The Black Elster[1][2] or Schwarze Elster (German, pronounced [ˌʃvaʁtsə ˈʔɛlstɐ] ; Lower Sorbian: Carny Halšter; Upper Sorbian: Čorny Halštrow) is a 179-kilometre (111 mi) long river in eastern Germany, in the states of Saxony, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe. Its source is in the Upper Lusatia region, near Elstra.
| Black Elster | |
|---|---|
 The Black Elster in Schweinitz. | |
 | |
| Native name |
|
| Location | |
| Country | Germany |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Upper Lusatia |
| • elevation | 317 m (1,040 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Elbe |
• coordinates | 51°48′59″N 12°49′57″E / 51.81639°N 12.83250°E |
| Length | 179 km (111 mi) |
| Basin size | 5,541 km2 (2,139 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Elbe→ North Sea |
The Black Elster flows through the cities Kamenz/Kamjenc, Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy, Senftenberg/Zły Komorow, Lauchhammer, Elsterwerda, Bad Liebenwerda, Herzberg and Jessen. It flows into the river Elbe at Elster (Elbe), upstream from Wittenberg.
Geography
editThe river rises in the Lusatian Highlands (Upper Lusatia) about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) south of the village Kindisch in the borough of Elstra on the eastern flank of the 396-metre (1,299 ft) high Kuppe, a subpeak of the Hochstein. From here the Black Elster flows initially in a northerly direction through Elstra, Kamenz, Milstrich and Wittichenau; from Hoyerswerda it flows in westwards to Elsterheide. Further downstream, after 63 kilometres (39 mi), it crosses the Saxon-Brandenburg border and flows through Senftenberg, Ruhland and Lauchhammer to Elsterwerda. From here it heads in a northwesterly direction through Bad Liebenwerda, Herzberg and Jessen before emptying into the Elbe in the municipality of Elster (Elbe) (river kilometre 198.5).
The most important tributaries of the Black Elster are the Hoyerswerdaer Schwarzwasser, the Pulsnitz, the Große Röder, the Kleine Elster and the Schweinitzer Fließ.
Tributaries
edit| Left tributaries | Right tributaries |
|---|---|
|
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History
editField Marshal Blücher crossed the Elbe River near its confluence with the Black Elster on 3 Oct 1813 on his march to Leipzig.[3]
See also
edit- There is also a White Elster river in eastern Germany.
- List of rivers of Brandenburg
- List of rivers of Saxony
- List of rivers of Saxony-Anhalt
References
edit- ^ Elbe River Basin by the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River. Accessed on 16 Jan 2011.
- ^ Elbe Archived 2013-11-04 at the Wayback Machine at waterwiki.net. Accessed on 16 Jan 2011.
- ^ Wright, George Newenham (1836). A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer, Volume 3, p. 78.