Lower Oder Valley National Park

Lower Oder Valley National Park is a national park was established in 1995 in Germany. It is located on the lower reaches of the Oder in the northeast Brandenburg, district Uckermark and covers an area of ​​10,500 ha of National Park is surrounded on the German side of the 17,774 -acre conservation area National Park Region Lower Oder Valley. The National Park together with the adjacent Polish Landscape Park Lower Oder Valley ( Dolina Landscape Park Dolnej Odry, about 6,000 ha ) and the Zehdener Landscape Park ( Cedynski Landscape Park, about 30,850 ha) and its protection zone is a spatial unit.

Since the declarations and decisions of the Polish-German Environmental Council of 1992, the territory with its central part between the Hohensaaten- Friedrichsthaler waterway and the Or run, including the adjacent area on the German side and the Mesopotamia between East and West or of Widuchowa ( Fiddichow ) is to Skosnica channel ( Klützer Querfahrt ) considered on the Polish side as transboundary protected area and named International Park lower Oder Valley. The cross-border protection zone covers a total area of 1,172 km ² and extends to both German and Polish side along the Oder about a good 60 km in length.

2,248 ha in the core zone of the national park have the status of "wilderness partner " in the network of European Wildlife sanctuaries in the PAN Parks Foundation.

Special features of the National Park Lower Oder Valley

The National Park extends over a width of two to eight kilometers. The east bank of the Oder (or from Friedrichsthal the Ostoder ) rises steeply to altitudes of up to 100 m above sea level. NN on. The west bank of the Oder and the West parallel to the Oder canal, which Hohensaaten- Friedrichsthaler waterway is, slightly less steep and in the area of ​​Schwedt / Oder ( catfish mouth ) very flat.

Here is the only intact Polder landscape in Germany. According to the Dutch model, the river basin was dammed large area. High winter dikes that stretch on the western edge of the valley, protect the places. Along the Oder to pull the summer dikes that are opened every year in November, so that the water of the Oder can cover the entire wide of the river valley and drain away freely. In winter and spring, therefore the polder meadows are flooded. The river has more scope, the risk of flooding to the port city of Szczecin is therefore almost impossible.

Is the tide fell in April, the weirs of summer dikes are closed. The remaining water is pumped out within a few days. This allows up into the autumn meadows can be used by grazing and mowing.

The large river - floodplain habitat for many rare or endangered plants and animals, including beavers. On the flooded meadows raced large flocks of migratory birds. The valley is bounded by the Oder immediately steeply rising hills edges. On some particularly rugged slopes of the original forests have been preserved to this day remains. Other areas are due to centuries of grazing grasslands today.

Fauna of the National Parks

The flooded in winter pastures offer numerous migratory birds rest facilities. Among the birds that can be seen here, is one example of the whooper swan. Among the breeding birds of this national park are so rare grassland birds such as the corncrake, the ruff and black-tailed godwit and the Auwaldungen and the deciduous forests of the slopes or the oriole nests. The largest breeding colony of black tern is located in the National Park.

Likewise, to observe here is the kingfisher and the aquatic warbler, one of the most endangered songbirds in Europe. It breeds regularly in the wet meadows and reed beds of the floodplain. Larger stocks of these Singvogelart are otherwise only to be found in the more eastern marsh and meadow landscapes of Poland and Belarus.

Of particularly great attraction to the visitors of the national park are the white storks that nest on the roofs of the surrounding villages. Similarly, although very hidden, are also finding the very rare black storks, of which there are currently 3-5 breeding pairs.

As a permanent types otter, beaver, Montagu's Harrier and Eagles have here but also reintroduced.

In the National Park brooded 2006, the largest colony of Weißflügelseeschwalben all of Germany. It 50 pairs were counted with 45 boys. Due to the relatively long flood of the Oder and the so existing shallow water areas favorable conditions for the birds were given. As the summer heat set in, set the parking management good breeding conditions safely.

In addition to the Weißflügelseeschwalben brooded 2006 Weißbartseeschwalben in the National Park. Were counted 15 chicks.

Fauna of the National Parks

In addition to the polder areas of the National Park also has important habitats for rare animal and plant species that are on the heights and slopes of the edges of the Oder valley. Here, for example, in Central Europe, very rare white oak, a species of oak, the velvety leaves growing owns; because the downy oak belongs to the Mediterranean vegetation of this type it is too cold in many parts of Central Europe.

Tourist use

The Odra has developed after the establishment of the national park into a tourist tip. 2004 was one of the park around 150,000 visitors. Already in the spring of 1997, explained the former Brandenburg Environment Minister Matthias Platzeck: " Extrapolating the day and multi- day visitors together, which come only because of the national parks in the Schwedter surrounding region benefit financially from carefully estimated 2.6 million DM has thus annually ( today, 1.3 million euros ). "

Starting point for partly guided walking and cycling is the city of Schwedt / Oder or the National Park Centre in Criewen. On one of the dikes a portion of the now 465 km long Oder-Neisse Cycle Route runs along. The park has a 200 km long network of trails, 52 marked cycling and hiking trails, three nature trails and three climbs with panoramic views.

A little further south are located on a hill the remains of Stolper ( popularly known as " Grützpott " called ). From the foot of the castle ruins there is a beautiful view of the Lower Oder Valley. An ascent of the castle is possible at certain times.

Planned development

Under the old National Park Act ( NatPUOG ) from 1995 should at least half the area of the National Park held no later than December 31, 2010 no economic use and fully left there with the exception of flood defenses otherwise the natural development remain (total reserves ).

From 2004 to 2006, the country Brandenburg discussed due to acceptance problems in parts of the agriculture, fishing associations, the local population and the water an amendment to the National Park Act of 1995. Passed by the Brandenburg state parliament on 25 October 2006 amended the National Park Act provides mainly a lifting of the time objective for the expulsion of unexploited zones before. In addition, for a definition of strict reserves ( protected areas Ia and Ib ) (§ 5 para 2 NatPUOG ) is extremely limited use to exactly 50.1 %. At 0.1 %, the country would have less against the Federal Nature Conservation Act ( Federal Nature Conservation Act ) violated. As a National Park can only be made under protection according to § 24 Section 1 Sentence 2 BNatSchG an area if it meets the requirements for positions under protection as a nature reserve (§ 23 Federal Nature Conservation Act ) in the predominant part of their territory. Predominantly means greater than 50%. Would the area placed under protection in the National Park Lower Oder Valley but have 50.2 %, which would be a violation of the applicable since 2006 National Park Act ( NatPUOG ).

Conservationists complain that the amendment of the National Park Act in 2006, once again the interests of farmers and fishermen was yielded.

National Park Act

• Law on the National Park Lower Oder Valley ( Lower Oder Valley National Park Act - NatPUOG ). From 9 November 2006: Law and Regulation of the federal state of Brandenburg, Part I, No. 14 of 16 November 2006, pp. 141-149. (PDF file, 236 kB)
• The state of Brandenburg, the Lower Oder Valley National Park. Amendment National Park Act 2006 overview map of the National Park Lower Oder Valley. From 29 May 2006 ( PDF file, 1.87 MB)
• Law on the National Park Lower Oder Valley ( Lower Oder Valley National Park Act - NatPUOG ). 27 June 1995, in: Law and Regulation of the federal state of Brandenburg, Part I, No. 12 of 28 June 1995, pp. 114-119.