Kiel Canal

Template: Infobox River / GKZ_fehlt

The Kiel Canal ( NOK; international designation: Kiel Canal in Germany to 1948: Kaiser Wilhelm Canal ) connects the North Sea ( Elbe estuary ) to the Baltic Sea ( Kiel Fjord ). These federal waterway is the number of ships the busiest artificial waterway in the world. In the year 2012 34.879 ships it passed (2011: 33 522 ).

The canal crosses the German state of Schleswig- Holstein to nearly 100 miles of Brunsbuttel to Holtenau and saves up to 800 km longer route around the northern tip of Denmark by the Skagerrak and Kattegat.

The first connection between the North and Baltic Sea for sea-going ships was commissioned in 1784 and 1853 in Eider channel renamed Schleswig -Holstein Canal.

• 2.1 Prehistory ( to 1886 )
• 2.2 Construction and first expansion ( 1886-1914 )

• 3.1 Expansion eastern section
• 3.2 Improving including curves and points optimizations
• 3.3 New Levensau bridge
• 3.4 repair Rendsburgerstrasse tunnel

• 6.1 Traffic rules 6.1.1 Channel Pilot
• 6.1.2 Kanalsteurer

Description

The channel is one of the mirrored Seekanälen and at both ends by locks against the changing water levels (caused by tidal or wind set-up ) completed the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The endpoints are in Brunsbuttel on the Elbe (km 0.38 ) and in Holtenau on the Kiel Fjord ( 98.64 km ). They are 98.26 km apart ( as the crow 85.5 km ). The riverine code 5978 assigns the channel officially to the river system of the Elbe.

The channel passes different landscape zones of Schleswig-Holstein. First, he crosses the marsh and then cuts through a ridge of. On this route, the course of the channel between the castle ( Dithmar ) and Schafstedt then oriented on the course of Holstenau and from 41 km to over Rendsburg addition to the Eider valley, in the river bed, he runs northeast of Rendsburg. Then, the channel reaches the eastern hill country. Between Rendsburg, the most important port city in the course of the channel, and the Kiel Canal forms the border between the areas of Schleswig and Holstein.

At km 40,66 since 1937 branches off to the north of the Gieselaukanal from a connection to the Lower Eider. The Kiel Canal include as federal waterways nor the Borgstedter lake with tightness on the north side east of Rendsburg and on the south side of the lake Flemhuder at kilometer 85.32 and Achterwehrer Ship Canal at km 85.63. By 1913, the Upper Eider led by the Flemhuder lake, since the water flows through the Achterwehrer Ship Canal in the North Sea-Baltic Canal. About 1200 square kilometers of the original catchment area of the Eider drain into the North Sea-Baltic Canal. By 2008, the seeartig advanced Obereider between the North Sea-Baltic Canal and Rendsburg belonged to the channel.

The channel drains in total an area of 1580 square kilometers, of which 250 square miles are drained artificially by pumping stations. Account shall be taken between 4 m / s and 190 m³ / s in the channel, the average number is 20 m³ / s The water flows mainly in Brunsbuttel into the Elbe.

In contrast to flatter inland channels only riparian areas between one meter above and up to two meters below the water table are attached to protect the North Sea-Baltic Canal. Here are 15 to 50 -pound stones on a 30 to 50 centimeter thick layer of gravel. For soft substrates such as peat or clay, these lie on a bush mat to distribute the weight perfectly. In order to keep the channel navigable, 6.5 million m³ annually wet silt in Brunsbuttel be dredged, the rest channel again 100,000 m³ of material erosion. The use of dredgers involves on the one hand a collision risk for vessel traffic, on the other hand seems particularly the use of dredgers to disturb the ecology of the channel.

Eight roads and four railway lines cross the North Sea-Baltic Canal to a total of ten bridges, thirteen vehicle and a passenger ferry enable transport to the other side, and exist in Rendsburg since 1961 a road and a pedestrian tunnel. The railway bridge located in Rendsburg is known with suspended below the ferry. All bridges have the same vertical clearance of 42 meters for navigation, because the channel was designed for the construction of the battleships of Germany class of the Imperial Navy.

Dimensions of the channel

Maximum allowable vessel dimensions see section traffic regulations.

Smuggle

The locks on both ends of the channel, both in Brunsbuttel and in Holtenau, each have two small lock chambers ( Old or Small lock ) and two large lock chambers ( New or Large lock). Due to the high age of the locks now the construction of a fifth lock chamber is planned at least for Brunsbuttel.

After repeatedly occurring temporary closure of individual lock chambers for always necessary repair work on the lock installations had to be closed for eight days in Brunsbuttel on March 6, 2013, both chambers of the Great lock to replace a defective sluice gate against a repaired. Even with the little lock only one chamber was ready for use. During this work, the channel for ships over 125 meters in length was not passable. These ships had to take care of the Skagerrak during disabling the detour ( about 250 nautical miles more). According to industry sources, this has caused additional costs of 70,000 euros per vessel. By March 14, 2013, the emergency repair of the southern chamber of the Great lock progressed so far that they can be used again and the length restriction could be lifted. On March 14, 2013 two of four lock chambers were locked, the repair work continued.

In 2013, the federal funding for the channel 60 have been reduced to 11 million euros.

The following table shows some technical data of the lock chambers in Brunsbuttel and Holtenau.

History

Prehistory ( to 1886 )

Through the subsequent diversion of trade in Schleswig -Holstein, Lübeck this plan was obsolete. It emerged the Stecknitz and the Alster -best channel, but they were not intended for seagoing vessels.

The direct precursor of the Kiel Canal was the Eider Canal, which the Danish King Christian VII 1777-1784 was built. He started in Kiel and culminated in Rendsburg in the Eider, which reaches the North Sea at Tonning. However, a ride lasted through channel and Eider three to four days.

A detailed consideration of possible routes, including an extrapolation of the costs and benefits of a canal construction offered in 1863 in the publishing house of Heiberg published anonymously in Schleswig Holstein book piercing the isthmus between the Baltic and North Sea. The impetus for this was the " Projectirung a canal system by Holstein from the mouth of the Elbe to the Baltic Sea ... ", which had given the Royal Danish Ministry of the duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg 1862 in order. 1864, at the beginning of the German -Danish War, the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck gave the order, investigate a connection between the North and Baltic Seas to hire, " which can happen all war trade and steamships good". The German fleet should be given the opportunity, " at any time to get from the Baltic to the North Sea without having to pass under Danish cannons ". Thus, the first priority military- strategic nature of the channel project was clearly addressed. The generals Moltke and Albrecht von Roon, however, spoke out against the forced von Bismarck canal project. Chief of Staff Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke even wrote a pamphlet, "Speak to the sewer ." Johann desert mountain was involved in the construction, many workers lost their lives in this project.

1873 seemed the canal project failed. But Bismarck found allies. 1878 laid the ship owner Hermann Dahlström, also called " Kanalström ", and the hydraulic Inspector Fritz floor in front of a plan for a canal which should largely run along the present route of Holtenau to Brunsbüttel. Bismarck succeeded in sequence to win Emperor Wilhelm I. for canal construction. 1883 adopted the emperor commissioned to make progress on a construction of the canal, and indeed expressly " with the necessary dimensions for the fleet ." The brothers George and Louis Franzius Franzius should clarify whether the channel should lead to better the Kiel Fjord or the Eckernförder bay. After their vote, which Kiel solution was adopted despite considerable additional costs 1887.

Construction and first expansion (1886-1914)

1886 the Reichstag approved a law for the construction of the Kiel Canal, on 3 June 1887 the foundation stone was laid by Emperor Wilhelm I. Holtenau; senior engineer was Otto Baensch. Up to 8900 workers moving m³ of earth about 80 million. The canal was in this first stage of 67 meters wide and 9 meters deep.

On June 21, 1895 was able to open the named after his grandfather " Kaiser- Wilhelm-Kanal " new waterway after eight years of construction, Kaiser Wilhelm II. The ceremony was received by the British Birt Acres with a film camera; his film Opening of the Kiel Canal is the oldest movie recording in Germany.

Regular operations began on 1 July 1895. Its construction cost 156 million gold marks. This exceeded the construction, unusual for a project of this magnitude, not the estimated costs. Introduced by Wilhelm II in 1902 sparkling wine tax was used to finance the channel. The channel was owned by the Empire, was thus the first kingdom waterway and was administered by the Imperial Canal Office / Reich channel office in Kiel.

1898/1900 Germany began its fleet considerably to enlarge and modernize (see Tirpitz Plan, liquor laws, British-German naval race ). Some built after 1900 capital ships of the Imperial Navy could not pass through the channel because of their size. From 1907 to 1914, the canal was expanded for the first time. The width was increased to 102 meters and the depth of 11 meters. In addition, two new locks were built in Kiel and in Brunsbuttel. These are significantly larger than the old locks with 125 meters long and 22 meters wide with 310 meters length and 42 meters in width. The development cost 242 million gold marks, and was significantly more expensive than the entire canal construction before 1895.

In Schacht-Audorf the so-called Rader puncture was applied for straightening the channel history, by which the island was Rader. Thus, the Audorfer industrial railway was disconnected. To ensure the supply of companies and railway sidings, took on 5 April 1914, the railway ferry wheel on the operation. The free-moving ferry could accommodate four cars and was the only existing railway ferry across the Channel.

Current expansion plans

The in the 2008 planning group for the development of the North Sea-Baltic Canal projected and accompanied the following measures:

Expanding eastern section

The range of the eastern section between the turnout Königsförde and the inland port Holtenau has become a bottleneck and therefore should - be developed - such as the already long completed western route. By expanding the canal embankment at about eleven kilometers of the channel is widened to a Mindestsohlbreite of 70 meters and the curves are flattened.

Depression including curves and points optimizations

For the ever -growing vessels and the increase in channel passages, the current state of development of the NOC an increasing bottleneck dar. together with an optimization of curves and passing places is therefore a deepening of NOK planned over entire length. Because of the tunnel in Rendsburg (see below ) is not possible a depression of more than 1.5 meters.

New Levensau bridge

Building a new Levensau bridge is currently being planned. The alternative to a completely new bridge structure between the existing bridges Levensau old and B 76 is a replacement building on the existing route. About the alternatives is not yet decided.

Repair Rendsburgerstrasse tunnel

About the planning status of being implemented repair of Rendsburgerstrasse tunnel is currently (as of December 2012) no information available.

Initiative Kiel- Canal

Companies in the maritime industry and nautical institutions founded in Kiel eV the initiative Kiel- Canal. , You complain that policy announcements hardly follow deeds. As reported by the Waterways and Shipping Administration Federal both the number of ship passages and the tonnage in 2013 were declining. 31 097 ships transported 94.8 million tons of cargo, 10.8 % fewer than in 2012. Reasons not just the ailing locks, but also strikes and an accident can be given. Therefore, many shipping companies now prefer the much wider, but calculable way around Skagen.

Use regime and expansion

The Treaty of Versailles internationalized the channel 1919. 1923 occurred in relation to one of these rules to a dispute before the Permanent Court of International Justice, which was known as the Wimbledon case. With the declaration of 14 November 1936, the German government declared justified by the Versailles Treaty internationalized legal status for completed; protested by the states concerned here with only France and Czechoslovakia.

In 1948, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal was renamed the North Sea-Baltic Canal, as it has already been referred to in the planning and construction phase; in international traffic is his name still face " Kiel Canal". Since 1965, the channel is extended for the second time. To protect the embankment width is extended to the canal 87 kilometers to 162 meters. This is still not complete; the total cost is estimated at 485 million euros. Currently, the Water and Shipping Directorate North leads in Kiel by the plan approval procedure for the adaptation of the eastern section of the North Sea-Baltic Canal. On 7 October 2006, the new electronic traffic control system in which 13.5 million euros were invested inaugurated. It had the centralization of the control center in Brunsbuttel result.

Traffic

After the number of the ships had reached about 35,000 in 1999, a low point, they rose, the trends in international ship traffic following continuously until 2008. 2004 passed approximately 41,000 ships with about 80 million tonnes of cargo the canal, in 2006 there were about 43,000 vehicles. Much of it is feeder traffic coming the calling at ports around the Baltic Sea in the southern North Sea and Hamburg, where their cargoes are assembled into transoceanic passages. This according to the dimensions hitherto largest canal passing ship was in October 2009, the Ever leader with 225 meters long, 32.26 meters wide and 7.3 meters draft. This record was surpassed in 2012 by the bulk carrier " Aeolian Vision" with a length of 229 meters, a width of 32.24 meters and a draft of 7.20 meters and a gross tonnage of 43 767.

In 2011, the channel went through 33 522 vessels with a total gross tonnage (GT ) of 154.5 million The total quantity of goods transported rose year on year by 16.9 % and amounted to 98,036,571 tons. This shows that the size of ships and the amount of their charge up, but not the number of ships. In the year 2012 34.879 ships ( 4 %) passed with a total gross tonnage of 166 134 880 ( 7.5 %) the channel, the amount of charge transported was good 104 million tonnes ( 6 %).

Traffic regulations

On the inland waterway North Sea-Baltic Canal, the Maritime Traffic Regulations applies. Since the channel is traversed by a great many ships of different size classes, apply to him very extensive traffic regulations. There are special rules for the meeting and overtaking: Depending on length, width and depth, the ships are divided into six traffic groups, the classification of the water and is responsible Schifffahrtsamt Brunsbuttel. A determination of the draft done by the lock personnel, the passage must be filed by the skipper himself. The encounter is permitted only in the course for all ships; otherwise the admissibility of an encounter is determined by the sum of the transport groups. The speed limit for all vessels is 15 km / h ( 8.1 kn), for vessels with more than 8.5 meters depth of 12 km / h ( 6.5 kn). A trip through the canal takes 7 to 9 hours. The control of traffic flow on the Kiel Canal is referred to as traffic management.

From a ship length of 160 m, the permissible draft will be reduced depending on the length and width of the ship. The combination of L = 235 m and B = 32.5 m is permissible only when the draft does not exceed 7.0 m.

Channel pilot

Vehicles of traffic allowed to pass through the channel group 1 as so-called free-rider. This includes small boat units as small sailing and motor yachts, the falling, particularly certain length and draft guidelines and may only happen during the day. Every large ship that travels through the Kiel Canal, is bound to take a pilot channel. Vehicles of transport groups 2 and 3 may occur as a free rider if the skipper has passed an appropriate examination.

The pilot channel to be included in the locks Holtenau or Brunsbuttel and changed in the middle of the channel at the station Rüsterbergen.

Kanalsteurer

In Germany is unique in that a duty to accept Steurern is on the North Sea-Baltic Canal in addition to compulsory pilotage, to avoid accidents. The excess of a ship in the canal passage between the places referred to in the following table the values ​​listed, it must accept the following number Kanalsteurer:

Traffic control

Since the existence of the North Sea-Baltic Canal ( NOK) this is divided into an eastern and a western route. Approximately in the middle of the channel (formerly Old Pilot Station at Nübbel, today Lotsenstation Rüsterbergen ) to change the advisory sea pilot. The competent steering was for the eastern section in Kiel Holtenau VKZ NOK II, the radio call is Kiel channel 3, for the Western route the steering is in Brunsbuttel, VKZ NOK I, radio call Kiel Canal 2 based The original traffic control on the Kiel Canal on the (vessel name, Weichenpassierzeit ) of the point guards. The messages were posted in the relevant Traffic Centre and used by the handlebars as a basis for further transport planning on the paper chart. The planning is done manually with a ruler and pencil and is brought permanently up to date.

End of 2005, the two traffic control centers were merged in Brunsbuttel to VTS NOK. On October 7, 2006, a new transport system (VSS ) was put into operation. The system is based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class A. On the basis of this data system, the computer-based distance-time image (WZB ) works as a replacement for the paper chart. With the help of the WZB the ship traffic on the entire NOK is planned by the traffic control, as well as the signal reduction in the turnouts. This central switch signal reduction of NOK VKZ the course attendants were superfluous, the staff thus vacated was distributed to other posts.

Ecology

The construction of the canal had particularly severe impacts on the water balance of the Eider. This was cut through the channel construction of its upper reaches. Therefore, the flow decreased especially towards the sea. The influence of the North Sea was dominant, dykes, storm surge fuse had to be built to Rendsburg. In addition, the flood current carries more sediments, particularly sludge in the Eider, as the ebb and the now much weaker natural flow out wear again, the river threatened to silt, which in turn increased the flood risk. The construction of the lock Nordfeld 1937, the problem for the middle reaches of the Eider could be solved as a whole, the water balance of the Eider has still not recovered from the canal construction.

Similar effects did the construction on other severed from the river channel, such as the Wilsterau that verschlickt increasingly, or Holstenau which runs approximately parallel to the canal and was separated by him into three parts. The Gieselau has been severed from the NOK.

Tourism

The fixed operating path on the channel is released for pedestrians and cyclists and allows both sides to almost full length gradient -free cycling in close proximity to the ships. The translation on the other side channel with one of the many ferries is free. This had already Kaiser Wilhelm can come in an array to achieve a greater acceptance by the public, since the artificial waterway cuts through older roads.

The lock installations in Brunsbuttel and keel up, just as the lock museum located there each be visited all year round.

The bike paths on the Kiel Canal are part of the German Fährstraße opened in May 2004, a 250 -mile scenic route that leads from Bremervörde on the Oste to Kiel.

In Hochdonn there is a campsite right on the canal. Here it is possible to bathe in a small sandy bay in the canal water. At some channel ferries RV sites are available.

Residential caravan site in Hochdonn

RV park in castle

In each case, a picnic area at the highway bridge of the A 23 ( northward, before the channel ) and between junctions 8 and 9 of the A 7 provides a view of the canal.

In Rendsburg there since June 2, 1997 at Restaurant " bridge Terraces" a ship welcoming station. There, each ship is greeted by dipping the flag and with the relevant national anthem under the railway bridge.

Bridges, tunnels, ferries and high-voltage lines

Channel crossings are free of charge for the crossing traffic. This means, for example, not only that the ferries can be used for free, even with Railroads of the maintenance of the bridges will be paid by the federal government. In particular:

• Bridges over the canal Street viaduct Brunsbuttel, four-lane dual carriageway with no margins ( national road 5)
• Railway bridge Hochdonn ( railway Elmshorn - Westerland )
• High Bridge Hohenhörn ( Federal Highway 23)
• Railway and road viaduct Grünental ( railway Neumünster Heath and former B 204)
• Railway Bridge Rendsburg Transporter Bridge ( railway Neumünster -Flensburg )
• Motorway viaduct Rade ( Federal Highway 7)
• Railway and road viaduct Levensau ( railway route Kiel -Flensburg )
• Street viaduct Levensau, four-lane dual carriageway with edge strip (main road 76)
• Two road bridges in high Holtenau each dreistreifig plus Bicycle and Pedestrian ( Federal Road 503)

• Road tunnel in Rendsburg, four-lane dual carriageway with no margins ( highways 77 and 202)
• Pedestrian tunnel in Rendsburg
• Not accessible to the public supply tunnel in Holtenau

• Brunsbuttel (Channel 2.1 km )
• Ostermoor ( 4.3 km )
• Kudensee (km 7.4)
• Castle ( 14.8 km )
• Hochdonn ( 19.0 km )
• Hohenhörn ( 24.0 km )
• Fisherman's Cottage ( 35.6 km )
• Oldenbüttel ( 41.1 km )
• Breiholz ​​( 50.0 km )
• Rendsburg ( 62.6 km ) Transporter Bridge
• Nobis Krug ( 65.3 km )
• Sehestedt ( 75.3 km )
• Landwehr ( 86.7 km )
• Holtenau ( 97.3 km ) 25 people

• Born in Holt ( 27 km ) ( Mast height: 78 meters)
• In Rendsburg (km 64.9 ) ( mast height north shore 80 meters, south shore 88 meters)
• At the Rader High Bridge (km 68.8 ) (4 lines, mast height to 74 meters)
• For large North Sea ( 83.3 km ) ( Mast height: 76 meters)

International comparison

The NOK is the busiest artificial waterway in the world. His freight amount is well below the Panama and Suez Canal.

Notes: Without sports and minicars

In 2012 the total volume of goods transported was good 104 million tonnes at 34 879 ships that sailed the North Sea-Baltic Canal. The total gross tonnage was 2012 just under 166 135 000 GT. For comparison, ten years ago, were transported at a total gross tonnage of around 103.5 million with 38,500 ships only 64.6 million tons of cargo. This shows a trend towards larger ships that travel along the canal.