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :Elmstein lies in the Palatinate Forest...
was reactivated in 1984.