Erbstrom

Erbstromquelle

The Erbstrom is about 13.5 km long, south and orographic left-hand tributary of the Hörsel in Wartburg district in western Thuringia and namesake of the Kerbtals Erbstromtal.

Name

The original name of the river is preserved in the upper reaches as Ruhlaha and has been preserved as a place name of Ruhla. In the lower reaches, from Farnroda, called the Erbstrom also Wutha -Bach, this was the name derived from the early medieval name Wuthaha waters, which in turn the small settlement Wutha its name.

Course

The Erbstrom rises in the Thuringian forest about 3.5 km southeast of the main town of Ruhla. Its source lies on the northern edge of the Gerber stone ( 728.5 m above sea level. NN ) on the Franconia area, a region on the main road between 1027 Winterstein and Steinbach near the Rennsteig. There is a restored 1994 stone marker with inscription Erbstromquelle, which is above sea level to about 645 m. NN is. Other creeks and rivulets as Cold Rümpler and the Bach Rolla culminate in rapid succession below the stream source.

Initially, the predominantly northward running Erbstrom flows Ruhla, which he reached on the southern outskirts Ruhlaer Stadium. In the following 5 km of its flow path to the northern outskirts of the river over the centuries through trade and business has been used extensively and this dirty sustainable. In the urban area, the course is also due to overbuilding and sewerage measures only partially traceable.

Between Ruhla and the district of Thal of Erbstrom has an approximately wild and natural character. In the local situation of the Holy Stone and the valley coming from the direction Seebach Krebsbach and other streams flow a.

Then the Erbstrom along the national road 88 passes through Farnroda to finally after taking up his last tributary, the Mosbach, Wutha after passing under the highway 7 and Thuringian railway to 233.5 m above sea level. NN to open into the Werra tributary Hörsel.

Economic History

Importance for the mining industry

The importance of the mining areas in order Schmalkalden and Suhl also common in the 17th century and waters Erbwasser, Erbbach and Erbstrom is borrowed from the mining industry. This natural watercourses were in the files indicated, their use rights have been granted for a specified period or permanently to the operators of Pochwerken, hammer mills, grinding cotta and other mill buildings, including one water - and trade ditches to travel up into the mill wheels provided with weirs.

In the lower reaches of the Erbstrom fed the Farnrodaer Schloßteich and more, located on Schunkenhof fish ponds. In Wutha was in the 19th century, a paper mill, now is there the premises Petkus Wutha.

Interventions in the river

As a basis for the initiated in the early 1970s construction of the UMK- Ruhla social building at the former bus station in Ruhla the river for a distance of about 500 meters had to be umverlegt. The now occupies river bed runs underground in a channel of about 1000 concrete elements, which were delivered by the building materials combine Sömmerda. The transfer took place in the spring and summer of 1970. Pending the final acceptance in the summer of 1971, yet the channel interface and cable networks in this area are newly installed. About the channel a viable layer of gravel and compacted soil was filled in about a meter in thickness. The construction project also available in this section of artificial "waterfall" was eliminated, who was a popular meeting place for the Ruhlaer decades.

Also, the course of the river within the valley, and Farnroda Wutha was secured by dams and concrete walls. First, also the road Thal -Seebach in 1970 umverlegt and created a storm water retention basin in Fuchs reason, it serves for the adjacent commercial areas as domestic and fire water tanks. The leading Thal local link road was umverlegt in the local situation Farnroda, this, two new bridges were built. The grassy area south of the main building of the company Petkus Wutha to Triftweg was initially remained undeveloped due to frequent flood events. The channeling of Erbstroms and intake on Triftweg also took place in the 1970s. The stone arch bridge over the Erbstrom in Eisenacherstraße had not already grown in the 1940s, the modern traffic, and the bridge subsequently was replaced already in the 2000s.