Meiße
Encyclopedia
The Meiße is a German river in the state of Lower Saxony
, near the Lüneburg Heath
, and a right-hand tributary of the River Aller
.
in the nature reserve of Großes Moor bei Becklingen. It flows through the villages of Bleckmar
, Hasselhorst (in the unparished area of Lohheide
), Belsen
, Hörsten, Gudehausen und Hartmannshausen (all three belonging to the unparished area of Lohheide), as well as Meißendorf
, and discharges into the Aller
about 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) south of Hodenhagen
.
Its left-hand tributary streams are the Berger Bach, which flows through the town of Bergen and joins the Meiße near Belsen, and the small Geltteichsgraben and Bruchbach, which originate in the Meißendorf Lakes.
The right-hand feeder streams of the Meiße are: The little Mühlenbach near Bleckmar and the Liethbach, which arises near Bredebeck (in the unparished area of Lohheide
) from the confluence of the Forellenbach and Schwemmbeck. The Meierbach, which emerges in the Bergen-Hohne Training Area
, flows through the Meiersee and discharges into the Meiße shortly before Hodenhagen. The Hohe Bach also starts in the military training area, flows past the Sieben Steinhäuser
and also joins the Meiße shortly before Hodenhagen. Before the Meiße reaches the Aller it branches again into the Hudemühlener Meiße.
Near the autobahn services of Ostenholzer Moor (A7, E 45), a canal
known as the Esseler Kanal crosses the Meiße. This is made up of the Nordkanal and Südkanal, each of which drains the Ostenholz Moor
. The Meiße mainly has water quality of Class II i.e. only moderately polluted.
and sawmill
here. In the surrounding area ponds were created covering a further 250 hectares. Near Gudehausen (in the unparished area of Lohheide) the Herrengraben ditch was dug which supplied many of the ponds with water.
In 1998 Celle district began to renaturalise parts of the Meiße again. To the northwest of Sunder Manor House the old course of the Meiße has been largely re-established.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, near the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
, and a right-hand tributary of the River Aller
River Aller
The River Aller is a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England.It rises as several small streams around Tivington and Huntscott and flows through the Holnicote Estate past Holnicote and through Allerford, where it passes under a packhorse bridge of medieval origin. It then joins the River Horner,...
.
Origin and course
The Meiße emerges south of WietzendorfWietzendorf
Wietzendorf is a municipality in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 11 km southeast of Soltau, and 50 km southwest of Lüneburg....
in the nature reserve of Großes Moor bei Becklingen. It flows through the villages of Bleckmar
Bleckmar
Bleckmar is a village administered by the Lower Saxon town of Bergen in the northern part of Celle district on the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany. It lies about north of Bergen on the B 3 federal road and currently has 579 inhabitants...
, Hasselhorst (in the unparished area of Lohheide
Lohheide
Lohheide is an unincorporated area in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany.It covers an area of and has 764 inhabitants...
), Belsen
Belsen (Bergen)
Belsen is a village within the German borough of Bergen in the northern part of Celle district on the Lüneburg Heath in Lower Saxony. It lies about southwest of Bergen and has 331 inhabitants . The Belsen concentration camp was named after it...
, Hörsten, Gudehausen und Hartmannshausen (all three belonging to the unparished area of Lohheide), as well as Meißendorf
Meißendorf
Meißendorf is a village in the borough of Winsen an der Aller in the Lower Saxon district of Celle in northern Germany.It lies northwest of Winsen an der Aller. It derives its name from the River Meiße which flows through the village. 1,666 people have their main residence in Meißendorf and...
, and discharges into the Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
about 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) south of Hodenhagen
Hodenhagen
Hodenhagen is a municipality in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town was once the site of Hudemühlen Castle, which is now completely destroyed. The castle was famous as the home of the kobold Hinzelmann. The site of another medieval castle, Hodenhagen Castle on the River...
.
Its left-hand tributary streams are the Berger Bach, which flows through the town of Bergen and joins the Meiße near Belsen, and the small Geltteichsgraben and Bruchbach, which originate in the Meißendorf Lakes.
The right-hand feeder streams of the Meiße are: The little Mühlenbach near Bleckmar and the Liethbach, which arises near Bredebeck (in the unparished area of Lohheide
Lohheide
Lohheide is an unincorporated area in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany.It covers an area of and has 764 inhabitants...
) from the confluence of the Forellenbach and Schwemmbeck. The Meierbach, which emerges in the Bergen-Hohne Training Area
Bergen-Hohne Training Area
Bergen-Hohne Training Area is a NATO military training area in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath, in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It covers an area of , which makes it the largest military training area in Germany.It was established by the German armed forces, the...
, flows through the Meiersee and discharges into the Meiße shortly before Hodenhagen. The Hohe Bach also starts in the military training area, flows past the Sieben Steinhäuser
Sieben Steinhäuser
The Sieben Steinhäuser is a group of five dolmens on the Lüneburg Heath in the NATO training area of Bergen-Hohne, in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. The stones are considered to be part of the funnelbeaker culture...
and also joins the Meiße shortly before Hodenhagen. Before the Meiße reaches the Aller it branches again into the Hudemühlener Meiße.
Near the autobahn services of Ostenholzer Moor (A7, E 45), a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
known as the Esseler Kanal crosses the Meiße. This is made up of the Nordkanal and Südkanal, each of which drains the Ostenholz Moor
Ostenholz Moor
Ostenholz Moor is a high-moor bog on the Lüneburg Heath in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is named after the village of Ostenholz and is not far from Meißendorf. The moor is almost entirely within the Bergen-Hohne Military Training Area and, as a result, has been largely left to develop...
. The Meiße mainly has water quality of Class II i.e. only moderately polluted.
History
As early as 1881 work began on the Sunder Estate (Gut Sunder) to deepen and dam the Meiße in order to create ponds to farm fish. Over the course of time fish ponds were established over an area of 250 hectares (617.8 acre). Today these form part of the Meißendorf Lakes and Bannetzer Moor nature reserve. Until the 1970s there was also a watermillWatermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
and sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
here. In the surrounding area ponds were created covering a further 250 hectares. Near Gudehausen (in the unparished area of Lohheide) the Herrengraben ditch was dug which supplied many of the ponds with water.
In 1998 Celle district began to renaturalise parts of the Meiße again. To the northwest of Sunder Manor House the old course of the Meiße has been largely re-established.