The
Black Elster or
Schwarze Elster is a 179 km long
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in eastern
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the states Saxony,
BrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
and
Saxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, right tributary of the
ElbeThe Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. Its source is in the
Upper LusatiaLusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
region, near
ElstraElstra is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 6 kilometres southeast of Kamenz, and 34 kilometres northeast of Dresden....
.
The Black Elster flows through the cities
KamenzKamenz is a Lusatian town in eastern Saxony, Germany, with a population of 18,243, and is part of the Bautzen district. The town is located about northeast of Dresden and about northwest of Bautzen....
,
HoyerswerdaHoyerswerda is the largest city in the district of Bautzen in the German state of Saxony. It is located in Lusatia, a region where many people speak the Sorbian languages in addition to German.-Geography:...
,
SenftenbergSenftenberg is a town in southern Brandenburg, Germany, capital of the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district.-Geography:Senftenberg is located in the southwest of the historic Lower Lusatia region at the border with Saxony...
,
LauchhammerLauchhammer is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, approx. 17 km west of Senftenberg, and 50 km north of Dresden....
,
ElsterwerdaElsterwerda is a town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 48 km northwest of Dresden, and 11 km southeast of Bad Liebenwerda.-External links:...
,
Bad LiebenwerdaBad Liebenwerda is a spa town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 57 km northwest of Dresden, and 28 km east of Torgau.- History :...
,
HerzbergHerzberg is German for "heart mountain" and may refer to:*places in Germany:**Herzberg am Harz, a town in the Osterode district, Lower Saxony**Herzberg, Brandenburg, a town in the Elbe-Elster district, Brandenburg...
and
JessenJessen may refer to:*Jessen , a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany*Jessen , a Danish surname*A typeface created by Rudolf Koch...
. It flows into the river
ElbeThe Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
at
Elster (Elbe)Elster is a village and a former municipality in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany located in Wittenberg district. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Zahna-Elster...
, upstream from
WittenbergWittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
.
Geography
The
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
rises in the Lusatian Highlands (
Upper LusatiaUpper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
) about 1.5 kilometres south of the village Kindisch in the borough of
ElstraElstra is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 6 kilometres southeast of Kamenz, and 34 kilometres northeast of Dresden....
on the eastern flank of the 396 metre high
Kuppe, a subpeak of the
HochsteinHochstein is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany....
. From here the
Black Elster flows initially in a northerly direction through
ElstraElstra is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 6 kilometres southeast of Kamenz, and 34 kilometres northeast of Dresden....
,
KamenzKamenz is a Lusatian town in eastern Saxony, Germany, with a population of 18,243, and is part of the Bautzen district. The town is located about northeast of Dresden and about northwest of Bautzen....
, Milstrich and
WittichenauWittichenau is a bilingual town in the district of Bautzen in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 6 km south of Hoyerswerda....
, from
HoyerswerdaHoyerswerda is the largest city in the district of Bautzen in the German state of Saxony. It is located in Lusatia, a region where many people speak the Sorbian languages in addition to German.-Geography:...
it flows in a westwards to
ElsterheideElsterheide, in Sorbian Halštrowska hola, is a municipality in the district of Bautzen, in Saxony, Germany....
. Further downstream, after 63 kilometres, it crosses the Saxon-Brandenburg border and flows though
SenftenbergSenftenberg is a town in southern Brandenburg, Germany, capital of the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district.-Geography:Senftenberg is located in the southwest of the historic Lower Lusatia region at the border with Saxony...
,
RuhlandRuhland is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 12 km southwest of Senftenberg....
and
LauchhammerLauchhammer is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, approx. 17 km west of Senftenberg, and 50 km north of Dresden....
to
ElsterwerdaElsterwerda is a town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 48 km northwest of Dresden, and 11 km southeast of Bad Liebenwerda.-External links:...
. From here it heads in a northwesterly direction through
Bad LiebenwerdaBad Liebenwerda is a spa town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 57 km northwest of Dresden, and 28 km east of Torgau.- History :...
,
HerzbergHerzberg is a town in the Elbe-Elster district of the German federal state of Brandenburg.-Overview:As of 2004, its population is 10,968 and the mayor is Michael Oecknigk of the Christian Democratic Union....
and
JessenJessen is a municipality on the Schwarze Elster and lies in the eastern part of Saxony-Anhalt in the district of Wittenberg.-Geography:Jessen is an amalgamated municipality, and has the following subdivisions:-History:...
before emptying into the Elbe in the municipality of
Elster (Elbe)Elster is a village and a former municipality in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany located in Wittenberg district. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Zahna-Elster...
(river kilometre 198.5).
The most important tributaries of the
Black Elster are the
Hoyerswerdaer SchwarzwasserHoyerswerdaer Schwarzwasser is a river of Saxony, Germany....
, the
PulsnitzPulsnitz is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
, the
Große RöderGroße Röder is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
, the
Kleine ElsterKleine Elster is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
and the
Schweinitzer FließSchweinitzer Fließ is a river of Brandenburg, Germany....
.
Tributaries
| Left tributaries |
Right tributaries |
- Kesselwasser, before Elstra at 197 m
- Langes Wasser, in Kamenz at 177 m
- Schwosdorfer Wasser, near Schiedel at 144 m
- Rocknitzgraben, near Skaska at 138 m
- Kossacksgraben, near Neuwiese at 114 m
- Schleichgraben, near Großkoschen at 103 m
- Ruhlander Schwarzwasser
The Ruhlander Schwarzwasser is a left-hand tributary of the Schwarze Elster in the east German states of Brandenburg and Saxony.- Course :It rises in the Bernsdorf Forest near Heide, a village in the borough of Wiednitz...
, near Ruhland at 95 m
- Sieggraben, after Ruhland at 94 m
- Pulsnitz
Pulsnitz is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
, near Elsterwerda at 88,5 m
- Große Röder
Große Röder is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
, near Haida at 87 m
- Alte Röder, near Prieschka at 86,7 m
- Kleine Röder
Kleine Röder is a river of Brandenburg, Germany....
, near Bad Liebenwerda at 86,3 m
- Neugraben, near Grabo at 71 m
|
Jauer, near Deutschbaselitz at 148 m
Klosterwasser Klosterwasser is a river of Saxony, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Saxony...
, near Kotten at 128 m
Ralbitzer Teichwasser, before Hoske at 127 m
Hoyerswerdaer SchwarzwasserHoyerswerdaer Schwarzwasser is a river of Saxony, Germany....
, near Hoyerswerda at 118 m
Sornoer Elster, near Kleinkoschen at 102 m
Rainitza, near Buchwalde (Senftenberg) at 100 m
PößnitzPößnitz is a river of Brandenburg, Germany....
, near Schwarzheide at 97 m
Hammergraben, near Plessa at 90 m
Kleine ElsterKleine Elster is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...
, near Wahrenbrück at 84 m
Schweinitzer FließSchweinitzer Fließ is a river of Brandenburg, Germany....
, near Schweinitz at 71,3 m |
History
Field Marshal BlücherGebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt , Graf , later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.He is...
crossed the Elbe River near its confluence with the Black Elster on 3 Oct 1813 on his march to
LeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.