The Teltow Canal, also known as the in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, is a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

to the south of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, the capital city of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. The canal lies in both the states of Berlin and

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squ ...

, and at points forms the boundary between the two. It takes its name from the Brandeburgian region of Teltow and town of

Teltow Teltow [] is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. Geography Teltow is part of the agglomeration of Berlin. The distance to the Berlin city centre is , while the distance to Potsdam is . The Teltow Canal links th ...

which lie on its course. The canal was constructed between 1900 and 1906, when it was opened by

Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...

. The canal is in length and links the River Havel near the city of

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...

with the

River Dahme The Dahme is a river that flows through the German states of Brandenburg and Berlin. It is a left bank tributary of the River Spree and is approximately long. Course The source of the Dahme is near the eponymous town Dahme. The river flo ...

near

Köpenick Köpenick () is a historic town and locality (''Ortsteil'') in Berlin, situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopt ...

in Berlin's eastern suburbs. The Dahme provides a link to the

Oder-Spree Canal Oder-Spree is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the eastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are (from north clockwise) the district Märkisch-Oderland, the district-free city Frankfurt (Oder), Poland, the districts Spree-Neiße and Dahme-Spreewa ...

, and hence to the

River Oder The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...

and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Whilst the Dahme is a tributary of the

River Spree Spree may refer to: Geography * Spree (river), river in Germany Film and television * ''The Spree'', a 1998 American television film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace * ''Spree'' (film), a 2020 American film starring Joe Keery * "Spree" (''Numbers' ...

, itself a navigable tributary of the Havel, the Teltow Canal offers the advantage of bypassing the centre of Berlin, with its heavy river traffic. At its western end, the Teltow Canal incorporates the

Griebnitzsee Griebnitzsee (, from the Slavic ''Grib'', ''Mushroom'') is a lake at the south-western outskirts of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. At an elevation of 29.4 m, its surface area is ca. 0.592 km². The lake forms the border between the G ...

lake which links to the Havel in Potsdam. The Griebnitz Canal provides a second link to the Havel from the eastern end of the Griebnitzsee. Towards its eastern end, the Teltow Canal is linked to the Landwehr Canal by the

Neukölln Ship Canal The Neukölln Ship Canal, or Neuköllner Schiffahrtskanal, is a long canal in Berlin, Germany. It connects with the Landwehr Canal at its northern end, and with the Teltow Canal and the Britz Canal The Britz Canal, or Britzer Verbindungskana ...

, while the

Britz Canal The Britz Canal, or Britzer Verbindungskanal in German, is a long canal in Berlin, Germany. The canal was built between 1900 and 1906, and was previously known as the Britz Branch Canal or Britzer Zweigkanal. The canal provides a shortcut f ...

connects the Teltow Canal with the Spree. There is only one

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

on the canal, at

Kleinmachnow Kleinmachnow is a municipality of about 20,000 inhabitants in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated South-West of the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf and East of Potsdam. First mentioned in the Landbuch of Kar ...

. The canal is navigable by boats with a draught of up to and with a maximum bridge clearance of .

References

External links

Canals in Brandenburg Canals in Berlin Federal waterways in Germany Buildings and structures in Neukölln Buildings and structures in Steglitz-Zehlendorf Buildings and structures in Tempelhof-Schöneberg Canals opened in 1906 CTeltow CTeltow 1906 establishments in Germany {{water-transport-stub