Life along the Elbe
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Life along the Elbe
We are now at the end of the Elbe's gorge through the low mountain range of Saxon Switzerland. The rocks that constrain the water come to an end, the land becomes flatter, the flow velocity slows down, and in the past, large areas could be flooded during high water. Over many centuries, this has created fertile Elbe floodplains that remained green even during extreme periods of drought. Before the embankments were built, the Elbe was up to 300 meters wide, much shallower and had numerous tributaries and islands.
The settlement of the Elbe floodplains brought many advantages. The abundance of fish was an essential source of livelihood for the people, and the lush greenery provided food for livestock. Farming on the high-quality soil ensured good yields even during extreme droughts, while on the higher sandy soils, everything often dried up and the harvest was almost completely lost. Numerous fords allowed the river to be crossed on horseback or on foot when the water level was normal.
In suitable locations, water wheels provided power, for example for ship mills. Navigation was hardly possible due to the low water level and numerous obstacles such as rocks, sand islands floating in the water, and huge fallen trees. After every major flood, the river changed, new branches of the Elbe were created, and others silted up.
By the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), a considerable system of dykes had already been built along the Elbe. During the many years of war, the necessary maintenance of the dykes was neglected, breaches in the dykes during major floods were not repaired, and after the war it took many decades before the system and its maintenance were functioning again. The planned expansion of the Elbe as a waterway began in 1815. The Czech Republic had a particular interest in being able to reach the international port of Hamburg on the Elbe with its ships.
The transport of essential goods by barge secured jobs and a regular supply for many people in the villages along the Elbe. This led to the emergence of trading centers and markets. Until the advent of chain navigation in the 19th century, the barges were pulled against the current (known as treideln) by people (Bomätscher) or animals. This was very hard work for a pittance. Merschwitz was a station where the towage crews were relieved. Significant advances in shipping were brought about by the use of chain towboats and paddle steamers, as well as the invention of the steam engine. Dyke construction was extremely strictly regulated and was also largely manual work using shovels and wheelbarrows.
With the development of technology in all areas, much changed on the Elbe as well. The barges became ships that could transport several thousand tons and required only a few workers. Dike construction became much easier and faster with large excavators and wheel loaders, and as a result, 80% of the river's former floodplains were lost. The result is more frequent flooding with ever-increasing damage costs, especially during the dreaded ice floods.
One of the first wonderful successes of the rethinking that followed the political change in 1989/90 is the improvement in water quality. Due to the discharge of huge quantities of untreated sewage, the river was biologically almost dead. Cooperation between the riparian countries and joint efforts made it possible to replace the extinct Elbe salmon with a related Scandinavian salmon species and reintroduce it. Beaver and otter populations have also redeveloped in the Elbe floodplains. The bird migrations in autumn and spring are a natural spectacle.
The rapid succession of above-average flooding events has brought the importance of flood protection back into people's consciousness. The responsible decision-makers have learned from the mistakes of the past. The action plans therefore include not only dyke heightening and flood protection walls, but also dyke relocation, the reactivation of former floodplains, and agricultural and forestry measures.
Another important point is the designation of flood zones in the planning documents. The scope of the planned measures shows that flood protection is a task that will take generations to complete. In the tourism sector, the construction of the Elbe Cycle Route is a success story of cooperation between Germany and Czechia. In 2014, it was voted Germany's most popular long-distance cycle route for the tenth (!) time in a row.
Source: Klaus Herrmann, Kreinitz
