Flood in Würzburg
Floods in Würzburg occur almost every year. The Main can reach high water levels after prolonged rainfall or after the snow has melted. During a flood of the century, the Main in Würzburg reaches as far as the town hall and floods an old town area of around 25 hectares; the water can even reach almost up to the cathedral . To protect against such a flood, appropriate measures were started in 1971 and completed in 2009.
Flood development
The Main from the mouth of the Regnitz can be divided into several sections, in which the floods have approximately constant discharge. The first section ends at the confluence of the Franconian Saale in Gemünden am Main . The second extends from the Franconian Saale to the mouth of the Tauber , the third from the mouth of the Tauber to the Kinzig , the fourth from the mouth of the Kinzig to the Niddam and the last from there to the mouth of the Main and the Rhine in Mainz . Würzburg is located in the first section, where there are no major tributaries on a stretch of almost 200 kilometers.
The floods in Würzburg are mainly characterized by the runoff of the Main above the Regnitz estuary and the Regnitz. A flood wave built up after the confluence reaches Würzburg about 36 hours later. This flood wave can be changed by influences in the inter-area. Water levels over 7 meters are perceived as flooding.
The Main can be attributed to the so-called pluvio-nival discharge regime . This is typical for low mountain regions . The Main is characterized by a summer minimum and two winter maxima. The first winter maximum is caused by precipitation at the beginning of winter in November / December. The events of 1882 belong to this type of flood.
In the low mountain ranges, the precipitation is then bound in the form of snow in the middle of winter. In the spring thaw period in February / March this bound snow flows away. Due to the coincidence of spring precipitation, this second maximum can turn out to be particularly strong, as in 1784 and 1845. An additional factor is that the subsoil is either frozen or saturated with water and therefore not absorbent.
As a result of increased ingress of warm air in winter, which already melts the snow cover in the middle of winter, then often only a single, but wide, maximum discharge is formed. The water levels can rise considerably in a few days due to the so-called ice level without precipitation having fallen during this period. These floods are mainly caused by westerly weather conditions, the most common large-scale weather situation in Germany. For more detailed information about the ice conditions of the Main in Würzburg, see Würzburg gauge .
Extreme floods such as 1342 occur less often in summer. These floods are triggered after days of rain on already saturated soils.
Sources
On the basis of the records of historians from earlier centuries, which describe the flood flow, the ice conditions and the damage caused, and the high water markings attached to buildings on the Main, some of the highest water levels of the last 700 years or so have been reconstructed. Particularly noteworthy are the elaborations by Franz Seberich (1958) and Heinz Schiller (1989), who determined the floods of the last 700 years on the basis of the traditional water levels.
The listed Maintor in Eibelstadt , which is about ten kilometers above Würzburg, also provides a good reference point for the flood events in Würzburg. At this gate, spread over the centuries back to the year 1546, 27 historical flood levels are carved.
Are in Würzburg flood markings until the 17th century back, so on the inside of dating from 1584, also Schwanentor called mirror door and the portal to the red building of the town hall. There were also markings on the Götz bakery on Karmelitenstraße, which was demolished today. With these markings, which are not always absolutely precise, the individual water levels can be calculated. Various circumstances, such as congestion, current and wave run, influenced the measurements. Different values can therefore exist for the same flood.
The markings on the portal of the town hall from the years 1682, 1784 and 1845 are of great importance. At the same point, the environmental agency added the water level of 1342 in 2004, which could be determined quite precisely from the location of the spring. The flood level of 1845 is known from the level measurement, so that the water levels of the other floods could be calculated.
The Würzburg Carl Gottfried Scharold , born in 1769 in Schlüsselfeld , Elector Palatine , reported in 1805 in the Würzburg city chronicle about several floods of the last 400 years, namely the events of 1306, 1342, 1442, 1451, 1546, 1633 and 1682.
He also gave several floods from the 18th century, all of which had been measured over the pavement of the Bronnbacher Hof . Based on the known water level of 1784, the other highs could be determined. Information is available for the floods of 1682, 1740, 1744, 1764, 1782, 1784 and 1805.
The Würzburg Magister Lorenz Fries reported in a Würzburg Chronicle published around 1546 about several floods in Würzburg.
High water levels
| date | Value at the level | Return time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| in cm | in m³ / s | ||
| 1306 | - | - | - |
| July 21, 1342 | 1000 | 3350 | > 1000 annually |
| 1413 | - | - | - |
| July 21, 1442 | 900 | 2500 | 300 to 500 annually |
| March 12, 1445 | - | - | - |
| February 24, 1451 | 840 | 2200 | 100 to 200 years |
| June 12, 1481 | - | - | - |
| January 17, 1497 | - | - | - |
| 1523 | - | - | - |
| January 24, 1546 | 860 | 2300 | 200 annually |
| May 14, 1551 | - | - | - |
| May 16, 1573 | 760 | 1650 | 20 to 50 years |
| March 1595 | 840 | 2200 | 100 to 200 years |
| 1618 | - | - | - |
| January 25, 1633 | 790 | 1900 | 50 to 100 years |
| January 27, 1682 | 863 | 2250 | 100 to 200 years |
| February 17, 1709 | 644 | 1400 | 20 years |
| December 21, 1740 | 683 | 1250 | 10 to 20 years |
| March 5, 1744 | 720 | 1400 | 20 years |
| January 1, 1764 | 805 | 1750 | 50 to 100 years |
| January 26, 1781 | 673 | 1150 | 10 years |
| February 29, 1784 | 928 | 2600 | 300 to 500 annually |
| January 21, 1820 | 720 | 1350 | 10 to 20 years |
| 1827 | 650 | 1150 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 4, 1830 | 675 | 1200 | 10 to 20 years |
| March 6, 1831 | 705 | 1295 | 10 to 20 years |
| 1834 | 635 | 1050 | 5 to 10 years |
| 1839 | 675 | 1200 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 20, 1841 | 709 | 1318 | 10–20 years |
| February 28, 1844 | 652 | 1100 | 5 to 10 years |
| March 30, 1845 | 834 | 2170 | 100 to 200 years |
| June 2, 1845 | 686 | 1200 | 10 to 20 years |
| February 10, 1848 | 688 | 1220 | 10 to 20 years |
| February 5, 1850 | 710 | 1320 | 10 to 20 years |
| February 2, 1862 | 732 | 1454 | 20 to 50 years |
| February 19, 1876 | 750 | 1580 | 20 to 50 years |
| January 4, 1880 | 652 | 1100 | 5 to 10 years |
| December 17, 1880 | 638 | 1040 | 5 to 10 years |
| March 9, 1881 | 631 | 1020 | 5 to 10 years |
| November 28, 1882 | 728 | 1460 | 20 to 50 years |
| December 29, 1882 | 749 | 1670 | 20 to 50 years |
| February 7, 1909 | 760 | 1800 | 50 to 100 years |
| January 16, 1920 | 721 | 1540 | 20 to 50 years |
| March 22, 1942 | 640 | 1050 | 5 to 10 years |
| December 31, 1947 | 702 | 1540 | 20 to 50 years |
| February 25, 1970 | 669 | 1390 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 7, 1982 | 637 | 1230 | 10 to 20 years |
| March 29, 1988 | 640 | 1235 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 29, 1995 | 615 | 1250 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 6, 2003 | 648 | 1350 | 10 to 20 years |
| January 17, 2011 | 642 | 1368 | 10 to 20 years |
The flow conditions and the resulting water levels changed over time. Human intervention changed the bed volume (width and depth) of the Main . Due to the constant expansion of the Main, the discharge increases with the same water level. With the same high water peak as in previous years, more water can now drain away. In order to be able to better compare the floods with one another, the amount of water flowing off is measured today in addition to the height of the water level.
The flood of August 21, 1820 reached a water level of 720 centimeters with a discharge of 1350 m³ / s . About 180 years later and after many structural changes in and on the river, the flood of January 6, 2003, with the same discharge of 1350 m³ / s, reached a level of 648 centimeters. The flood of January 17, 2011 reached a level of 642 centimeters with a slightly higher discharge of 1368 m³ / s. Accordingly, the number of high water levels has decreased.
Due to the structural changes in the Würzburg area, the historical annual figures are based only on the runoff, as the water levels at that time were significantly higher than today and would lead to incorrect annual figures. All information from 1823 on comes from the Würzburg gauge ; before that, they result from flood markings and historical reports.
For detailed information on the changes in the discharge conditions and the annualities, see the Würzburg gauge .
Flow rates of 2000 m³ / s and more are characterized as centenary discharge events. This happened in the years 1342, 1442, 1451, 1546, 1595, 1682, 1784 and 1845. In the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century the discharge rates were below 2000 m³ / s.
Flood events
1306
There are no reports of the height of the water level from this flood, but it must have reached a great height. A request for indulgence from 1322 shows that the Old Main Bridge was severely damaged during this flood. The repairs to the bridge dragged on over a longer period of time and were not yet finished until the flood in 1342.
Scharold gives a report on the flood :
"In 1306 the Main grew so suddenly that the towns and villages on its banks suffered immense damage to their buildings as well as to their fruits and cattle, and many people lost their lives as a result."
July 1342
The flood of 1342 is the outstanding flood event in Central Europe. It is described in detail in almost every treatise on floods. This event left major damage patterns in all Central European river basins. On many agriculturally used areas and in the forest, ravines up to 14 meters deep were torn into the landscape and erosion channels were created, some of which still define the landscape today. This was recognized in soil and morphological studies. The destruction of the entire crops subsequently caused a famine.
This flood, also known as the Magdalen flood, because it occurred on St. Magdalenentag , was the largest in Würzburg and on the Main to date. The flood wave hit Würzburg in the early morning of July 21, 1342. This flood can no longer be recorded statistically; it is classified as occurring less than a 1,000 year flood.
The sources report high damage and several hundred deaths in the catchment area of the Rhine. In Würzburg, the flood destroyed the Old Main Bridge and many houses.
The flood of 1342 has not yet been adequately researched. Topographical changes in rivers that were previously dated to distant geological times are now increasingly attributed to this flood.
course
It was a summer flood. Most of the major floods on the Main occur in the particularly endangered period from November 1st to April 30th. This flood was caused by a so-called Vb weather situation , similar to the 1997 Oder flood . A depth of water is charged with water, which is located above the warm Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Genoa and above the Adriatic Sea . It bypasses the Alps in the east in order to get to the north without raining down in the Alps and leads to extreme precipitation that sometimes lasts for several days.
After a snowy, cold winter, the snowmelt in February had already triggered a first, rather insignificant flood. A damp early summer ensured a long-lasting high water level on the Main. The summer itself was unusually wet too. The soil was still saturated from the damp spring. In summer, within just two days, around half of the usual precipitation of a year fell in large areas, which triggered a flood disaster in Central Europe, the amount and extent of the damage never occurred later.
Water level
There is no marking in or near Würzburg about this event. In the historical records it is reported that the water reached up to the first stone column on the Domgreden. Based on this information, the limit value of the water level was carefully estimated at 950 to 1030 centimeters. This corresponds to a discharge of 3050 to 3600 m³ / s. The Domgreden was a hall-like porch of the cathedral facing Domstrasse, which consisted of a hall closed with three round arches and an upper floor. The cathedral guard used the upper floor as an apartment, the hall served as a market. This porch was built around 1200 and was demolished in 1644.
The following inscription about the event of 1342 was on the wall of the porch:
- “Anno milleno tercento quandrante secundo
- Accedit Herbipoli, quod Magnus ilico cum vi
- Pontem confregit multos hominisque coegit
- Casis exire, si non voluere perire.
- Practice in festo talis fluvii menor esto
- Navibus hi portus quando fuere gradus "
This Latin verse gives the Praxedistag , Sunday 21 July, today's St. Magdalenentag, as a day of high water. The verse also shows that the water reached close to the foot of the current cathedral stairs.
The foot of today's cathedral stairs is 175.3 meters above sea level . How big the hall itself was is not known. With three arched positions, the Greden would hardly have been longer than 25 meters. In the area of the first pillar at that time, today's road surface is around 174.8 meters above sea level. Presumably, the terrain in this area was half a meter lower at the time, with a water level of 174.3 meters above sea level, which corresponds to today's level of 1000 centimeters. There should not have been any further damming caused by the destroyed bridge, as the cathedral is located in the extended axis of the bridge.
Historical reports
A commemorative plaque was attached to the flood at the court of the Great Lion in Dominikanergasse. This plaque is now in the Mainfränkisches Museum - the translation of the text is:
“In the year of the Lord 1342, on the twelfth day before the calendar of August, that was the Sunday before Jacobi, the Main swelled so much as never before that it washed around the first stone statues above the steps of the Würzburg Cathedral and beyond. The bridge with its towers, the walls and many stone houses in Würzburg collapsed. This year there was a similar flood across Germany and other areas. And this house was built by Master Michael von Würzburg. "
In the collected texts by Weikinn there is a description of the flood:
“On Maria Magdalena and the following day (July 21/22) there was an extraordinary downpour, which swelled the Main stream so much that it stepped far out of bed everywhere, destroyed fields and vineyards and tore away many houses and their residents. The bridge in Würzburg as well as bridges in other Main cities were smashed by the fury of the waters. In the city of Würzburg the current came up to the first stone pillar at the cathedral monument. "
There is a report on this flood in Würzburg in the Chronica de episcopus Maguntinus :
“(In June / July) and for several weeks afterwards, there was a great flood, not only as a result of the exceptionally heavy downpours, but (the water) broke out from hidden places in the mountains, valleys and all over the country in torrents, spreading excessively strong, so that in various provinces, and especially in the Rhine and Maing areas and elsewhere, everything in terms of field and tree crops, hay, buildings, cattle and unfortunately numerous people was destroyed in a diverse and miserable way. "
A detailed report comes from Michael de Leone from Würzburg , who was an eyewitness to the event:
“In the year 1342 [...] the Main river rose so much over its banks in Würzburg that the stone and magnificent bridge to Würzburg with the towers and their walls as well as the city walls and also many stone houses there and all around suddenly collapsed. The flooding of the Main was such that the water flowed unusually strongly over the steps of the colonnade of the church in Würzburg near the stone statues. The wooden and stone bridges above and below the Main also collapsed. There was also enormous damage to the town and farm estates on the Main everywhere, deplorably. In fact, in other parts of the world there have been unheard-of floods in the water. In a sense, all underground water sources were also broken and the locks of heaven were open. Rain fell on the earth like in the 600th year of Noah's life, as one can read about the Flood in the 7th chapter of Genesis in the middle. "
A report about the flood and the destruction of the Old Main Bridge can be found at Fries :
“How the Main grew and drained and damaged the bridge:
In the Jare des Heren 1342 it rained heavily and long on Sant Laurentzen day and evening, and the next day the Main is from morning to noon has grown and become so big that the bridges to Wirtzburg and other places even tore apart, and vil Heusere thrown down. "
Scharold describes the event as follows:
“In the year 1342, on July 22nd, early in the morning of the Magdalene, the Main river swelled so high that the local stone bridge with its towers and many stone houses colliding with it collapsed into the flood of water all around, the water immediately escaping to the buttress arch of the current court court building (an der Graden). At that time all stone and wooden Main bridges above and below Würzburg are said to have suffered the same fate as the hazy one. "
July 1442
Exactly 100 years to the day after the destructive flood of the millennium, another strong flood occurred in Würzburg on July 21, 1442. During this flood, the Old Main Bridge was badly damaged. Due to a lack of information about how far the water has penetrated the city, there are no height data for this flood. Based on the reported damage, a discharge of around 2500 m³ / s can be assumed, which corresponds to a water level of around nine meters. At the Old Main Bridge , which was destroyed as a stone bridge in 1342, almost all the bridge bays were later built from wood, which could be more easily washed away during floods.
The existence of this flood is partly in doubt, as it occurred around the same date as the 1342 flood. In the history of the Old Main Bridge , however, partial destruction from 1442 is recorded. After the flood, it took until 1474 for the Old Main Bridge to be restored.
Fries describes this event:
“How the Main grew up and did damage.
In this 1442nd year the Main began to grow in the early evening of Sant Marie Magdalene and grew around noon, as it built the stone bridges to Wirtzburg over the Main, also several gates on the city wall and a lot of pieces on the Moors, the same a number of heuser tears and knocked over and caused great damage everywhere in Velde. "
Scharold gives a similar description of the event :
“Just a century later, namely in 1442, the Main began to grow on St. Maria Magdalenen Evening, and by midnight it grew so large that it covered the stone Main Bridge, also some towers on the city walls, and a fairly large piece of them himself, also tearing down some houses, and doing great damage everywhere else in the field. "
January 1546
A great flood occurred on January 24, 1546. Reports say that the water reached as far as the Schoderhaus on the market square, which corresponds to a height of about 860 centimeters. This indicates a discharge of around 2200 to 2300 m³ / s and would correspond to an annual rate of around 200. Seberich gives this flood only with a height of 690 centimeters with a discharge of about 1200 m³ / s. An existing high water mark at the Maintor in Eibelstadt, which lies between the markings from 1909 and 1948, indicates a water level of around 700 to 750 centimeters in Würzburg.
Scharold describes this flood:
"In the year 1546, on the afternoon of January 24th, the Main spread out so high that it reached the town hall early the next day and caused a lot of damage."
1573
In 1573 there seems to have been two floods. There are few reports of these floods. Seberich gives, only with the year, a water height of 760 centimeters, with a discharge of about 1650 m³ / s. This corresponds roughly to a 50-year flood. During a flood in early 1573, the Old Main Bridge was severely damaged.
There is a report about this flood by Mayor Heinrich Wilhelm from January 15, 1573, who described this event:
"According to the bridges of 1573. Jars sustained by the ice and certain damage and required the emergency turf because one could not ride or drive over it without risk to build it again, be left with the pasture as it was, or else that they want to build them as far as the stone arches. "
In Eibelstadt am Maintor there is a mark dated May 16, 1573. For Würzburg this means a water level of around 750 centimeters and could refer to the event mentioned by Seberich .
March 1595
In the first three months of 1595, several floods occurred on the Main. They were preceded by a very cold and harsh winter. At first it was dry, severe cold, which caused the whole Main to freeze over, so that the mills also stood still. A lot of snow fell after that. A sudden ingress of warm air caused an ice break in January, which developed into major floods in February and March. For Würzburg no exact dates of the individual flood waves are known. In March the water reached a high of 840 centimeters with a discharge of 2000 to 2200 m³ / s. This corresponds to a 100 to 200 year flood.
Detailed information about this event is available from Nuremberg , which is traversed by the Pegnitz , a tributary of the Main. On January 24, 1595, the warm air hit Nuremberg one day and two days later the Pegnitz swelled for the first time. The ice loss and the ice jam caused considerable damage. On March 5th, 8th and 10th three floods occurred. Although these were closely related in time, they had different triggers. The first was triggered by the snowmelt in the lowlands and a renewed ice drift. The onset of continuous rain led to the snowmelt in the mountains and the floods on March 8th and 10th. The flood waves combined with the waves from the Upper Main in Bamberg .
January 1633
According to reports, the flood on January 25, 1633 reached up to Schustergasse, which is 172.5 m above sea level, which corresponds to a water level of 800 centimeters and a discharge of around 1900 m³ / s. This corresponds to a 50 to 100 year flood.
Scharold describes this flood:
"In 1633 the Main grew so high and so quickly that it went up to Schustergasse."
January 1682
The flood was triggered by intense rainfall within two weeks in January and caused ice to fall on the Main. The flood began to rise in Würzburg on January 25th during the night and peaked on January 27th. After 1784, it was the second highest flood in Würzburg that has been recorded by markings. On the Main it led to the highest markings ever and is only exceeded by the flood of 1784. Below Wertheim, where the Tauber flows into the Main and the Lower Main begins, the markings are still partially above those from 1784.
The high water mark on the town hall portal shows a height of 173.18 meters above sea level and thus 29 centimeters more than 1845. Compared to the flood of 1845 registered by level, the flood had a level of 863 centimeters, with a discharge of 2250 m³ / s. It was a 100 to 200 year flood.
Scharold gives a description of the flood :
“In the year 1682, January 25th, the water was so great and raging that many villages and towns were flooded, and many people and cattle were drowned; wobey the Main stood on the same level as the bridge and walked over the fountain of the fish market. "
September 1732
At the end of September a flood occurred at a very unusual time of the year. According to the reports there was very heavy rainfall on September 29th and 30th, 1732. This caused a very rapidly rising flood. There is no information about the water level for Würzburg about this flood, not even in the immediate vicinity. In Wertheim downstream, this event is one of the worst floods in the history of the city. The high water markings there are far above those of 1845 and just below those of 1784 and 1682.
Weikinn's collected texts contain a description of the flood:
"Extraordinary water floods, as a result of a heavy rain, have affected the provinces of Germany in the middle, [...] mainly in the Franconian district, in parts of which are so good towards morning in Upper Palatinate than even more towards evening in Würzburg and Wertheim, done unspeakable harm. The city of Nuremberg also suffered a lot, but not as much as the city of Schwabach. "
February 1784
At the end of February 1784 there was an extreme flood on the Main, as on many other rivers in Central Europe. This flood, the second highest after 1342, is classified as a 300 to 500-year event in the central Maine area. The high water mark on the town hall portal shows a height of 173.83 meters above sea level and thus 94 centimeters more than 1845. Compared to the flood of 1845 registered at the level, the flood of 1784 had a level of 928 centimeters, with a discharge of 2600 m³ / s.
Damage
An ingress of warm air after a long period of frost caused flooding through rain, snowmelt and ice breakage in the entire Central European region. Ice drifted simultaneously on all major main and tributaries. To make matters worse, the occasional dew phases caused several ice sheets to slide over one another, which were then frozen again. This flood event is regarded as one of the greatest environmental disasters of the early modern period in Central Europe. The flood devastated entire valley ranges and countless bridges were destroyed.
The water rose so high in Würzburg that the new barracks had to be cleared. The soldiers were quartered in bourgeois houses against the will of the city of Würzburg. The damage to people's property was considerable. The government issued an instruction to all offices and monasteries located on the Main that all objects and equipment found that were not reported to the authorities should be classified as theft.
The water caused particular problems in churches and monasteries. The church of Sankt Burkhard on the left side of the Main was badly damaged. All grave slabs were torn open, the pews shifted into one another and a lot of rubbish was washed into the church. After the flood, the clerical government of the bishopric closed all churches where water had entered. These included the Burkharder Church , the Church of the Carmelites (Reuerkirche) , the Pleicher Church and the Barbarakloster . The service of the Burkhard Church was held until May 16, 1784 in the Church of the Teutonic Order (today Teutonic Order Church ). It was reported about the Carmelite Church that the water had washed the bodies from the graves. The secular government saw this as a threat to the health of the population. Professors from the medical faculty of the University of Würzburg examined the affected churches after the water had run off and advised all residents to carefully light fir wood fires in safe places and to smoke out the houses with juniper bushes. The government then recommended starting the fire only in ordinary hearths and advised against the use of gunpowder. At the beginning of April, the Pleicher Church and the Carmelite Church were reopened. But even after that, the humidity in the churches caused problems, which is why worshipers allegedly passed out.
Damage also occurred in the basement of the Sankt Burkardische Rückermainamt, which had overflowed with water. Wine presses were overturned in the cellar and two loads of wine in a barrel perished. Four barrels had to be tied with iron because the long water had caused the wooden tires to come off.
The bridge arches and piers of the Old Main Bridge , the lower Main Mill , the weir and the crane quay wall were also damaged in Würzburg . The court chamber demanded a discount of 5000 guilders from the timber merchants for this damage. These were responsible because the so-called Dutch tribes swam uncontrolled on the Main and caused a lot of damage.
In the city, various buildings, the pavement and streets and paths were ruined by the water and became unusable. The Augustinian Hill was also destroyed. The supply of bread to the population caused problems at times, as many ovens in the city were under water and the Main and Canal Mills were severely damaged. Repairing the damage cost the city a lot of money and sometimes dragged on for years. Even in 1788, the city still refused to remove stones from under the weir at their expense.
The flood also had a geomorphodynamic effect on the Main. In individual regions, such as Gambach, erosion and slope slides caused by undercutting. Similar descriptions have also come down to us from the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Weser and Oder regions.
In the end, the city got off lightly; there are no reports of fatalities, but property damage amounted to several thousand guilders. With the participation of the bishop, a celebration of thanks was held on March 18, 1784 in the Marienkapelle . In other regions, such as Bamberg, 36 people were killed when a bridge collapsed. In Cologne on the Rhine over 1000 people died, 600 ships and hundreds of houses were destroyed.
course
The winter of 1783/84 was extremely snowy and very cold throughout Europe . The frost period lasted a total of 13 weeks in the Würzburg area. The cold started in December 1783 and almost all waters in Central Europe froze over. The Great Belt was frozen so bad that you could drive from Denmark to Sweden by sledge and wagon. Around the 26./27. Temperatures improved briefly in December, but fell sharply again by the end of the year. This extreme cold lasted until mid-January 1784. From mid-January to 21/22 February this cold phase was repeatedly interrupted by short phases with slightly milder temperatures. Snow fell frequently during this period.
The winter was very snowy from December to February. From December 24, 1783 to February 21, 29 snowfall events were observed in Mannheim, for example, some of which lasted for days. In some regions the snow grew to a height of more than 1.5 meters, with about 45 centimeters of snow falling in the Rhine-Neckar area on December 27 and 28, 1783.
February brought a lot of snow and ice. In Würzburg the snow piled up so high that the bishop Franz Ludwig von Erthal gave 100 ducats from his property to have the ice and snow removed from the city. The bishop also instructed the court chamber to provide the court horses to be carried away. This was preceded by an admonition from the government to the population not to pour any rubbish from houses into the snow, as the garbage made a dangerous mixture with snow and ice.
Around February 23, a sudden inrush of warm air melted the enormous masses of snow that had accumulated in winter. This warm air was triggered by a blocking high over Eastern Europe, which resulted in a meridional-oriented circulation in Central Europe. The change in the general weather situation in Main Franconia as well as in large parts of Europe brought warm air masses from western and southern directions. The winter was previously characterized by the large-scale weather type High Central Europe and East for an above-average length of time , with very cold air masses being brought in from the north and east. The ingress of warm air was characterized by high levels of precipitation as a result of large-scale sliding movements.
Due to the rapid and strong warming, which was accompanied by heavy rainfall, the ice on the Main in Würzburg broke and built up on February 27 and 28, 1784. Caused by the enormous meltwater masses, the ice jam and the heavy precipitation, the Main began to rise very quickly. The highest water level was reached on February 29th. The flood wave lasted until March 1, 1784. In Würzburg, the most endangered places were illuminated during the flood and quarter masters, and the citizens kept watch at night by the water. The bishop personally inspected the bridge. The ice began to break on February 27 at around noon and built up above the Old Main Bridge . The ice floes, Dutch trees and the wood caused considerable damage to the bridge. The water rose until four o'clock on February 29 and reached the Kürschnerhofbogen by the government building.
After this ingress of warm air, due to the renewed change in the general weather situation, the cold again set in for a short time, the precipitation subsided and the Main level sank again quickly. The blocking high had dissolved and the previous weather patterns were able to re-establish themselves. Cold air flowed again from the north and east into Central Europe.
donate
The bishop called for donations after the flood. For Christian motives, he asked the population for help, and he wanted to contribute himself, but he could not finance everything on his own. He had 400 copies of his appeal distributed to the city, entitled:
“To the Würzburger Hochstift audience: distressed residents of the royal seat and the prince. Hochstifts Würzburg which fell into disaster on the 27th and 28th Hornung in 1784 due to the floods. "
The pastors were asked to collect donations and make a list of all donors. A numbered note was issued to them, on which the amount of the donation and the name of the donor were noted. At the end of the fundraising campaign, the donations should be published in the weekly newspaper. The city of Würzburg contributed 400 guilders, with 100 guilders each coming from the water customs office, the grain foundation, the citizen hospital and the Brückner foundation. According to its own statements, the city could not raise more. Some of the staff of the court chamber donated 200 guilders, 100 guilders came from the knight's monastery of Sankt Burkhard.
classification
From a hydrographic point of view on the Main, this flood is assigned to the normal type, as it occurs regularly, especially in winter as a result of long-lasting precipitation combined with the snowmelt. The annuality for Würzburg is given as 412 years. In the central Main Valley, from the confluence of the Regnitz near Bamberg to the confluence of the Franconian Saale near Gemünden, a return period of around 400 years is estimated. In this area, the high water markings from 1784 are the highest. In the area between the Franconian Saale and the Tauber a return period of 250 years is already given. For the lower reaches from the confluence of the Taub to the confluence with the Rhine, the annuality is 150 years. In this area the markings of the flood of 1682 are still above those of the year 1784. For the entire Maing area, from the Regnitz estuary to the estuary in the Main, an average value of 200 years, after which a comparable tidal wave can occur, is given .
Historical reports
In the minutes of the Würzburg Council, the event is described as follows:
“On the 27th of February 1784 this year's ice began to break and, despite the many precautions and ice-ups that had been taken, to brace yourself in something above the bridge until about 12 o'clock at which time of the day you were. Hochfürstl. Even on the bridge graciously decreed and the ice would just go away, then the water would run and was mixed with the large ice floes with many Dutch trees and other trees, which then already caused many damage, until Sunday the 28th of May, more and more swelled up, so that the water visibly penetrated the thorax at the greatest speed and the people who were on the bridge for half an hour could no longer get off below the four tubes with free feet; this growth continued until the morning of the 29th at 4 o'clock, when the Main at the Kierschner Hofbogen at the Hochfürstl. Government, and did not devastate both the Mayn and the innumerable Dutch trees and enormous ice floes the new Casserne, so-called Augustiner schantz, stately mills and several private buildings from the ground up: then also the inhabitants, especially the Büttners, Kärner, Augustiner and Carmelites -gassen together with the Gantzer Pleichacher and Sander districts were put in extreme danger to life by the fearful overturning of their houses, and since this terrible hardship and danger lasted so long, they were ultimately also, because of the greatest need, they were not rushed to help them with food account, put in need of food. "
A very detailed description can be found in the chronicle of Kitzingen upstream of the Main:
“Winter came early, and the cold was extremely severe up to January 1st, 1784, and also in half of February, as it had not been from January 14th to January 22nd, it continued to snow incessantly, in some places the snow was 6 Shoes deep (more than 1.5 m), the Mayn could be run over with a loaded car. The mild weather set with the month of February was not able to melt all the hard snow and ice with which the whole country was covered: It was not until the 27th of the month, when the water had increased everywhere due to the melted snow, that the egg caught in quantities raise. Everywhere one had prepared oneself for a dangerous ice break and planned for extraordinarily high water in Mayngrunde, but that on February 29th as a leap year exceeded all expectations. "
In neighboring Wiesenbronn, the Hüßner family's chronicle also reports on this flood:
"Anno 1784: In this year we even had a cruel and calder wind that we thought everything had to freeze to death, that the very first man could not remember that the new year began with a large and grim Kelde and with many bruises Snow thrown on top of each other was on February 20th, the big and thick snow went so fast with lots of heavy rain and wind that suddenly we eat such a terrible and pitiful body of water in the seabed and in the other great rivers that we can eat with wholeheartedly and with heartfelt sadness he had to hear with what terrible damage had been done, many good Christians rich and poor have been put in the greatest loss, furthermore that after these indicated waters it became cold again, snow was thrown on each other again, is therefore soon remained the entrance of the Merzen [...] "
March 1845
The flood of March 1845 is the highest in the last 200 years and since the beginning of the water level measurements on the Main. It was again caused by the loss of ice. The winter was very severe and lasted from December 1844 to the end of March 1845. The entire length of the Main was frozen over, and carts could even cross the river on the Rhine. The flood was triggered by a change in the weather that brought about milder air and set the ice in the rivers in motion. This process began on the Rhine in late February and early March. The ice slowly began to move there and formed ice barriers at narrow river spots.
On March 23rd, a Sunday, the Main was frozen so tight that a bowling alley and fish bakeries could be set up on the ice in Aschaffenburg. The thaw then began on March 27th with heavy rains. The ice broke open and the Main quickly overflowed the bank. In Würzburg the highest water level was reached on March 30th. This was 834 centimeters at the water level with a discharge of 2170 m³ / s. The 100 to 200 year floods lasted until the beginning of April, when the ice had melted and the situation returned to normal. A simultaneous Elbe flood proceeded very similarly .
December 1882
The flood of 1882 was characterized more by its extreme length as well as its height. It reached two highs in late November and late December. 1882 was a particularly wet year. From October to December there was almost twice as much precipitation as in other years. At the end of November an existing snow cover melted away during heavy rains and caused a flood that reached its first high point in Würzburg on November 28th. Again heavy rainfall caused a new flood wave at the end of the year, which reached its peak in Würzburg on December 29th. The flood lasted until the beginning of 1883.
The water level on November 28th was 728 centimeters with a discharge of 1460 m³ / s. The second flood was on December 29th with a water level of 749 centimeters and a discharge of 1670 m³ / s. The annuality of both floods is given as 20 to 50 years.
February 1909
In February 1909 the biggest flood since 1845 occurred. In Würzburg it lasted from February 6th to 8th and stood up the Domstrasse to above the four-tube fountain . Heavy snowfall preceded the last days of January. At the beginning of February the snowfall turned into rain and a thaw that lasted five days. The river Main burst its banks through the meltwater. The highest water level was reached on February 7, 1909 with a water level of 760 centimeters, with a discharge of 1800 m³ / s. This corresponds to a 50 to 100 year flood.
January 1920
The winter of 1919/1920 brought heavy snowfalls in the low mountain regions since October and November. The thaw at the end of December 1919 caused the Main to overflow its banks for the first time. After the turn of the year the water level fell again very quickly, due to a high pressure situation with dry cold. The onset of a thaw in January 1920, which came with heavy rain and storms, caused the Main to rise again very quickly. On January 16, 1920 the highest water level was reached in Würzburg. This was 721 centimeters at the water level with a discharge of 1540 m³ / s. This corresponds to a 20 to 50 year flood.
February 1970
In 1970 the last major flood occurred in Würzburg, which flooded parts of the old town. The flood was triggered by a thaw in the low mountain ranges from February 20 and heavy rainfall. In southern Germany from February 21 to 23, up to 70 liters per square meter fell on the still frozen ground. In the low mountain range there was widespread more than 50 centimeters of snow, which melted away in the thaw. This caused a flood wave that reached Würzburg on February 25, 1970. The water level had a maximum height of 669 centimeters, with a discharge of 1390 m³ / s. This corresponds to a 10 to 20 year flood. Heavy frost that set in on February 25th caused the water levels to drop again quickly.
January 2003
In January 2003, the highest flood since 1970 occurred in Würzburg, which, however, caused only little damage due to the temporary flood protection that was completed in the mid-1980s. The flood, which was triggered by heavy rainfall on saturated soils, reached Würzburg on January 6, 2003 and had a water level of 648 centimeters, with a discharge of 1350 m³ / s. It was a 10 to 20 year flood.
course
December 2002 was marked by many rainy days in Northern Bavaria due to a pronounced separation of air masses. In northern Bavaria, many weather stations remained free of precipitation on just four days. As a result, the soils were already saturated with water, and the Main with its tributaries had already greatly increased water levels. From December 20th to December 24th and from December 26th to January 4th 2003 there were heavy periods of continuous rain. In most regions of Northern Bavaria more than 100 liters per square meter fell. The heaviest precipitation fell in the catchment area of the Franconian Saale, which flows downriver into the Main, which caused a strong flood with an annual rate of 100 to 200. The tributaries of the Main began to rise from January 2nd. On January 4th, the flood wave of the Upper Main near Bamberg hit the apex of the Regnitz, which flows there. The peak wave, which up to Schweinfurt initially had an annual rate of 20 to 50, then reached Würzburg on January 6, 2003.
January 2011
In January 2011, the second highest flood since 1970 occurred in Würzburg with a water level of 6.42 meters. In terms of discharge, it was even the strongest since 1970. Thanks to the flood protection completed in 2008, there was little damage in the city area. The flood was triggered by heavy rainfall and the resulting snowmelt. In the Main catchment area, it was the coldest December since 1969 and one of the snowiest winter months for around 100 years. The snow cover, which had a height of 30 to 50 centimeters across the whole of the lowlands, melted away within a few days with a break in heat and at times heavy precipitation.
Flood protection
The city of Würzburg has been hit by devastating floods several times over the past centuries. These extended several times to the town hall, but also occasionally up to the cathedral. In the event of a flood of an annual rate of 100 , an area of around 25 hectares will be flooded in the old town area of the Rechtmain between the Friedensbrücke and the Ludwigsbrücke , an area that is very sensitive in terms of urban planning and monument preservation. Around 3000 people live in this area. The areas on the left Main and the areas on the right side of the Main are mostly higher up and are therefore not particularly at risk of flooding.
It is not possible to hold back or level off floods above Würzburg by storage basins. This is due to the size of the catchment area and the associated large runoff in the event of a flood. Due to the existing development of the bank area and the diverse uses of the Main, it is not possible to enlarge the runoff profile, which would have an impact on the water level. The only feasible option to protect the old town area on the right-hand side of the Main Main against floods is to seal it off with functional flood protection.
The first provisional flood protection dates from 1983 and was designed up to a level of around 650 to 670 centimeters. By 2008, the old town was protected against a 100-year flood, which corresponds to a water level of 835. The last such thing occurred in 1845.
history
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For the old town area, which encompasses a bank length of about 1.5 kilometers, two sections of flood protection were built during the reconstruction of the city after the Second World War. These can withstand a flood of around 100 years. The first section, called the city balcony , a retaining wall that can be walked on in places, is located not far from Ludwigsbrücke and is about 300 meters long. The second section is a row of houses on the Unteren Mainkai. The mains side walls of the row of houses were made watertight.
The flood of 1970 caused enormous damage in the city area. As a result of this 20-year event, the city of Würzburg, represented by the Würzburg Water Management Office , applied to the Free State of Bavaria for the construction of flood protection in order to protect the entire right-Main Old Town area between the Friedensbrücke and the Ludwigsbrücke from flooding .
Construction work under the sponsorship of the Free State began in 1971. With the construction of the Hertie department store (now Wöhrl) at the end of the 1970s, a 160-meter vacant lot in the old town was closed. The department store was provided with underground sealing and protective gates as part of the required flood protection measures.
When the Congress Center (CCW) was built in 1986, flood protection was also integrated into the building. The heart of the Würzburg flood protection system is the pumping station, which was completed in 1988 and consists of 14 pumps. It is located below the CCW car park on the former cattle yard and serves as inland drainage during floods. It has a total output of 4,000 liters per second and pumps rainwater from the sewer network into the Main during floods.
Flood protection followed in 1990 in the area of the old crane . At today's Haus des Frankenwein , the former customs building, a cut-off wall made of overlapping bored piles was built during the reconstruction of the wine cellar and the restaurant facing the Main in 1990. The three archways of the adjoining crane garage can be closed with aluminum dam beams in the event of a flood.
The gap at Karmelitenstraße was shortened in 1993 with a 15 meter long flood protection wall. Since 1998, the remaining road opening has been closed with three-meter-long steel supports and 2.5-meter-long aluminum dam beams if required. Overlapping bored piles were sunk down to the rock for foundations and subsurface sealing.
The flood protection section in the area of the old crane was realized from 1997 to 2001 as the last open section and was inaugurated on October 11, 2001. This 200-meter-long flood protection at the Kranenkai was built together with the expansion of tram line 2/4. The planning of this section goes back to an urban planning ideas competition in 1984. This flood protection was created taking into account the monument conservation and urban planning perspective. It is a reliable protection, guarantees an optimized traffic management and makes the transition area from the city to the river visually appealing.
The passage at the crane bastion and the access to the parking lot at the Friedensbrücke can be closed with barrier beams . The flood protection wall, which is mostly parapet-high, can be raised by up to one meter with dam beams and extends as far as the surrounding rock at a depth of five meters. The flood protection also includes a drainage system that directs the rising groundwater to a pumping station, which then pumps the water out of the protected area behind the flood protection into the Main.
In order to guarantee the desired protection against a 100-year flood, the last 280-meter-long gap between Reibeltgasse and the Wöhrl department store had to be closed. The flood protection section began at the end of 2004 and was completed in 2009. The planned construction measures in the next few years also include the renovation of the existing protective wall on the Unteren Mainkai and on the city balcony. The existing cellar windows on the city balcony are also to be equipped with movable locks. The internal drainage above the Old Main Bridge and in Kärnergasse must be expanded further. A drainage line with the corresponding pumping stations is to be laid there and further adaptation measures to be carried out in the sewer network.
Further construction work
As a result of the urban development ideas competition in 1998 and 1999, further construction measures that do not primarily serve to protect against flooding are to be carried out as part of flood protection. In the next few years, traffic management will be optimized and parking spaces will be restructured. A continuous promenade is planned for pedestrians.
[obsolete] The construction work on the bank will mean that 170 parking spaces will be eliminated, but 100 new parking spaces will be created due to a change in parking regulations. The existing driveway is to be narrowed to six meters. Between the street and the banks of the Main there are green strips and a 3.5 meter wide, continuous footpath. A new jetty for cruise ships is also to be created.
business
The city's drainage company, which looks after the inland drainage systems, is responsible for ensuring flood protection and the timely installation of mobile protective devices. In order to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the event of a flood, flood protection is set up on a yearly basis.
The EBW has about 36 hours to set up the approximately 1000 stop logs with a total weight of 35 tons and a weight of 27 kilograms each and the 75 supports, weighing 75 to 350 kilograms. The structure is based on the expected peak level of the flood wave.
costs
From the beginning of the work in 1971 to the end of 2003, around 7.5 million euros had been spent on flood protection. The Free State of Bavaria contributed 4.5 million euros of this. The city and the public utilities, which were only involved in the Kranenkai area, took over the remaining three million euros. For the remaining construction area, higher costs than the 7.5 million euros previously spent are assumed. The costs for the complete flood protection and the other construction measures amount to around 20 million euros, with the Free State of Bavaria assuming 67 percent.
Individual evidence
- ^ Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Süd (Ed.): 175 years of the Würzburg gauge - data and facts. P. 43. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Flood levels over 7 meters since 1831
- ↑ Climate status report from DWD (PDF file)
- ↑ Flood news service - Bavaria, discharge table ( memento of the original from September 8, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Stefan Kummer : Architecture and fine arts from the beginnings of the Renaissance to the end of the Baroque. In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes; Volume 2: From the Peasants' War in 1525 to the transition to the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1814. Theiss, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8062-1477-8 , pp. 576–678 and 942–952, here: p. 616.
- ↑ Bernhard Schemmel : Afterword. To: Carl Gottfried Scharold: Würzburg and the surrounding area, briefly described for strangers and locals. Joseph Stahel and in the Intelligence Comtoir, Würzburg 1805; Reprint, Palm & Enke, Erlangen 1980 (= Bibliotheca Franconia. Volume 6), ISBN 3-7896-0306-6 .
- ^ Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. Pp. 177-181. See also: literature.
- ↑ Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. Pp. 224-232. See also: literature.
- ↑ Information board on the Upper Main Quay in Würzburg: "Historical floods on the Main"
- ↑ Information board on the Upper Main Quay in Würzburg: "Historical floods on the Main"
- ↑ Martin Schmidt: Flood and flood protection in Germany before 1850. P. 275. See also: Literature.
- ↑ a b Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Süd (Ed.): 175 years of the Würzburg gauge - data and facts. P. 52. See also: Literature.
- ^ Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Süd (Ed.): 175 years of the Würzburg gauge - data and facts. S. 53. See also: Literature.
- ^ Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. Pp. 27, 28 and 178. See also: Literature.
- ↑ a b c Carl Gottfried Scharold: Beginning of the 19th century, p. 151. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: excerpts from the chronicle )
- ↑ a b Rüdiger Glaser: Climate History of Central Europe - 1000 Years of Weather, Climate, Disasters. P. 66. See also: Literature.
- ↑ a b c d e f Magdalenenhochwasser ( Memento from April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) at Wuerzburg.de (PDF file; 150 kB)
- ^ A b Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. P. 28. See also: Literature.
- ^ Rüdiger Glaser: Climate History of Central Europe - 1000 Years of Weather, Climate, Disasters. P. 200. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Curt Weikinn: Source texts on the weather history of Europe from the turn of the times to 1850. In: Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. Berlin 1958. p. 225. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Martin Schmidt: Flood and flood protection in Germany before 1850. P. 245. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Curt Weikinn: Source texts on the history of weather in Europe from the turn of the times to 1850. Berlin 1958, p. 210.
- ^ Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. P. 29. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. P. 227. See also: Literature.
- ^ A b Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. S. 179. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Martin Schmidt: Flood and flood protection in Germany before 1850. P. 272. See also: Literature.
- ↑ a b c Carl Gottfried Scharold: Beginning of the 19th century, p. 152. ( Excerpts from the chronicle ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and remove it then this note. )
- ^ Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. P. 107. See also: Literature.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. S. 231. See also: Literature.
- ^ Rüdiger Glaser: Historical floods in the main area - possibilities and perspectives on the basis of the historical climate database Germany (HISKLID). Pp. 121-122. See also: literature.
- ↑ a b Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. P. 228. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Hans Wehnert, Jörg Paczkowski: Flood in Wertheim. Hans Wehnert Verlag, Wertheim am Main 1985.
- ^ Curt Weikinn: Source texts on the history of weather in Europe from the turn of the times to 1850. Berlin 1958.
- ↑ Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. P. 229. See also: Literature.
- ↑ Herbert Schott: The flood of 1784. P. 39.
- ^ Rüdiger Glaser and Horst Hagedorn: The flood disaster of 1784 in the Main valley. Würzburg 1990, p. 11.
- ^ Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. P. 176. See also: Literature.
- ^ Rüdiger Glaser and Horst Hagedorn: The flood disaster of 1784 in the Main valley. Würzburg 1990, p. 4.
- ^ Rüdiger Glaser and Horst Hagedorn: The flood disaster of 1784 in the Main valley. Würzburg 1990, p. 2.
- ↑ a b Flood news service Bavaria - flood in January 2003 ( Memento of the original from April 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Flood Action Plan Main - Flood Protection Würzburg. (PDF) Archived from the original on September 28, 2007 ; Retrieved November 27, 2015 (215 KB).
- ↑ Chronology of flood protection ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c page no longer available , search in web archives: Aschaffenburg water management office - Würzburg flood protection, press reports
- ↑ a b Aschaffenburg Water Management Office - Würzburg flood protection, measures implemented
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Aschaffenburg water management office - Würzburg flood protection, costs of the measure
literature
- Franz Seberich: The old Main Bridge to Würzburg. Mainfränkische Hefte, Heft 31, Buchdruckerei Karl Hart, Volkach vor Würzburg, Würzburg 1958.
- Martin Schmidt: Floods and flood protection in Germany before 1850. Commission publisher Oldenbourg Industrieverlag Munich, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-486-26494-X .
- Heinz Schiller: Determination of flood probabilities on the navigable Main and supra-regional comparison of the results. in information reports of the Bavarian State Office for Water Management, Munich 1989.
- Rüdiger Glaser : Historical floods in the main area - possibilities and perspectives on the basis of the historical climate database Germany (HISKLID). in Geographical Studies in Erfurt, Volume 7, 1998.
- Bavarian State Office for Water Management (Ed.): Spectrum Water 1 - Flood - Natural Event and Danger. University printing and publishing house Dr. C. Wolf & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-930253-93-3 .
- Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Süd (Ed.): 175 years of the Würzburg gauge - data and facts. Böhler Verlag, Würzburg 1999.
- Rüdiger Glaser: Climate history of Central Europe - 1000 years of weather, climate, disasters. Primus Verlag, Darmstadt 2001, ISBN 3-89678-405-6 .
- Carl Gottfried Scharold: City history of Würzburg. Würzburg 1818, contributions to the Würzburg Chronicle, pp. 151–153.
Web links
- Würzburg water level graph from HochwasserNachrichtenDienst www.hnd.bayern.de
- Flood at the Würzburg gauge at Wuerzburg.de
- Flood action plan Main
- Würzburg flood protection at the Aschaffenburg water management office
- Würzburg drainage plant (EBW)
- Old photos from the 1970 flood
- Main floods in Neustadt, Rothenfels, Hafenlohr and Marktheidenfeld
- Lots of pictures and further information about floods in Würzburg (private homepage)
