Oker
Encyclopedia
The Oker is a river
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller
, 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.
in a boggy area on the Bruchberg
in the Harz mountains of central Germany. This early section is known as the Große Oker ("Great Oker") and it is impounded below Altenau
by the Oker Dam
. From the dam wall to the vicinity of Oker
in the borough of Goslar
, the Oker is on certain occasions for canoeing
. This section, often called the "Oker Valley" (Okertal), includes the Romkerhall Waterfall
. Here the Romke stream drops about 64 metres in height over a waterfall
laid out in 1863 into the Oker. Downstream in the river's fast-flowing waters is the Verlobungsinsel ("Betrothal Island"). Left and right of the Oker in this area are many crag
s that are popular with climber
s.
In the Goslar village of Oker
the river is seriously polluted with heavy metals from the slag heap
s as well as groundwater
and surface runoff
from the metal smelters there.
From the village of Oker the River Oker flows away in a northeasterly direction to Vienenburg
, where it is joined from the south by the Radau and then from the southeast by the Ecker
. After these two confluences the river continues southeast past the Harly Forest
(Harly-Wald), after which it bends north to flow through Schladen
and Wolfenbüttel
to Brunswick
. In south Brunswick the Oker is dammed by the Eisenbüttel Weir. In the Bürgerpark shortly before Brunswick's old town (Altstadt) the Oker divides into the western and eastern bypass channels (Umflutgraben) which circumnavigate the historic city centre at a slightly higher level. These channels were laid in the 16th century as the external moats of the town's defences. The actual course of the Oker through the centre of the town was covered and, today, runs through pipes emerging again north of the Altstadt. The water level in the city area is controlled by the St. Peter's Gate Weir (Petritorwehr) in the western and the Guelf Weir (Wendenwehr) in the eastern ditch. Following the merger of the two channels northwest of the city centre the Oker runs north of the district of Watenbüttel in a culvert
under the Mittelland Canal before it is joined by the Schunter
from the east near Groß Schwülper. It then flows down to its mouth into the River Aller, which is located between Gifhorn
and Celle
at Müden
.
boundary between the bishoprics of Halberstadt
and the Hildesheim established by Emperor Charlemagne
and his son Louis the Pious
in the Duchy of Saxony
. North of Schladen the royal palace (Königspfalz
) of Werla
was established on the banks about 20 metres above the river bed. From the High Middle Ages the Oker between the villages of Ohrum
and Börßum
formed the eastern boundary of the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim with the Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
, and further south to Wiedelah (today part of Vienenburg
) with the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt, which became the Prussian Principality of Halberstadt
following its secularization
in 1648.
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was likewise mediatised
in 1803, and according to the Final Act of the 1815 Vienna Congress
, the Oker was the eastern border of the Kingdom of Hanover
with the Duchy of Brunswick
and the Prussian Province of Saxony
. When the Kingdom of Prussia
annexed Hanover in 1866, it became the inner Prussian border between the provinces of Hanover
and Saxony
as well as the border, north of Börßum to Ohrum between the Province of Hanover in the west and the Duchy of Brunswick in the east. From 1945 to 1990 the Inner German border between East and West Germany
ran down the centre of the Oker between Wiedelah and Schladen, today between the German states
of Saxony-Anhalt
and Lower Saxony
.
Since Expo 2000
bridges over the Oker in Brunswick and its surrounding area were artistically designed; after 2004 this was carried out as part of the Okerlicht project.
.
River
A 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 Lower Saxony
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...
, 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...
, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River 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...
, 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.
Course
The Oker rises at about 910 m in the Harz National ParkHarz National Park
The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...
in a boggy area on the Bruchberg
Bruchberg
At the Bruchberg in the Upper Harz is the second highest mountain in Lower Saxony and the third highest in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It lies between Altenau and Torfhaus in the middle of the Harz National Park. The Bruchberg is more like a plateau and has no real summit...
in the Harz mountains of central Germany. This early section is known as the Große Oker ("Great Oker") and it is impounded below Altenau
Altenau (Oker)
The Altenau is a small river that rises in the Elm in central Germany, northeast of Eitzum and discharges from the right into the Oker near Halchter, a district of Wolfenbüttel.- Altenau valley :...
by the Oker Dam
Oker Dam
The Oker Dam is a dam in the Harz mountains in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is fed by the River Oker.- Technology :The dam is in the shape of an arch . It is 75 m high, 260 m long, can impound up to 47 million m³ of water and provides hydropower, flood protection and water...
. From the dam wall to the vicinity of Oker
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
in the borough of Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
, the Oker is on certain occasions for canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
. This section, often called the "Oker Valley" (Okertal), includes the Romkerhall Waterfall
Romkerhall
Romkerhall is a former hunting residence of George V of Hanover in the Oker Valley, Harz, Germany.It lies next to the B 498 federal road and was built in 1862...
. Here the Romke stream drops about 64 metres in height over a waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
laid out in 1863 into the Oker. Downstream in the river's fast-flowing waters is the Verlobungsinsel ("Betrothal Island"). Left and right of the Oker in this area are many crag
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s that are popular with climber
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
s.
In the Goslar village of Oker
Oker (Goslar)
Oker has been part of the borough of Goslar in central Germany since 1972. It lies on the edge of the Harz mountains and has a population of 7,282 . Previously Oker had been a parish within Wolfenbüttel district since 1952.- Location :...
the river is seriously polluted with heavy metals from the slag heap
Slag heap
A spoil tip is a pile built of accumulated spoil - the overburden removed during coal and ore mining. These waste materials are generally composed of shale, as well as smaller quantities of carboniferous sandstone and various other residues...
s as well as groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
and surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
from the metal smelters there.
From the village of Oker the River Oker flows away in a northeasterly direction to Vienenburg
Vienenburg
Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...
, where it is joined from the south by the Radau and then from the southeast by the Ecker
Ecker
Ecker is a river in Germany. It may also refer to:Entertainment*Meng and Ecker As a name:*Danny Ecker*Janet Ecker*Guy Ecker*Haylie Ecker*William Ecker*Tyler Ecker*Enrique Ecker*Alexander Ecker*Johnny Ecker...
. After these two confluences the river continues southeast past the Harly Forest
Harly Forest
The Harly Forest is a hill range up to 256 m above NN in the district of Goslar in southeastern Lower Saxony in Germany.- Geography :It is located in the northern Harz Foreland about 11 kilometres as the crow flies northeast of Goslar and immediately north-northwest of Vienenburg. It is...
(Harly-Wald), after which it bends north to flow through Schladen
Schladen
Schladen is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Oker, approx. 15 km south of Wolfenbüttel, and 25 km south of Braunschweig....
and Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
to Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. In south Brunswick the Oker is dammed by the Eisenbüttel Weir. In the Bürgerpark shortly before Brunswick's old town (Altstadt) the Oker divides into the western and eastern bypass channels (Umflutgraben) which circumnavigate the historic city centre at a slightly higher level. These channels were laid in the 16th century as the external moats of the town's defences. The actual course of the Oker through the centre of the town was covered and, today, runs through pipes emerging again north of the Altstadt. The water level in the city area is controlled by the St. Peter's Gate Weir (Petritorwehr) in the western and the Guelf Weir (Wendenwehr) in the eastern ditch. Following the merger of the two channels northwest of the city centre the Oker runs north of the district of Watenbüttel in a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
under the Mittelland Canal before it is joined by the Schunter
Schunter
The Schunter is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a length of 58 km, right tributary of the Oker. It originates in the Elm hills near Räbke west of Helmstedt, flows northward to Süpplingenburg, then turns westward and joins the Oker at Schwülper, downstream of Braunschweig...
from the east near Groß Schwülper. It then flows down to its mouth into the River Aller, which is located between Gifhorn
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
and Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
at Müden
Müden (Aller)
Müden is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
.
Border river
Since the early 9th century the middle Oker river has formed the diocesanDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
boundary between the bishoprics of Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
and the Hildesheim established by Emperor Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and his son Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
in the Duchy of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
. North of Schladen the royal palace (Königspfalz
Kaiserpfalz
The term Kaiserpfalz or Königspfalz refers to a number of castles across the Holy Roman Empire which served as temporary, secondary seats of power for the Holy Roman Emperor in the Early and High Middle Ages...
) of Werla
Werlaburgdorf
Werlaburgdorf is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, part of the Samtgemeinde Schladen in Lower Saxony, Germany....
was established on the banks about 20 metres above the river bed. From the High Middle Ages the Oker between the villages of Ohrum
Ohrum
Ohrum is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
and Börßum
Börßum
Börßum is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Börßum lies only a few kilometers north of the Harz Mountains, north of Schladen, on the east bank of the Oker, 11 km south of Wolfenbüttel. It is not far southeast of the Oderwald....
formed the eastern boundary of the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim with the Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose history was characterised by numerous divisions and reunifications. Various dynastic lines of the House of Welf ruled Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806...
, and further south to Wiedelah (today part of Vienenburg
Vienenburg
Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...
) with the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt, which became the Prussian Principality of Halberstadt
Principality of Halberstadt
The Principality of Halberstadt was a state of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by Brandenburg-Prussia. It replaced the Bishopric of Halberstadt after its secularization in 1648. Its capital was Halberstadt. In 1807, the principality was made a state or regional capital of the Kingdom of Westphalia...
following its secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
in 1648.
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was likewise mediatised
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
in 1803, and according to the Final Act of the 1815 Vienna Congress
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, the Oker was the eastern border of the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
with the Duchy of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
and the Prussian Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
. When the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
annexed Hanover in 1866, it became the inner Prussian border between the provinces of Hanover
Province of Hanover
The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
and Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
as well as the border, north of Börßum to Ohrum between the Province of Hanover in the west and the Duchy of Brunswick in the east. From 1945 to 1990 the Inner German border between East and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
ran down the centre of the Oker between Wiedelah and Schladen, today between the German states
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-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...
and Lower Saxony
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...
.
Since Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
bridges over the Oker in Brunswick and its surrounding area were artistically designed; after 2004 this was carried out as part of the Okerlicht project.
Origin and meaning of the name
The river's name was recorded around 830 as Obacra and, later, as Ovokare und Ovakara. The origin of the name is derived from the syllables ov- and -akara meaning Ober (upper) and Vorwärtsdrängende ("onward rushing") as distinct from its tributary, the (also "onward rushing") EckerEcker
Ecker is a river in Germany. It may also refer to:Entertainment*Meng and Ecker As a name:*Danny Ecker*Janet Ecker*Guy Ecker*Haylie Ecker*William Ecker*Tyler Ecker*Enrique Ecker*Alexander Ecker*Johnny Ecker...
.
Tributaries
Left tributaries (from source to mouth):
|
Right tributaries:
|