The Lech (, ''Licca'') is a river in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

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 ...

. It is a right tributary of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

in length with a

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

of . Its average

discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

at the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

is . Its source is located in the Austrian state of

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...

, where the river rises from lake

Formarinsee Formarinsee is a lake in the Austrian Alps. It lies in the Bundesland of Vorarlberg and lends its name to the close by Formarinbach, one of the two source rivers of the River Lech. As part of the ORF ORF or Orf may refer to: * Norfolk Internat ...

in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

at an altitude of . It flows in a north-north-easterly direction and crosses the German border, forming the Lechfall, a waterfall; afterwards the river enters a narrow gorge (the Lechschlucht). Leaving the Alps, it enters the plains of the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard German: , also Allgovia) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the A ...

at Füssen at an elevation of in the German state of

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, where it used to be the location of the boundary with

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

. The river runs through the city of Füssen and through the

Forggensee The Forggensee, also called the Roßhaupten Reservoir, is a reservoir located north of Füssen in the county of Ostallgäu in Bavaria, Germany and one of many lakes in the region around Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles. With a surface ...

, a man-made lake which is drained in winter. Here, it forms rapids and a waterfall. The river flows further northwards through a region called the Lechrain, and passes the cities of Schongau, Landsberg,

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

(where it receives the

Wertach Wertach is a small town in the Oberallgäu district, southern Bavaria, (Germany), in the German Alps. It is situated on the river Wertach, southeast of Kempten. The town was the childhood home of the writer W. G. Sebald. History Wertach was ...

) and

Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

before entering the

just below Donauwörth at an elevation of . It is not navigable, owing to its torrential character and the gravel beds which choke its channel. There are extensive views of the Lech valley from

Neuschwanstein Castle Neuschwanstein Castle (german: Schloss Neuschwanstein, , Southern Bavarian: ''Schloss Neischwanstoa'') is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The pa ...

, near Füssen.

Etymology

Inscriptions from 8/7 B. C. prove that the river name is first mentioned in the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

tribe name ''Licates''. The river itself is called ''Likios'' or ''Likias'' in the 2nd century. Around the year 570 the name ''Licca'' is found in records. In the 8th century, names such as ''Lecha'' and ''Lech'' appeared. The term ''Licus'' is still used in 1059. The name stands in analogy to the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

word ''llech'' ("stone slab") and the

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

word ''lec'h'' ("gravestone"). In this context, the meaning of the word "Lech" is explained as "the stony".

History

On more than one occasion, historic events have been decided on the banks of this river. * In 278 Roman emperor

Probus Probus may refer to: People * Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian * Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228 * Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282) * Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...

vanquished a larger invasion force of

Burgundians The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...

and

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The ...

, which had been raiding the Roman province of

Rhaetia Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west with Tr ...

. * At

Lechfeld The Battle of Lechfeld was a series of military engagements over the course of three days from 10–12 August 955 in which the Kingdom of Germany, led by King Otto I the Great, annihilated the Hungarian army led by ''Horka (title), Harka ''Bulcs ...

, a stony plain between the Lech and the Wertach near Augsburg,

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...

defeated the

Magyars Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic ...

in August 955. * In the Battle of Rain in April 1632,

Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

defeated and mortally wounded Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly.

Hydroelectric power plants

Currently, there are 33

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power plants on the Lech. The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:"Fichtner: Die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von großen Laufwasserkraftwerken im liberalisierten Strommarkt – Endbericht (Langfassung). Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, 2003 , 10 , Lechstaustufe 8a – Kinsau , , 9.2 , , 1992 , , Lechstaustufe 8a Kinsau

, - , 11 , Lechstaustufe 9 – Apfeldorf , , 7.2 , , 1944 , , Lechstaustufe 9 GO-1

, - , 12 , Lechstaustufe 10 – Epfach , , 8.3 , , 1948 , ,

, - , 13 , Lechstaustufe 11 – Lechblick , , 8.1 , , 1943 , ,

, - , 14 , Lechstaustufe 12 – Lechmühlen , , 7.9 , , 1943 , ,

, - , 15 , Lechstaustufe 13 – Dornstetten , , 8.2 , , 1943 , , Lechstaustufe unterhalb von Seestall

, - , 16 , Lechstaustufe 14 – Pitzling , , 7.9 , , 1944 , ,

, - , 17 , Lechstaustufe 15 – Landsberg , , 8.0 , , 1944 , ,

, - , 18 , Lechstaustufe 18 – Kaufering , , 16.7 , , 1975 , , , - , 19 , Lechstaustufe 19 – Schwabstadl , , 12.0 , , 1981 , , , - , 20 , Lechstaustufe 20 – Scheuring , , 12.2 , , 1980 , , , - , 21 , Lechstaustufe 21 – Prittriching , , 12.1 , , 1983 , , , - , 22 , Lechstaustufe 22 – Unterbergen , , 12.4 , , 1982 , ,

, - , 23 , Lechstaustufe 23 – Mandichosee , , 12.0 , , 1978 , , Mandichosee Staumauer

, - , 24 , Hochablass , , 3.1 , , 2013 , , Hochablass Augsburg Foto Stadtwerke Augsburg

, - , 25 , Eisenbahnerwehr , , 3.2 , , 2006 , ,

, - , 26 , Wolfzahnauwehr , , 2.0 , , 2010 , ,

, - , 27 ,

Kraftwerk Gersthofen Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

, , 9.9 , , 1901 , , , - , 28 ,

Kraftwerk Langweid Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

, , 7.0 , , 1908 , , Lechmuseum Bayern 12

, - , 29 ,

Kraftwerk Meitingen Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

, , 11.6 , , 1922 , , Kraftwerk Meitingen02

, - , 30 , Staustufe Ellgau , , 10.0 , , 1952 , , , - , 31 , Staustufe Oberpeiching , , 12.3 , , 1954 , , , - , 32 , Staustufe Rain , , 11.2 , , 1955 , , , - , 33 , Staustufe Feldheim , , 8.5 , , 1960 , , , -

Gallery

File:Lech Augsburg.jpg, The Lech in

File:Lech-between-landsberg-kaufering.JPG, The Lech, in the background the city of Landsberg File:Tussen Weissenbach en Forchach, de Lech foto7 2014-07-25 13.33.jpg, The Lech between Weissenbach and Forchach File:Tussen Elmen en Stanzach, der Lech foto6 2014-07-25 14.34.jpg, The Lech between

Elmen Elmen is a municipality in the district of Reutte in the Austrian state of Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was histor ...

and Stanzach File:Blick auf Lech und Apfeldorf.jpg, The Lech between

Apfeldorf Apfeldorf is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. Geography Apfeldorf lies in the middle of the towns of Landsberg am Lech, Schongau and Weilheim, about 40 km north of the northern edge of the Alps, at an alt ...

and Epfach File:Lech River.jpg, The Lech River b
Andrei Gavrilița

References

* Eberhard Pfeuffer: ''Der Lech.'' Wissner-Verlag, Augsburg 2010, . * R. Zettl: ''Lechauf-lechab.'' Wißner-Verlag 2002, . * Dr. Peter Nowotny: ''Erlebnis Lech.'' Verlag – J. Eberl KG, Immenstadt 2001. * Dr. Bernhard Raster: ''Nutzung und anthropogene Veränderung des Lechs in historischer Zeit.'' Diss. Würzburg 1979. * Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv (Hrsg.): ''Altbayerische Flusslandschaften an Donau, Lech, Isar und Inn.'' = Ausstellungskatalog, Anton H. Konrad, Verlag Weißenhorn 1998. * Werner Gamerith: ''Lechtal.'' Tyrolia Verlag, Innsbruck-Wien 2002. * Peter Nasemann: ''Lebensraum Füssener Lech.'' Holdenrieds Druck- und Verlags GmbH, o. J. * Norbert Müller: ''Augsburger Ökologische Schriften, Heft 2: Der Lech.'' Stadt Augsburg 1991, ;Specific

External links