The Bode is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
state of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...
, a left tributary of the
Saale
The Saale (), also known as the Saxon Saale (german: Sächsische Saale) and Thuringian Saale (german: Thüringische Saale), is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Fränkische Saale, ...
.
It rises in the
Harz mountains
The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
and drains them in a northerly direction. After it discharges into the Saale at
Nienburg. The river is named after a legendary giant, the wild, rampaging, Bohemian, ''Prince Bodo'', who, according to the ''
Rosstrappe'' legend changed into a marauding dog that guarded the
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
of ''Princess
Brunhilde
Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( non, Brynhildr , gmh, Brünhilt, german: Brünhild , label= Modern German or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess Brunhilda ...
'' in the ''Kronensumpf'' ("crown marsh") in the present-day
Bode Gorge
The Bode Gorge (german: Bodetal) is a long ravine that forms part of the Bode valley between Treseburg and Thale in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The German term, ''Bodetal'' (literally "Bode Valley"), is also used in a wider sense to r ...
(german: Bodetal). The gorge is the narrow section of the Bode valley between
Treseburg
Treseburg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Thale.
Geography
Treseburg lies at the confluence of the Luppbode stream with the River Bode in t ...
and
Thale
Thale () is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre.
Geography
The town is situated ...
.
The ''Bodo'' legend
According to tradition, there was once a giant called ''Bodo'' who came from Thuringia to pursue ''Brunhilde'', the king's beautiful daughter, whom he wanted to marry against her will. ''Brunhilde'' fled on a white stallion (''Ross''), but they suddenly came to a deep ravine. With one bold leap she reached the rocks on the far side, but her pursuer fell into the abyss. The hoofprint of her horse can still be seen today as the so-called ''
Rosstrappe''. Meanwhile, ''Bodo'' was turned into a dog. As her horse leapt the gorge, however, the princess lost her golden crown, which was now guarded by the dog ''Bodo'' in the valley of the river. The river was given the name ''Bode'' after the giant ''Bodo'' who was now under a spell.
Geography
Source and catchment areas
The Bode is heavily divided in its
source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...
region on the
Brocken
The Brocken, also sometimes referred to as the Blocksberg, is the highest peak in the Harz mountain range and also the highest peak in Northern Germany; it is near Schierke in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt between the rivers Weser and Elbe. ...
, the highest peak in the Harz, but its two most important source streams are the:
*
Kalte Bode
The Kalte Bode is the left-hand headstream of the Bode in the High Harz Mountains in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is long.
Name
The names of the Warme and Kalte Bode ("Warm" and "Cold" Bode) come from their actual temperature differenc ...
, , which rises at ''Bodesprung'' in
*
Warme Bode
The Warme Bode is the right-hand headstream of the Bode in the High Harz mountains of central Germany in the states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is long and is formed by the confluence of the Große Bode and Kleine Bode rivers.
Name
Th ...
, long, with its
headstream
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
, the ''Bodebruch''
The two rivers, which actually have a temperature difference of 2 °C, merge not far from the
Königsburg Ruins
The Königsburg is a ruined medieval castle southeast of Königshütte, a village in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken, in Harz district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Site
The ruins are located above the confluence of the Warme Bod ...
immediately before flowing into the
Königshütte Dam
The Königshütte Dam (german: Talsperre Königshütte) is a dam in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt in the Harz mountains. It impounds the River Bode and lies between Königshütte and Susenburg (both in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken). I ...
(a feeder dam or ''Überleitungssperre'').
Other tributaries of the Bode include the
Rappbode
The Rappbode is a right-hand, southwestern tributary of the River Bode in the Harz mountains in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In its lower reaches it is impounded by the Rappbode Dam, the largest dam in the Harz.
The Rappbode rises east of ...
and the
Luppbode. The Rappbode is impounded near
Wendefurth
Wendefurth is a hamlet in central Germany that, since 1 July 2009, has been part of the borough of Thale district of Harz. Previously it belonged to the municipality of Altenbrak which was incorporated into Thale.
Geographical location
The hamle ...
by the
Rappbode Dam
The Rappbode Dam (german: Rappbode-Talsperre) is the largest dam in the Harz region as well as the highest dam in Germany. Together with several other dams and retention basins, it forms the flood protection system for the eastern Harz.
The indi ...
. At the northern end of this reservoir, the Rappbode joins the Bode, which is impounded here by the
Wendefurth Dam
The Wendefurth Dam (german: Talsperre Wendefurth) near Wendefurth in the Harz is one of the dams downstream of the Rappbode Dam, that provides flood protection as well as impounding the River Bode to provide the lower reservoir for the Wendefurth ...
. Other tributaries of the Bode are the
Goldbach, the
Holtemme
The Holtemme is a long tributary of the river Bode in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
It rises in the Harz mountains at the eastern foot of the Brocken, descends during its upper course as the Steinerne Renne, a steep stream bed riddled with granite ...
and the
Selke.
Waterfalls
The
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
s in the Harz are not high. The Upper Bode Falls (''Obere Bode-Fall'') on the Warme Bode are really a fast-flowing stream (''Sturzbach'') with small steps about 1 metre in height. Likewise the Lower Bode Falls (''Untere Bode-Fall'') on the Warme Bode is simply ledge of similar height.
The ''Bodekessel'' in the Bode Gorge is a former step in a large hollow, that was reduced in height in 1798 from 2 metres to 1 metre by explosive. The fourth waterfall is in the ''Kästental''.
Course
The Bode winds its way between Treseburg and Thale through a long, narrow valley, the ''Bode Gorge''. Today, the valley is a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
. The Bode Gorge and its villages are the primary setting for
Theodor Fontane
Theodor Fontane (; 30 December 1819 – 20 September 1898) was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist author. He published the first of his novels, for which he is best known toda ...
’s novel, ''
Cécile''.
The river then crosses the Harz Foreland in a curving and, in places, diked and canalised, course until it discharges into the Saale at
Nienburg. Important Bode tributaries are the Selke and the Holtemme.
Other towns on the Bode river are
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...
,
Wegeleben
Wegeleben () is a town in the Harz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Vorharz.
Geography
It is situated at the confluence of the Goldbach and Bode rivers, e ...
,
Gröningen
Gröningen () is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It lies approx. 40 km south-west of Magdeburg, and 10 km east of Halberstadt. It has 3.621 inhabitants (December 2015). Gröningen is part of the ''Verbandsgemein ...
,
Oschersleben
Oschersleben () is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2020 about 19,000.
History
On November 23, 994 Oschersleben was first mentioned in a document by the Emperor Otto III. In 1235 ...
,
Hadmersleben
Hadmersleben is a town and a former municipality in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 September 2010, it is part of the town of Oschersleben
Oschersleben () is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. T ...
,
Egeln
Egeln () is a small town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Egelner Mulde.
Geography
Egeln is situated on the river Bode, approx. nor ...
and
Staßfurt
Staßfurt (Stassfurt) () is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on both sides of the river Bode, approximately northeast of Aschersleben, and south of Magdeburg. Pop. (2005) 23,538.
It was one of th ...
.
The Bode gorge north of Thale is now a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
.
File:bode_warme_grosse_herbst.jpg, The ''Große Bode'' (headstream of the ''Warme Bode'') above Braunlage
Braunlage () is a town and health resort in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony in Germany. Situated within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken massif, Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly skiing. Nearby ski resorts inclu ...
File:BodeZusammenfluss.jpg, Confluence of the ''Warme Bode'' (left) and ''Kalte'' (right) ''Bode'' near Königshütte
File:Wilde Bode.jpg, The ''Wilde Bode''
File:Stassfurt_Bodebruecke.jpg, View of the Bode bridge in Staßfurt
Staßfurt (Stassfurt) () is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on both sides of the river Bode, approximately northeast of Aschersleben, and south of Magdeburg. Pop. (2005) 23,538.
It was one of th ...
Dams
In a hydrological sense every source stream of the Bode has a specific
catchment area
In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
in the Harz, that is part of the catchment area of the Bode. The catchment areas of the various reservoirs are as follows: for the Wendefurth Reservoir, , for the
Rappbode Pre-Dam and Rappbode Reservoirs, , and for the Königshütte Reservoir, . The
Mandelholz Dam
The Mandelholz Dam (german: Mandelholztalsperre) holds back the Kalte Bode Flood Control Basin (''Hochwasserschutzbecken Kalte Bode'') which is a flood protection reservoir located between the villages of Elend and Königshütte near Wernigerode ...
impounds the water of the ''Kalte Bode''. The total catchment area of the Bode is about .
History and culture
Middle Ages
In the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
the Bode formed the border between the provinces of the ''Harzgau'' in the west and the ''Schwabengau'' in the east. The two most important Bode crossings at that time were the settlements of
Ditfurt
Ditfurt is a municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an are ...
und Gröningen, mentioned frequently in the Fuldau annals.
Modern era
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...
depicts the romantic Bode valley in his 1826 travelogue ''Die Harzreise'':
Flood and low water
The 'most devastating' floods from the Bode occurred in the years 1539, 1667, 1730, 1740, 1772 and especially at Christmas in 1925.
[Vgl. 'Das Bode-Hochwasser Silvester 1925 in Quedlinburg: Festschrift zur Einweihung der Bahnhofsbrücke am 27. November 1926'. Herausgeben vom Magistrat der Stadt Quedlinburg, 1926.] Only on the completion of the Rappbode Dam in 1959 could the risk of flooding be eliminated. The water quantities in the Bode can vary significantly: during the New Year flooding in 1925 a discharge of was recorded, whereas in the following summer of 1926 it fell to just .
See also
*
List of rivers of Saxony-Anhalt
A list of rivers of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany:
A
* Aland
* Aller
* Allerbach, tributary of the Rappbode (Rappbode Auxiliary Dam)
* Allerbach, tributary of the Warme Bode
* Alte Elbe
B
* Bauerngraben
* Beber
*Biese
*Black Elster
* Bode
* Born-Dorst ...
*
Sources
* Monika Schönau/Edmund Werner: ''Die Bode: ein Fluss führt Hochwasser!'' Sachsen-Anhalt, Staatliches Amt für Umweltschutz Magdeburg, Magdeburg 2000.
References
External links
*
Further information
{{Authority control
Rivers of Saxony-Anhalt
Rivers of the Harz
Rivers of Germany