Lock ruin Wüsteneutzsch
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History
The lock staircase is on the left just before the village Wüsteneutzsch. It is one of the few stairs lock in Germany. There were plans for two identical lock chambers, of which one sees only the upper chamber. Until Baustop only Baugrubbe was excavated for the construction of the lower chamber. The lock staircase is the largest single building on the Elster-Saale-channel. In July 1924 State HIDE the completion of the Mittelland Canal was completed, which defined the start of construction and completion of the Süpdflügels with the Mittelland Canal same time. 1933, work began at Burghausen on the canal. With up to 2,000 employees, it was one of the biggest construction sites in the German Empire. With a depth of 3.5 meters and a width of 32 meters water level to 37 meters of the channel for two-aisled operation with the then modern 1000 t-channel ship was designed. Some buildings, several steel truss road bridges over the canal, as well as two underpasses have been completed until 1938. To overcome the difference in height of the channel to Saale then began work on a lock staircase at Wüsteneutzsch last. With the lock had his time 15 to 20 ships can overcome the difference in height of about 24 meters a day. The lock staircase consists of two shaft locks with 11 meters gradient. The lock chamber was formed in rock and executed as weight concrete walls. Between the two locks an intermediate posture is approximately 360 meters. Each lock chamber is 85 meters long and 12 meters wide. Since the channel does not have sufficient natural inflow, both locks were designed as a savings locks. Thus, the loss of water could be limited to 50% at the locks. Because the locks were designed for the smuggling of a 1000 t-ship, the tractor should not be having smuggled it was in each case or lower-in. Oberhafen a tug exchange completed. The upper and lower outer harbor has a length of 512 meters. The filling capacity of the lock chamber is about 11,220 m³. It 15,500 cubic meters of concrete were used in the built-up chamber walls, about 4,850 cubic meters of developed sole concrete, 850 m Bitumstrick as a seal between the building blocks and 96 piece holding crosses in the lateral chamber walls. In whole, the cost of building the upper chamber totaled 2.579.000.00 R. 1939 start of the Second World War, the work on the lock delayed more and more what 1942 they were all set. The work planned for the "final victory" with great enthusiasm was gone afflict. 75% of Gesammtbauvolumen were found already completed at this time. 11 km from the planned 19 km were completed and 1939 filled with waterfowl. Of these, a further 5.5 km have already been partially excavated. The channel ends a bit behind Güntersdorf. Today only a ruin is a tourist magnet in the landscape.
Visitors report
