Gera (river)

The catchment area of ​​Gera

The diked Gera on the lower reaches at Andisleben

The Gera is a 85 km long right ( south ) side of the river Unstrut in Thuringia.

Geography

The Gera arises in Plaue by the confluence of Wild Gera ( its western source river ) and Tame Gera ( its eastern source river ). The sources of Wild and Tame Gera range of community Gehlberg am Rennsteig in the Thuringian Forest on the slopes below the snow head. The Gera flows first in a northerly direction from Plaue about Dosdorf and Siegelbach to Arnstadt. This section of the valley is called Plauescher reason. He is deeply cut into the limestone, the right, the pure mountains rising 300 meters above the river valley, on the left is the Gosseler plate rises about 200 meters above the river valley. The bed of the river Gera has behind Plaue pierce the shell and flows initially booked like on sandstone; on the right side begging flowing stream reaches the bay even up close to the Pauli Zellaer foothills. The final exit from the Ohrdrufer plate will only take place through the narrow gorge cut immediately above Arnstadt.

In Arnstadt opens with reaching the Keuper stage, the Geratal. There is noticeably wider and the slopes flatter on both sides. Spoil the riverbed of Gera has been straightened as far as possible. The river here runs east of the heart. In Arnstadt Gera takes the creek Wild on White. It is about 12 kilometers long and formed west of Arnstadt the Jonas Valley. Next place on the Gera is Rudisleben. Here the environment is flat and the Gera has no valley. Below Rudisleben follows Ichterhausen. Behind Ichterhausen takes Gera on the Wipfra. It opens one of the right and is about 40 kilometers long, but quite low in water. The Gera now passes under the A71, A4 and Gera Viaduct Ichterhausen (train ) at Erfurt cross. Now also leaves the Ilm-Kreis and enters the territory of the city of Erfurt. The next place shortly after the Erfurt Cross follows Molsdorf. North of the village flows the 42 km long Apfelstädt into the Gera. It is quite rich in water because their sources are also on the Rennsteig in Oberhof. Now follow the already belonging to the city of Erfurt places Möbisburg and Bischleben. Since the mouth of the Apfelstädt the Thuringian Railway runs Geratal.

Behind Bischleben begins the actual city of Erfurt, first with the district of Hochheim and its grounds. The valley is noticeably steeper on both sides, right rises the Steigerwald and left the Citadel Cyriaksburg. In the Brühl Gera is divided into two arms: the mountain stream and the current Walk, which unite in the old town to the wide stream. These side arms had mainly economic importance to them numerous mills were operated. Military importance was the wide stream (sometimes called re Wilde Gera ), which flowed around the inner mounting ring. This was filled in during the early days as part of the softening. Your former process corresponds to the present-day Yuri Gagarin ring. The water was then in the outer wall trench, today Flutgraben redirected. Another mill stream, the deer Pool, also does not exist anymore. Today, only the street name Hirschlach shore reminiscent of the waters.

The water of the Gera now flows to one-third of the old town, the rest takes the Flutgraben on. Just north of Erfurt's old the Gera runs through the Great Rieth after Gispersleben. Here the environment is flat again and the Gera no longer forms a valley. Besides Gera here run the B4 west and the railway line Erfurt - Nordhausen east. Now follows the Erfurt district Kühnhausen well as the places Elxleben, Walschleben, Andi life ring life and the city Gebesee in Gera floodplain district Sömmerda. The Gera flows just behind Gebesee right into Unstrut. It is after their water supply of approximately 6.6 m³ / s, the main river in the Unstrut river system, because at the Gera - mouth leads the Unstrut only about 4.6 m³ / s

In Erfurt, Gera Narrow the branches, which flows east of the Great Rieths about Erfurt- Mittelhausen Riethnordhausen and Haßleben. It opens at Werningshausen with an average water flow of about 0.3 m³ / s in the frames and also achieved with her soon after the Unstrut.

History

The original name of the river was Erfes (also Erphes, Erfis or Erphis ), from which the name of the Thuringian capital of Erfurt derived. The Latin name for Hiera Gera is also found in the naming of the old University of Erfurt as " Hierana " (which lies along the Gera ).

In past centuries, the Gera often overflowed its banks, with the consequence of severe floods for the Erfurt city center. Therefore originated in Erfurt at the end of the 19th century, the complex structure of the flood ditch, which the city was successfully protected in the subsequent period before such damage.

Environment

Fauna

In the upper reaches of the headwaters of Gera, the brook trout is native.

Flora

Versatile particular note is the reason Plauesche between Plaue and Arnstadt, where the climate is particularly mild. There one finds the characteristic of limestone flora.

Water quality

The water quality of Gera was in 2001:

• In the Source section - Gräfenroda or source - Gera mountain unloaded, so drinking water quality
• In section Gräfenroda / Gera Mountain - Erfurt moderately, mainly caused by municipal wastewater
• In section Erfurt - muzzle critical, also from urban and intensive agriculture.

Attractions and buildings

The A71 crosses the valleys of the Tame and Wild Gera and their tributary Reichenbach with three major bridges: the Viaduct Reichenbach (1000 meters long, 60 meters high), the Viaduct Tame Gera ( 520 meters long, 70 meters high) and the Viaduct Wilde Gera (552 meters long, 110 meters high). Other bridges are the Gera Viaduct Ichterhausen ( 1121 meters long, 20 meters high ) of the high-speed line Nuremberg -Erfurt and the bridges of the A71 and A4 in the area of ​​Erfurt Cross.

However, the most famous building on the Gera is the Krämer bridge in Erfurt, which is the only fully built with houses bridge north of the Alps.

Dams in the catchment area of ​​Gera, the dams Heyda, Lütsche, Ohra, narrow water and Tambach- Dietharz in the Thuringian Forest and the dams Dachwig and Wechmar in its foothills.

Economy

The Gera is economically of little significance. In the past it served as a drive for water mills and rafts of timber from the Thuringian Forest to Erfurt. Today it mainly provides irrigation water for agriculture.

Others

• After three Gera Thuringia management communities have named: managing community Geratal ( in Ilm-Kreis, Head Office: Gera mountain )
• Managing Community Upper Geratal ( in Ilm-Kreis, Head Office: Gräfenroda )
• Managing community Gera - Aue (in the circle Sömmerda ); Seat ( Gebesee )