Floßkanal in Gröditz
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Der Floßkanal in Gröditz
In 1742, construction began on the timber rafting canal to overcome the difference in elevation of approximately 3 m between the Schwarze Elster and Elbe rivers. Preliminary investigations began as early as 1702. Construction was completed in 1748. The cost of construction was around 65,500 talers, but only around 58,000 talers had been approved. The main reason for this was increased labor costs.
When the canal was put into operation, the Gröditz lock had been built. The canal was laid over a length of around 21.1 km and is filled in in the area of the Gröditz forge.
North of Gröditz, the canal is supplied with water from the Große Röder.
The main purpose of the construction was to supply the cities of Dresden and Meissen with wood. A side effect was the drainage of local meadows and fields (swamp climate) in years with high precipitation.
With the establishment of the Gröditz ironworks, the canal was used to transport materials and goods. As early as 1782, the hammer mill was granted a concession to use it. Therefore, the ironworks had to pay for maintenance work, i.e., clearing the timber raft canal, at its own expense.
In 1861, the canal regulations for use on the Saxon side were made public. They contained provisions for the collection of canal dues, lock and storage fees, conditions for vehicles, conditions for the lockage process, and information on the penalties for non-compliance with the regulations. The fines ranged from 1 to 20 talers, depending on which paragraph of the regulation had been violated. In the event of inability to pay, a prison sentence was imposed.
In 1869, the canal was opened to general traffic and new canal regulations, which had been agreed with the Royal Prussian Government, were made public.
The opening of the newly built Elsterwerda–Riesa railway line in 1875 significantly reduced the use of the canal as a transport route.
In 1927, the lock on what is now Großenhainer Straße was filled in.
Bomätscher
Numerous barges were pulled along the canal by the so-called Bomätscher. The men pulled the ships through the water from land using ropes.
In the 1920s, the ice was “harvested” from the canal during harsh winters and used as a coolant by innkeepers and butchers.
Due to increased production at the Gröditz ironworks, part of the canal bed was piped from the 1930s to the 1950s. This greatly improved access to the plant for road transport. In 1942, shipping operations on the canal were discontinued.
Along the canal, there are numerous reminders of the past, including boundary stones between the kingdoms of Saxony and Prussia, and mast foundations from the 110 kV power line that was dismantled in 1945. In 1947/48, the old wooden bridge from Schwarzer Weg to Gartenstraße was demolished and a road bridge was built.
During the GDR era, pipe systems were laid along the canal to provide artificial irrigation for agricultural land (melioration).
The Floßkanall also influences life in the neighboring towns. Bathing areas were set up, and in winter the canal was a popular ice rink. Fishing was and still is a popular pastime. Small gardens were created near the canal to provide fruit and vegetables for personal consumption.
There is a popular bike path along the canal. In 1977, the lock keeper's house was demolished and a new parking area was created.
A new road bridge between the residential area and the Sigmund Jähn school, now a leisure park, was opened in 1968. To improve the route to school, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge was built next to the existing bridge in 1992.
A new pedestrian bridge was opened on Schwarzen Weg in 1999.
Sources:
Stadtarchiv Gröditz
Festschrift 250 Jahre Floßkanal Grödel – Elsterwerda 1748-1998
Archiv Gröditzer Schmiedewerke
Postkartensammlung Stadt Gröditz