Oker
Oker | |
---|---|
Harz Mountains | |
• coordinates | 51°46′42″N 10°29′29″E / 51.77833°N 10.49139°E |
• elevation | 900 metres (3,000 ft) |
Mouth | |
• location | Aller |
• coordinates | 52°31′26″N 10°21′39″E / 52.52389°N 10.36083°E |
Length | 128.2 km (79.7 mi)[1] |
Basin size | 1,822 km2 (703 sq mi)[1] |
Basin features | |
Progression | Aller→ Weser→ North Sea |
The Oker (pronounced [ˈoːkɐ]) is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, 128 kilometres (80 mi) in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.
Origin and meaning of the name
The river's name was recorded around 830 as Obacra and, later, as Ovokare und Ovakara.[2] The origin of the name is derived from the roots ov- and -akara meaning “upper” (cf. New High German ober-) and “onward rushing” (rendered in German as “Vorwärtsdrängende”) [2] as distinct from its tributary, the Ecker, whose name means only “onward rushing”.
Course
The Oker rises at about 910 metres in the
In the Goslar vicinity of Oker the river is seriously polluted with
From the village of Oker the River Oker flows away in a northeasterly direction to Vienenburg, where it is joined from the south by the Radau and then from the southeast by the Ecker. After these two confluences the river continues southeast past the Harly Forest, after which it bends north to flow through Schladen and Wolfenbüttel to Braunschweig. In south Braunschweig the Oker is dammed by the Eisenbüttel Weir. In the Bürgerpark shortly before Braunschweig's old town the Oker divides into the western and eastern bypass channels (Umflutgraben) which circumnavigate the historic city centre at a slightly higher level. These channels were laid in the 16th century as the external moats of the town's defences. The actual course of the Oker through the centre of the town was covered and, today, runs through pipes emerging again north of the old town. The water level in the city area is controlled by the St. Peter's Gate Weir (Petritorwehr) in the western and the "Wends Weir" (Wendenwehr) in the eastern ditch. Following the merger of the two channels northwest of the city centre the Oker runs north of the district of Watenbüttel in a culvert under the Mittelland Canal before it is joined by the Schunter from the east near Groß Schwülper. It then flows down to its mouth into the River Aller, which is located between Gifhorn and Celle at Müden.
The Oker as border river
Since the early ninth century the middle Oker river has formed the
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was likewise
Since the Expo 2000 bridges over the Oker in Braunschweig and its surrounding area were artistically designed; after 2004 this was carried out as part of the Okerlicht project.
Tributaries
Left tributaries (from source to mouth): |
Right tributaries: |
See also
References
- ^ a b Environmental map service of Lower Saxony (Umweltkartendienst des Niedersächsischen Ministeriums für Umwelt, Energie und Klimaschutz)
- ^ a b H. Blume: Oker, Schunter, Wabe. In: Braunschweigisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte, vol. 86, 2005, p. 14 sqq.
External links
- Heavy metal pollution of the Oker (in German)
- Description of white water canoe section between Kraftwerk and Nachstaubecken with many photos Archived 2020-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in German)