The ''Pünte'' in Wiltshausen, part of the borough of Leer in

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, is a small, hand-operated

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...

over the River Jümme, close to its confluence with the

Leda Leda may refer to: Mythology * Leda (mythology), queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy in Greek mythology Places * Leda, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia * Leda makeshift settlement, Bangladesh, a refugee camp ...

. It links the villages of Amdorf and Wiltshausen and is the oldest, hand-hauled ferry in Northern Europe.Die Pünte – schwimmendes Denkmal auf der Jümme
Retrieved 4 Oct 2017. The ''

pünte A ''pünte'' (plural: ''pünten'') is the German term for a type of non-motorised river boat and thus a special type of flat-bottomed boat. It is propelled manually using a crank or hauled by horses on the shore. Today ''pünten'' are used almost ...

'' is recorded as being in operation as early as 1562. In former times it ferried horses and carts, cattle, people with bicycles and handcarts.''Geschichte der Pünte''
at www.puentenverein.de. Retrieved 4 Oct 2017 It was used until 1975, its last operator, the county of Leer, then closed it for financial reasons. When its closure was announced in 1974 a citizens' movement formed the "Society for the Preservation of the Historic Pünte As A Monument on the Water" (''Verein zur Förderung und Erhaltung der historischen Pünte als Denkmal auf dem Wasser''), which restarted the operation of the ferry in 1988. In 2002 the ''pünte'' was placed under conservation.''Alte Pünte Wiltshausen bei Leer''
at www.ostfrieslandshop.de. Retrieved 4 Oct 2017 From the outset, the society had several hundred local members; later people joined from all over the world, even those who had never seen the ''pünte'' themselves. Although the society is voluntary, it has not received any public subsidies since the 1980s. The hand-operated, rope-guided

flatboat A flatboat (or broadhorn) was a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways in the United States. The flatboat could be any size, but essentially it was a large, sturdy tub with a ...

ferry can transport up to three

car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

s and about 30 foot passengers. Its operating season is from May to early October and Wednesday to Sunday. Today, the ''pünte'' is relatively strongly aimed at the tourist trade. The ''pünte'' season traditionally begins on 1 May and is celebrated a bit like a folk festival. Other ''

n'' in the county of Leer, in Halte, Hilkenborg, Esklum and

Loga Loga may refer to: People * Bob Loga (1940–1996), American stock car racing official * (1859-1911), Prussian politician * Iarlaithe mac Loga, also known as Saint Jarlath * Ignacy Loga-Sowiński (1914–1992), Polish trade union activist and poli ...

, had been closed before the ''pünte'' at Wiltshausen.

References

External links

''Geschichte der Pünte''
("History of the Pünte") {{DEFAULTSORT:Punte Cable ferries in Germany Culture of Lower Saxony East Frisia Ferry transport in Lower Saxony Heritage sites in Lower Saxony Leer (district)