Griebnitzsee
Encyclopedia
Griebnitzsee is a lake
in the 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 German states of Berlin and Brandenburg
. It is bordered in the north by the Wannsee
district of Berlin, and in the south and west by the Babelsberg district of Potsdam
in Brandenburg.
. One third of this water flows into the adjacent Griebnitz Canal
and through a chain of lakes towards the Großer Wannsee
. The remaining water flows through the Griebnitzsee to its western end, where it flows into the River Havel
near Potsdam.
The length of the Griebnitzsee is navigable, and forms part of the Teltow Canal route that links the River Havel with the River Spree
and the Oder-Spree Canal, bypassing the reach of the River Spree through central Berlin. The navigable Griebnitz Canal provides an alternative link from the Griebnitzsee to the River Havel via the Großer Wannsee.
During the time of the Berlin Wall
, the border between Berlin and East Germany ran down the middle of the lake. A patrol path existed for border guards along the southern shore. After German reunification, this path became a public lake-side promenade.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the western outskirts of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the capital city of Germany
Germany
Germany , 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...
. At an elevation of 29.4 m, its surface area is ca. 0.592 km². The lake forms the border between the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg 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...
. It is bordered in the north by the Wannsee
Wannsee
Wannsee is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger Großer Wannsee and the Kleiner Wannsee , are located on the river Havel and are separated only by the Wannsee bridge...
district of Berlin, and in the south and west by the Babelsberg district of Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
in Brandenburg.
Overview
At its eastern end, near Kohlhasenbrück in Berlin, the Griebnitzsee receives water from the Teltow CanalTeltow Canal
The Teltow Canal, also known as the Teltowkanal in German, is a canal to the south of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. The canal lies in both the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, and at points forms the boundary between the two...
. One third of this water flows into the adjacent Griebnitz Canal
Griebnitz Canal
The Griebnitz Canal, also known in German as the Griebnitzkanal or the Prinz-Friedrich-Leopold-Kanal, is a canal in the western suburbs of Berlin, the capital city of Germany...
and through a chain of lakes towards the Großer Wannsee
Großer Wannsee
The Großer Wannsee is a bight of the Havel river near the locality of Wannsee and Nikolassee , a south-western suburb of the German capital Berlin not far from Potsdam...
. The remaining water flows through the Griebnitzsee to its western end, where it flows into the River Havel
Havel
The Havel is a river in north-eastern Germany, flowing through the German states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe river and in length...
near Potsdam.
The length of the Griebnitzsee is navigable, and forms part of the Teltow Canal route that links the River Havel with the River Spree
Spree
The Spree is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, and in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic...
and the Oder-Spree Canal, bypassing the reach of the River Spree through central Berlin. The navigable Griebnitz Canal provides an alternative link from the Griebnitzsee to the River Havel via the Großer Wannsee.
During the time of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, the border between Berlin and East Germany ran down the middle of the lake. A patrol path existed for border guards along the southern shore. After German reunification, this path became a public lake-side promenade.