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The Elbe marshes (german: Elbmarsch) are an extensive region of marsh or polderland along the lower and middle reaches of the
River Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
in northern Germany. It is also referred to as the Lower Elbe Marsch by Dickinson and is region D24 in the BfN's list of the natural regions of Germany. The Germans refer to these polders as ''Marschen'' (singular: ''Marsch''). Originally this flat strip of land along the Elbe was completely tidal. But following the construction of the barrage near Geesthacht, the Elbe is no longer affected by the tide above that point. The part of the Elbe remaining tidal is called the
Unterelbe The Unterelbe or, in English usually the Lower Elbe, refers to the lower reaches of the river Elbe in Germany influenced by the tides. It starts at kilometre 586, at the sluice of Geesthacht, where the Elbe forms the border between Lower S ...
(Low Elbe). As a result of regular land reclamation with the help of Dutch settlers (a process known in German as ''Hollerkolonisation'') large areas of the previously flood-prone Elbe marshes were diked and reclaimed for the purposes of cultivation. The Elbe marshes are very fertile and dominated by large areas of grassland. In addition to cattle rearing, especially of dairy herds, they are also used for arable farming.
Dithmarschen Dithmarschen (, Low Saxon: ; archaic English: ''Ditmarsh''; da, Ditmarsken; la, label=Medieval Latin, Tedmarsgo) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Nordfriesland, Sch ...
is especially well known for its cabbages, the
Altes Land Altes Land () is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg. The region is situated downstream from Hamburg on the southwestern riverside of the Elbe around the towns of Stade, Buxtehude, Jork and the ''Samt ...
is one of the largest fruit growing regions of central Europe, the Vierlande and Marschlande near Hamburg belong to the most important areas for growing vegetables and flowers. The Kehdinger Land and the Lüneburg Elbe marshes are home to numerous stud farms. For over 200 years the successful Hanoverian horses have been bred here. In the 1990s there were national reports from the Elbe marshes that there had been a higher incidence of leukaemia in the area around the GKSS Research Centre and the Krümmel nuclear power station. However, no direct link has been proven between the levels of illness and the nuclear facilities.


Holstein Elbe marshes

The Holstein Elbe marshes lie in southern Schleswig-Holstein along the Lower Elbe. They are intensively farmed. Many commuters who work in Hamburg also live in the area. The land is flat and lies barely one metre above sea level. In the vicinity of Neuendorf near Wilster is the lowest point in Germany. As a result, the countryside here is also at risk from storm floods and is protected by dikes along the Elbe. The Elbe marshes here are made up (from north to south) of the Wilster Marsh between the
Kiel Canal The Kiel Canal (german: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, literally "North- oEast alticSea canal", formerly known as the ) is a long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the ...
and
Stör The Stör () is a river in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, right tributary of the Elbe. Its total length is . The Stör rises east of Neumünster, and flows west through Neumünster, Kellinghusen, and Itzehoe. The Stör joins the Elbe near Glücks ...
, the Kremper Marsh, between Stör and Krückau, the Seestermühe Marsh between Krückau and Pinnau and the Haseldorf Marsh between Pinnau and the edge of the geest area near
Wedel Wedel is a town in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approximately south of Elmshorn, and west of Hamburg. History Foundation and Middle Ages The first known mention of ...
.


Lower Saxon Elbe marshes

The Lower Saxon Elbe marshes begin at
Land Hadeln Land Hadeln is a historic landscape and former administrative district in Northern Germany with its seat in Otterndorf on the Lower Elbe, the lower reaches of the River Elbe, in the Elbe-Weser Triangle between the estuaries of the Elbe and Wes ...
and Kehdingen and stretch east of Stade through the
Altes Land Altes Land () is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg. The region is situated downstream from Hamburg on the southwestern riverside of the Elbe around the towns of Stade, Buxtehude, Jork and the ''Samt ...
as far as the city limits of Hamburg in Cranz. Running up the Elbe from Hamburg they follow the Winsen and Lüneburg Elbe marshes ( Elbmarsch).


See also

* Geography of Germany * Natural regions of Germany


References


Literature

*Hans-Eckhard Dannenberg & Norbert Fischer & Franklin Kopitzsch (Hrsg.): Land am Fluss. Beiträge zur Regionalgeschichte der Niederelbe. Stade 2003 *Michael Ehrhardt: "Ein guldten Bandt des Landes". Zur Geschichte der Deiche im Alten Land. Stade 2003 *Norbert Fischer: Wassersnot und Marschengesellschaft - Zur Geschichte der Deiche in Kehdingen. Stade 2003 *Norbert Fischer: Im Antlitz der Nordsee - Zur Geschichte der Deiche in Hadeln. Stade 2007


External links


Report by Deutsche Welle
{{Authority control Natural regions of Germany Regions of Schleswig-Holstein Regions of Lower Saxony Marshes of Germany Landforms of Schleswig-Holstein Landforms of Lower Saxony North German Plain