The total number of rivers in Germany is several thousand. Among them are full-flowing giants (Rhine, Main, Spree), and even tiny rivers, the channels of which can be stepped over without much effort. This article is devoted to the Weser River, which is located entirely within the country. Where does it begin, where does it flow, and what is its total length? Let's try to answer all these questions.
General information about the watercourse
Weser (German: Weser) is a river in Germany, flowing in the northwestern part of the country. On its way, it crosses the German Middle Mountains and the North German Plain. It flows into the North Sea, the mouth is located near the port city of Bremerhaven. This is the largest watercourse in Germany from among those that flow entirely within this state. On the map below, the river is highlighted in purple.
The Weser River in facts and figures:
- Drainage basin area: 46,306 sq. km.
- Average annual runoff: 327m3/sec.
- Length of the Weser River: 452 km.
- Slope value: 0.26 m/km.
- The largest tributaries: Aller, Lune, Lesum, Emmer, Ohtum, Kalle.
The Weser flows through three federal states: Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Navigable from the mouth to Minden. The largest settlement on the river is the city of Bremen.
The name of the river and its origin
The hydronym is closely related to Latin visurgis and Old Germanic visuri. Both words come from a single Indo-European root - ueis, which translates as "flow, spread." It can be found in the names of many water bodies in Europe. Here are just some examples of such rivers: Vishera (Russia), Vistula (Poland), Visa (Sweden), Vyzance (France).
By the way: the name of the river Weser gave its name to a special architectural style - the Weser Renaissance (Weserrenaissance). It became widespread in the valley of this German river in the 16th-17th centuries, combining the features of the Italian and Western European revivals. Perhaps the most iconic building in this style is the famous Bremen Town Hall.
Weser Source
The Weser River begins at an altitude of 116 meters above sea level within the ancient city of Münden. The coordinates for this location are 51° 25' 17" North and 9° 38' 53" East.
The source of the Weser is considered to be the confluence of two other rivers - the Werra and the Fulda. The first of them is 74 km longer. At the confluence there is a memorial stone with the following inscription:
Wo Werrasich und Fulda küssen
Sie ihre Namen büssen müssen, Und hier entsteht durch diesen Kuss
Deutsch bis zum Meer der Weser Fluss.
Translated from German, it sounds something like this: “Where Verra kisses Fulda, they will have to forget their names. And here, as a result of this kiss, the German river Weser begins – and flows to the sea!”.
The similar names of the two rivers (Werra and Weser) clearly indicate that once there was no separation between them at all. Previously, the Fulda was considered only one of the tributaries of the Weser. And only in the Middle Ages a difference appeared between them, including in the names.
Character of the course of the Weser River
The course of the river is characterized by smoothness and low speed almost throughout its entire length. In longitudinal section, the Weser bed is usually divided into three parts:
- Upper Weser (also Oberweser) – from Münden to Minden.
- Middle Weser (Mittelweser) - from Minden to Bremen.
- Lower Weser (Unterweser) - below Bremen.
The starting point in terms of the mileage of the river is in Münden. This is where the Oberweser begins. The slopes of the river valley in this area are almost entirely covered with forests. On the banks of the Oberweser there are many active and abandoned sandstone minings. It was from this stone that most of the historical buildings in the region were built. The valley in this section of the river is quite narrow, but in some places it widens noticeably (for example, at Hexter or between Hameln and Rinteln). In the townHameln is the only dam on the river. At about 200 kilometers of its length, the Weser enters the vast North German Plain.
Minden serves as a conditional border of the Upper and Middle Weser. Near the northern outskirts of the city, the river is crossed by the Middle German Canal. Up to Schlusselburg, the Weser flows through the expanses of North Rhine-Westphalia, and then its path runs through the territory of Lower Saxony. The Mittelweser ends at the Hemelinger Dam.
The Lower Weser area is highly tidal. At one time, the riverbed was artificially straightened. As a result, the height of the tides in the Bremen region increased from 0.7 to 4 meters. The Weser River ends at the mouth, which is located in Bremerhaven.
