Dahme (river)

Dahme confluence with the River Spree in Berlin -Köpenick

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Dahme ( from Seddinsee to the Spree to 1938 Wendish Spree) flows is an approximately 95 km long tributary of the River Spree in the south-east of Berlin in Brandenburg.

The Dahme springs southeast of the small town of Dahme, touches or flows in a northerly direction the smaller cities Golßen, Maerkisch Buchholz and King Wustershausen and ends in Berlin -Köpenick just behind the castle island in the Spree. At around 26 kilometers between Prieros and the bridge in the Dahme Schmoeckwitz federal waterway under the name of Dahme- waterway is ( DaW ). In Schmoeckwitz the waterway on the Spree - Oder Waterway ( SOW) ends at km 44, with the 11 -km leg to Berlin -Köpenick is the Dahme.

The name is possibly derived from the Slavic Dahme term Dembrowa = oak forest. Other authors attribute the river name back to an older, originating from the Germanic Vorbevölkerung name might refer to a dark river. Such old names were often passed by the Germanic rest of the population to the Slavic Zusiedler.

History, Nature Park and Umflutkanal

South of the town of Brandenburg Dahme river and springs from the first takes its course to the east. Here the Dahmetal together with the south of the source area adjoining valley of Schweinitzer Fließes the natural border between the flaming and the Lusatian border wall. At the same time Dahme run between Liebsdorf and Falk grove forms the eastern boundary of the nature reserve Lower Landrücken. In Golßen the river reaches the Baruth glacial valley, which crosses it and then leaves the village Staakow in the north ( here it occurs in the natural park of Dahme- Heideseen a ). Between Golßen, Rietzneuendorf and Briesen, the Dahme to Maerkisch Buchholz winds as a small, largely natural state flow further north. You hereby flows on the western edge of the valley of the lower Spreewald places by swampy alder forests, from the village Teurow to its mouth in Berlin, the river follows several glacial troughs.

In Maerkisch Buchholz of Dahme is supplied via the Dahme- Umflutkanal water from the river. Originally, the Spreewald should be better protected against floods. The Dahme flows from here in a broad, partially -developed channel-like riverbed and is available on the remaining 51 km to the mouth of the River Spree, navigable.

From Prieros it expands, much like the Havel in Berlin- Potsdam area, to a chain of lakes. About Dolgenbrodt, Gussow, Bindow, the Krüpelsee, Kingswells, Zeuthen and the Lake Zeuthen, Eichwalde and the Long Lake, the Dahme arrived in Berlin -Köpenick and here are the Spree back the " borrowed " water. On the approximately 480 -meter-long section between the Krimnicksee and the historic lock New Mill in King Wusterhausen the Dahme named Staabe. A short right arm of Dahme, enclosing the Köpenick Castle Island with it, is called Frauentog. The name comes from the earlier operating here washerwomen ago.

Fontane and the Dahme

During his hikes through the Mark Brandenburg Theodor Fontane has taken the mid-19th century aboard the Sphinx a boat expedition with the aim up to the lake and source areas of the " Wendish Spree » penetrate. Even the idea for this expedition staggered Fontane in a flurry, as if it had been an advance up to the lake and headwaters of the Nile.

Fontane leaves following characterization of the river:

At the bridge to Cöpenick two rivers meet nearly at right angles together: the " real" Spree and the " Wendish " Spree, the latter also " the Dahme " told. The Wendish Spree, even more than the actual forms a large number of magnificent lake areas that are connected by a thin thread of water. The infrastructure of this river thus moves in opposites, and while just been haffartige widths were passed, on which a naval battle could be struck, the boat pushes a quarter hour later so narrow defiles that the rudder bars to the right and left to go touch the shore. And as the width, as well as the depth changes. At one point, soil hopper and crater where the line of the plumb bob is denied the service, and next to sloughs and ponds, where also the flachgehendste boat travels through the swamp ground. So this waterway.

In Prieros drove Fontane and his companions no longer dahme up, but followed the chain of lakes, which is now called Teupitzer waters. After a total of two days of travel, they reached at the end of the navigable waters Teupitz.

Jaxa of Köpenick

Although the Dahme had not quite the historical significance of Nuthe with their Nuthe castles, but still played a role in the founding of the Mark Brandenburg. At today's Castle Island in Berlin -Köpenick at the confluence of Dahme and Spree was a Slavic castle, which has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt for a long time. Middle of the 12th century, this castle was a center of power of the tribe of Sprewanen under their prince Jaxa of Köpenick. Jaxa made ​​Albert the Bear, founder of the Mark Brandenburg, considerable resistance and was only on June 11, 1157, the anniversary of the Mark, be decisively defeated.