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

Leer Leer may refer to: * Leer, Lower Saxony, town in Germany ** Leer (district), containing the town in Lower Saxony, Germany ** Leer (Ostfriesland) railway station * Leer, South Sudan, town in South Sudan ** Leer County, an administrative division ...

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

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, is a small, hand-operated

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the types 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. It links the villages of Amdorf and Wiltshausen and is believed to be the oldest hand-hauled ferry in Northern Europe.Die Pünte – schwimmendes Denkmal auf der Jümme
Retrieved 4 Jan 2024. The crossing at Wiltshausen 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 und Geschichten rund um die Pünte''
at www.puentenverein.de. Retrieved 4 Jan 2024 It was used until 1975, its last operator, the county of

, 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 21 Dec 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 punt-type ferry can transport up to three

car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

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 '' pünten'' in the county of Leer, in Halte, Hilkenborg, Esklum and Loga, had been closed before the ''pünte'' at Wiltshausen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Punte Cable ferries in Germany Culture of Lower Saxony East Frisia Ferry transport in Lower Saxony Heritage sites in Lower Saxony Leer (district)