The forgotten lock: hope for the south wing of the Mittelland Canal!
The forgotten lock: hope for the south wing of the Mittelland Canal!
In the heart of Germany, where shipping meets history, there are exciting developments regarding the revival of the south wing of the Mittelland Canal. The foundation for this ambitious project was laid over 100 years ago when the vision was created to connect the Halle-Leipzig industrial region with the North Sea. But as is the case: plans from back then often fell victim to the adversities of time. mdr reports of Dirk Becker, who discovered a mysterious concrete ruin near Merseburg in 2007-the remains of the Wüsteneutzsch lock. This building was planned for cargo tractors with a capacity of 1,000 tons and part of a master plan from 1926.
The history of the lock is an example of the diverse challenges that such large projects have. Various crises, including those of the 1920s and the Second World War, have repeatedly put the realization of this dream on hold. Becker himself could not be discouraged and published a book in 2008 that describes the south wing as a comeback in water tourism. After all, Leipzig's goal of connecting the unfinished Lindenau port to the urban water network was tackled.
Schlusentrairpe Wüsteneutzsch
The lock staircase near Wüsteneutzsch is particularly remarkable. This is one of the few of its kind in Germany. Originally two identical lock chambers were planned, but unfortunately only the upper chamber is visible. History meets engineering here, because this facility is the largest single structure on the Saale-Elster Canal and is part of the large-scale project "Südblügel Mittelland Canal". Saale Elster channel Many technical features: an impressive 354 meter long interim storage facility, two ornaments and a versatile coterage system. Together they ensure that the ships can navigate safely and easily between the different water levels.But the costs of the upper lock chamber are not without: Almost 2.6 million Reichsmarks had to be applied for the construction. This shows how ambitious the plans were once, even if the execution was not completely completed. And yet: In spring 2022, a model of the upper lock chamber was created, which is now presented on special occasions to the public.
potential of inland navigation
The transport infrastructure in hydraulic engineering is an important topic that is often underestimated. The federal waterway network in Germany houses an impressive total length of 7,476 kilometers, of which 75% run on rivers and 25% on channels. According to the Schifffahrtsverein , this network offers the basis for international freight transport and is significant for European water transport. This is underpinned by numerous lock chambers and other systems that support shipping in Germany.
In recent years there have been efforts to promote inland navigation as a safe and environmentally friendly alternative. Gesa Schwoon in the Federal Ministry of Transport has developed a master plan for leisure shipping in Germany in order to find the latest ways to use the water road network even more efficiently. This shows that the story may be full of setbacks, but the dream of reviving the south wing of the Mittelland Canal continues and shows that water tourism is very popular again.
If you are interested in the exciting history of the Wüsteneutzsch lock, you can look forward to tours that will take place without prior registration on June 21 and September 20, 2025. A small ticket for five euros makes it possible to look into this eventful past, and maybe one of these guided tours can even learn more about the fascinating plans that are still waiting on the waterway.
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| Ort | Wüsteneutzsch, Deutschland |
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