Müggelsee
Encyclopedia
The Müggelsee, also known as the Großer Müggelsee, is a lake
in the eastern suburbs of Berlin
, the capital city of Germany
. It is the largest of the Berlin lakes by area, with an area of 7.4 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi), a length of 4.3 kilometres (2.7 mi) and a breadth of 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi). The lake is in the Berlin district of Treptow-Köpenick
. The suburbs of Köpenick
, Friedrichshagen
, Rahnsdorf
and a little section of Müggelheim
border on the lake.
The lake itself is 8 meters deep at its deepest point. At its south end are hills called the 'Müggelberge', which are 115 m high; they were formed during the Pleistocene
(as a kettle hole, remaining at Weichselian glaciation). On the so-called 'Kleiner Müggelberg', the much-visited and popular 'Müggelturm
' (a tower) was built, the first one in 1889 (destroyed in a fire in 1958), and the current one in 1960/61. The tower offers extensive views over the lake and the forests against the Berlin skyline.
The River Spree
flows into the lake via the smaller Kleiner Müggelsee, which is only 0.16 square kilometre (0.0617763453748056 sq mi) in area. The Friedrichshagen waterworks on the northern bank of the Müggelsee obtains most of its water from the lake. There are also numerous deep wells located near the banks, and are mainly fed by the bank filtrate and only to a small share by groundwater.
The first uses of the word component "Müggel" are, according to Gerhard Schlimpert in the "Codex diplomaticus Brandenburgensis", in 1394 as "den Tyns in der Miggel" and in 1487 as "von der Miggelseh". The etymology remains unclear. The traditional derivative from Common Slavonic
mogyla = "grave, grave hill, earth hill" is rejected by Schlimpert as not durable. A pre-Slavonic, Germanic origin from a Proto-Indo-European
root is more probable: migh-, mighla = "fog, cloud": compare Dutch
miggelen = "drizzle" belongs. Analyses say that the word component "heim" in the name was brought around 1750 by settlers from the Palatinate from their homeland Odernheim, according to Schlimpert.
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 eastern suburbs 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...
. It is the largest of the Berlin lakes by area, with an area of 7.4 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi), a length of 4.3 kilometres (2.7 mi) and a breadth of 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi). The lake is in the Berlin district of Treptow-Köpenick
Treptow-Köpenick
Treptow-Köpenick is the ninth borough of Berlin, Germany, formed in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Treptow and Köpenick.-Overview:...
. The suburbs of Köpenick
Köpenick
Köpenick is a historic town and locality that is situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital city of Berlin. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopting the current spelling in 1931...
, Friedrichshagen
Friedrichshagen
Friedrichshagen is a German locality within the Berlin borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Köpenick.-History:...
, Rahnsdorf
Rahnsdorf
Rahnsdorf is a German locality within the Berlin borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Köpenick.-History:...
and a little section of Müggelheim
Müggelheim
Müggelheim is a German locality within the Berlin borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Köpenick.-History:...
border on the lake.
The lake itself is 8 meters deep at its deepest point. At its south end are hills called the 'Müggelberge', which are 115 m high; they were formed during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
(as a kettle hole, remaining at Weichselian glaciation). On the so-called 'Kleiner Müggelberg', the much-visited and popular 'Müggelturm
Müggelturm
The Müggelturm is a popular day-trip destination in Köpenick, in southeastern Berlin, Germany. It is located to the south of the Müggelsee lake in the Müggelberg hills atop the Kleiner Müggelberg...
' (a tower) was built, the first one in 1889 (destroyed in a fire in 1958), and the current one in 1960/61. The tower offers extensive views over the lake and the forests against the Berlin skyline.
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...
flows into the lake via the smaller Kleiner Müggelsee, which is only 0.16 square kilometre (0.0617763453748056 sq mi) in area. The Friedrichshagen waterworks on the northern bank of the Müggelsee obtains most of its water from the lake. There are also numerous deep wells located near the banks, and are mainly fed by the bank filtrate and only to a small share by groundwater.
The first uses of the word component "Müggel" are, according to Gerhard Schlimpert in the "Codex diplomaticus Brandenburgensis", in 1394 as "den Tyns in der Miggel" and in 1487 as "von der Miggelseh". The etymology remains unclear. The traditional derivative from Common Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
mogyla = "grave, grave hill, earth hill" is rejected by Schlimpert as not durable. A pre-Slavonic, Germanic origin from a Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
root is more probable: migh-, mighla = "fog, cloud": compare Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
miggelen = "drizzle" belongs. Analyses say that the word component "heim" in the name was brought around 1750 by settlers from the Palatinate from their homeland Odernheim, according to Schlimpert.