Elsterwerda-Grödel-Floßkanal

The Elsterwerda–Grödel raft canal (Elsterwerda-Grödel-Floßkanal), established in the 18th century, serves as a waterway connecting the Pulsnitz River in Elsterwerda with the Elbe River near Grödel in Germany. The original purpose of the canal, which in the present day is used primarily for recreational purposes, was to meet the high demand for wood in the Dresden/Meissen area from the forests in the vicinity of Elsterwerda (now Brandenburg), which at that time still belonged to Saxony. Its construction was ordered personally by the Saxon Elector. Later, it served primarily as a transport route for the Gröditzer ironworks until navigation ceased in 1942. Barges pulled by laborers (known in the region as Bomätschern) were used for transport. From the 1960s until the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was used as an irrigation canal.

Canal data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).