Ruppiner See is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...
in
Ostprignitz-Ruppin
Ostprignitz-Ruppin is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are (from north clockwise) the districts Müritz and Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the districts
Oberhavel and H ...
,
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 square ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. At an elevation of , its surface area is . It is believed to have formed as a glacial
tunnel valley
A tunnel valley is a U-shaped valley originally cut under the glacial ice near the margin of continental ice sheets such as that now covering Antarctica and formerly covering portions of all continents during past glacial ages. They can be as l ...
.
History
A
Slavic fortification stood at the mouth of the
Rhin
The Rhin is a long river in Brandenburg, Germany, right tributary to the river Havel. It flows through the city Neuruppin and several lakes. A few kilometres downstream from Rhinow it flows into the Havel, about upstream from where the Have ...
on the northern shore. In the 12th century, the German settlement of Ruppin (now called
Altruppin) was established next to it. A few decades later,
Neuruppin
Neuruppin (; North Brandenburgisch: ''Reppin'') is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Ostprignitz-Ruppin district. It is the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Fontane (1819–1898) and therefore also referred to as ''Fon ...
was established on the southwest shore. A mill was built in
Altfriesack, between the Ruppiner See and the Bützsee next to the Slavic settlement of
Wustrau. The latter is probably the oldest settlement on the lake. Around the lake are other villages, which mostly now belong to the municipality of Neuruppin. Wustrau and Altfriesack now form one division in the municipality of
Fehrbellin
Fehrbellin is a municipality in Germany, located 60 km NW of Berlin. It had 9,310 inhabitants as of 2005, but has since declined to 8,606 inhabitants in 2012.
History
In 1675, the Battle of Fehrbellin was fought there, in which the troops of ...
.
Economic and strategic importance
The lake was strategically important as it was the center of the Slavic area. It was also of economic importance due to its fisheries and for transportation. The building of the
Ruppiner Canal in 1788 increased its importance, as it was then connected to the
Havel
The Havel () is a river in northeastern Germany, flowing through the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe and long. However, the direct distance from its source to its mo ...
and thereby with
Berlin
Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...
.
Since 1898, a railroad causeway on the Kremmen–Wittstock line has cut the lake in two, 2.5 km from the north shore running east and west.
Today, the Ruppiner See is the reservoir for the wetlands known as the
Rhinluch
The Rhinluch is a fen landscape in the German state of Brandenburg, bisected by the river Rhin to which it owes its name. This wetland region lies north of Fehrbellin in the county of Ostprignitz-Ruppin. The upper Rhinluch covers an area of about ...
. Until the beginning of May, water is held there from the spring runoff. It is then released over the locks in Alt Friesack to prevent the wetlands from drying out. The management of this runoff has the potential for political conflict.
See also
*
Neuruppin
Neuruppin (; North Brandenburgisch: ''Reppin'') is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Ostprignitz-Ruppin district. It is the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Fontane (1819–1898) and therefore also referred to as ''Fon ...
External links
Photo and map of the lake
Lakes of Brandenburg
Ostprignitz-Ruppin
Neuruppin
{{Brandenburg-geo-stub