Rhine–Herne Canal
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The Rhine–Herne Canal () is a transportation canal in the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...
area of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
,
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 ...
, with five
canal lock A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a chamber in a permanently fixed position i ...
s. The
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
was built over a period of eight years (5 April 1906 – 14 July 1914) and connects the harbour in
Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...
on the
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
() with the Dortmund-Ems Canal near Henrichenburg (), following the valley of the Emscher. It was widened in the 1980s. The Rhein-Herne canal ship was designed specifically for this canal; normally of about 1300–1350 ton capacity, it has a maximum draft of , a length of approximately , and maximum beam of . Originally the Rhine-Herne canal ended in Herne, where it met a branch of the '' Dortmund-Ems-Kanal'' running from Henrichenburg to Herne, the intersection situated just above the East Herne lock. After the closure of the last part of the Henrichenburg to Herne canal, the Henrichenburg-Herne section of the ''Dortmund-Ems'' was added to the Rhein-Herne Canal.


Water system

The distribution of water in the canal is realised through five pump stations. Located at
Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...
-
Meiderich Meiderich is a quarter of the city of Duisburg. It is divided into Unter-, Mittel- and Obermeiderich. Meiderich belongs to the city district Meiderich/Beeck, which started in 1975, during the course of municipal reorganization. On 31 December 2004, ...
,
Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...
,
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
,
Wanne-Eickel Herne () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum, and Gelsenkirchen. History Herne (ancient Haranni) was a tiny village until the 19th century. When the mining of coal ...
and East Herne, they pump water from the Rhine into the canal at each stage. As well as this, water from the
Lippe Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. ...
river to the east is brought in through the Datteln-Hamm Canal.


Locks


Duisburg-Meiderich sluicegate

In 1980 the current sluicegate was completed, including a under-gate and control platform, which has now become a visible yellow landmark in the Ruhr landscape. The intended harbour of the old lock is today underwater and part of the foundations of the canal walls. This harbour was meant to be a possible spot for the eventual significant reconstruction of the lock, but it was never used for this purpose. A possible reconstruction of the sluice gate was commissioned in 1914 with the canal opening. Instead of the old sluice of in length and in breadth a new sluice chamber with a usable length of and a breadth of were commissioned, so that bigger ships with lighters (barges) as specified in Euro class II can pass through the sluice gates.


Ports


Duisburg

The canal begins in
Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...
along with the Schifffahrtskanal; connected to land by three bays of the ''Kanalhafen'', and to the rest of the world via the Rhine. The Rhine–Herne Canal headquarters is in the
Meiderich Meiderich is a quarter of the city of Duisburg. It is divided into Unter-, Mittel- and Obermeiderich. Meiderich belongs to the city district Meiderich/Beeck, which started in 1975, during the course of municipal reorganization. On 31 December 2004, ...
district of
Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...
, it serves as the water and shipping management canal and its locks from Essen to Herne. From here maintenance and repair work are organised and performed.


Oberhausen marina

The Oberhausen marina is a yacht port opened in 2004 in close proximity to the
CentrO Centro may refer to: Places Brazil *Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Du ...
shopping centre. The port has a water depth of and over 13 bridges. Also at the Oberhausen marina are the attractions Sealife Oberhausen and Oberhausen Modellbahn World.


City port of Essen

The ''Stadthafen Essen'' (City port of
Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
) is the youngest port on the Rhine–Herne Canal opened in 1934 by the city of Essen, and operated since 1987 by '' Stadtwerke Essen''. The port consists of a doubled sided canal side quay together with a harbour port at right angles onto the canal, which together form a water area of with associated dock-land of The dock handles bulk goods such as solid mineral fuels, petroleum and chemical products, stone, earth and iron and steel as well as recyclable materials, and is an important transhipment point.


City port of Gelsenkirchen

The port of the city of
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
(''Stadthafen Gelsenkirchen'') was opened in July 1914 and is the oldest port on the Rhine–Herne Canal. The port has two docks branched from the canal situated just east of the lock at Gelsenkirchen and has a water surface of . The industrial port is ~ and the trading port ~. A private railway of length is operated which is linked to the tracks of the
Deutsche Bahn (, ; abbreviated as DB or DB AG ) is the national railway company of Germany, and a state-owned enterprise under the control of the German government. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). DB was fou ...
Formerly the port dealt mainly with coal and mining products, now the port is a major hub for petroleum products and second-largest inland port for cereals in
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
. It is operated by the ''Gelsenkirchener Logistik-, Hafen- und Servicegesellschaft'' (Gelsenkirchener logistics, harbour and service company.) a subsidiary of ''Stadtwerke Gelsenkirchen''.


Port Grimberg

''Hafen Grimberg'' (Port Grimberg) is on the south canal bank in
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
, near the city boundary to Herne. It was named after the nearby Castle Grimberg, of which today only the foundations remain. Built in 1914 by the ''Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks AG'' (GBAG) to provide a link to the GBAG mines of ''Rheinelbe'', ''Alma'' and ''Pluto'' as well as supplying the ironworks of ' Schalker group' with imported ore. Around the same time, and up to 1929 the industrial railway of ''Erzbahn'' was built, serving the Schalker and Bochum group iron and steelworks. Between 1937 and 1968 ''Grimberg harbour'' was one of the major ports on the canal. In 1968 steel production at the southern end of the Erzbahn at
Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...
ended, in 1982 the Schalker works closed - with this the use of the port for transport of iron ore ended. Such was the emphasis on iron ore that much of the port now stands empty, part of it nowadays is used for the processing of recycled materials for the building industry, as well as a storage facility.


Ports Wanne west and Wanne east

Like many other the port of ''Westhafen Wanne''''Westhafen Wanne'' is more clearly on the north bank of the canal, with ''Osthafen Wanne'' almost directly opposite on the south bank. Both are just east of the ''Schleuse Wanne-Eickel'' (Wanne-Eickel lock) ( Wanne west harbour) was originally built for the mutual benefit of the mines and canal, with a railway connecting the two. Today the quayside still has coal traffic and associated industries. The docks of the port at Wanner West were filled in to make room for the ''Güterverkehrszentrum Emscher'' - a logistics (road, rail and river) centre working in association with other companies. The Wanne-Herner Eisenbahn und Hafen GmbH (WHE) operates both the remaining canal side docks and the associated railway. The ''Osthafen Wanne'' (Port Wanne east) are also operated by the WHE; the ports and rail link serves a major scrap metal works.


City port of Recklinghausen

Originally the city of Recklinghausen had no access to the canal; through an exchange of land with the city of Herne the city gained access to the canal. In recent decades, the port was abandoned. However through the actions of the company 'United Mills' grain shipments were made using a mobile crane. Since late 2007, the port has expanded and a grain loading plant installed: new mills and silos have been installed.


Port of the Frederick the Great mine

The Hafen der Zeche Friedrich der Große (Frederick the Great mine port) is directly south of the ''Port of the King Ludwig mine'', as of 2009 the port is the site of an industrial estate named the ''Industriegebeit Friedrich der Große''. Aerial image of ''Hafen der Zeche König Ludwig'', Hafen der Zeche Friedrich der Große'' and ''Schleuse Herne-Ost''
''multimap.com''
Aerial image of ''Hafen der Zeche König Ludwig'', Hafen der Zeche Friedrich der Große'' and ''Schleuse Herne-Ost''
''maps.google.co.uk''
The harbour which is cut parallel to the canal is still extant, but without fixed infrastructure, cranes etc.


Port of the King Ludwig mine

The Hafen der Zeche König Ludwig served the coal transported from, and deliveries to the former King Ludwig mine. It is located at kilometer 38 of the canal, just upstream of the Herne Ost lock, on the north bank opposite the ''Hafen der Zeche Friedrich der Große'' (Frederick the Great mine port). The harbor basin was built from 1897 to 1898 when the section of the canal (the then branch channel of the Dortmund-Ems Canal), was already flooded. In 1912, at the colliery port handled 360,096 tonnes of goods. In 1913 the docks expanded. Because of mining subsidence by 1954 the quaywall had to be increased by . In the 1980s, it was leased to ''Automobil- und Motorbootsport-Club Castrop-Rauxel e. V'' (The car and motorboat club of Castrop-Rauxel) and is used from recreational boating, being no longer used by Ruhrkohle AG, and contains many small boats. The former mine railway, which starts at the harbour is now a walking and biking trail.


Port Victor

The Victor Harbor (''Hafen Victor'') was created to serve the former colliery 'Victor' which finished all operations in 1973. The port is in the city of Castrop-Rauxel in the vicinity of '' Schloss Bladenhorst'' (Castle 'Blade Horst'), about upstream from the ''Hafen der Zeche Friedrich der Große'' also on the south bank. Today the port still handles coal with the help of two gantry cranes.


Port Rütgers

Port Rütgers (''Hafen Rütgers '') is the port of Rütgers Chemicals (founded by Julius Rütgers) and is about upstream of the Port Victor on the east side of the canal after the canal makes a slight bend to the north. The main product dealt with here is pitch obtained from
coal tar Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psoria ...
from the refining of coal. The port has a Pneumatic barrier.


Port Luck

Port Luck (''Hafen Luck'') belongs to the construction and building materials company Luck located on the east bank, a little more than 2 kilometres upstream of Rütgers Chemicals.


Port Marmorit

Port Marmorit (''Hafen Marmorit'') is the port of cement and lime mortar manufacturer and distributor ''Marmorit Knauf GmbH'' located north of a disused canal side channel and just north of the bridge carrying ''Wartburgstraße'' (Wartburgstreet). The actual facility consists of little more than a pier.


Waltrop lock park

Here after ends (or begins) the Rhine–Herne Canal, which meets the Dortmund-Ems canal (at the 14.7-kilometre mark) near the old Henrichenburg boat lift (replaced in 1962 by a newer lock, and in 1989 by a new larger lock). The terminal is used as a mooring for pleasure craft. It forms part of the Waltrop lock park.Schleusenpark Waltrop
Waltrop lock park ''route-industriekultur.de''


Ecosystem

Fish that inhabit the canal include European eel, European carp,
zander The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Family (biology), family Percidae, which also includes perch, Gymnocephalus, ruffe and Darter (fish), darter. It is found in freshwater and brackis ...
, carp bream, common roach and common rudd, as well as the less common pike and
rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
.


Cities

*
Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...
*
Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...
*
Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
*
Bottrop Bottrop () is a city in west-central Germany, on the Rhine–Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located in the Ruhr area, Ruhr industrial area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Oberhausen, Gladbeck, and Dorsten. The city had been a coal-mining and ...
*
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
* Herne * Recklinghausen * Castrop-Rauxel *
Waltrop Waltrop ( is a town in the Recklinghausen (district), district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Datteln-Hamm Canal, approximately 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund. ...
* Datteln


References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhine-Herne Canal Canals in Germany Federal waterways in Germany Canals opened in 1914 CRhine-Herne