Westerhüsen ferry
The Westerhüsen ferry is a yaw ferry across the Elbe in Magdeburg .
location
The ferry operated by Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB) connects the districts of Westerhüsen (left of the Elbe) and Randau-Calenberge (right of the Elbe). While the center of Westerhüsen lies directly on the river, there are extensive meadows on the Randau side. The fixed ferry station is therefore in Westerhüsen. The usual tickets for buses and trams in Magdeburg are valid for the ferry.
function
The yaw ferry design means that the ferry can do without a motor. It is firmly anchored in the ground with a rope a little upstream. Depending on the position of the ship, the current drives the ferry to the right or left bank.
The ferry is also suitable for the transport of motor vehicles. Since there are only unpaved dirt roads on the Randau side, there is no significant motor vehicle traffic on the ferry. The ferry is mainly used by cyclists and hikers. The Elbe Cycle Path runs past the ferry as a long-distance cycle path.
Technical data of the ferry
The ferry boat currently in use (as of 2010) has a length of 27.42 m and a width of 7.73 m. The tonnage is 8 t. The ferry is approved for 45 people or 4 cars or 5 horses.
history
As early as the 16th century, the existence of a ferry in Westerhüsen is mentioned in traditional reports, which was connected with the handling of salt from the Pfänner from Staßfurt and Sohlen . This is likely to be related to the transshipment point originally located a little further south of today's ferry station on the Wahlwiese near Pötritz .
While the Westerhüsen ferry handled the private and agricultural traffic of the population, the mobile monastery ferry from the Salbke monastery further north mainly served the needs of the monastery. The competition that still existed was often the cause of disputes between the locations over lease fees and usage contracts. Both ferries were rarely used for long-distance traders. These crossed the Elbe and its tributaries further downstream in Magdeburg via the Klusdamm . The Westerhüsen ferry was particularly important for local agriculture. The Westerhüsen farmers also used the Elbe meadows, which at that time also belonged to the Westerhüsen district, as pastures. So animals, hay, shepherds, but also wood had to be put across the Elbe on a regular basis.
For the time around 1600, the wood forester Moritz Sangerhausen has been handed down as the ferry master . His successor as forester Peter Voigt also wanted to buy the ferry from him, but Sangerhausen probably grudged him. Sangerhausen is said to have pulled the ferry onto land instead, where it dried up and rotted away. Voigt then bought a ferry himself, with which he started ferry operations. This boat was called the ark . It was wide at the stern and tapered to a point at the bow, so that carts had to move down again to the rear. In 1631, however, Voigt is said to have moved to Magdeburg and died in the destruction of the city in 1631 . According to other information, however, a Peter Voigt did not take over Sangerhausen's forester position until 1632.
It is documented that during the Thirty Years' War the general Tilly put his troops across the Elbe by ferry in Westerhüsen on May 6, 1631. The ferry was used as part of the construction of a ship bridge consisting of the ferry and fishing boats, which connected both banks of the Elbe. The bridge served as a link for the armies lying on both sides of the Elbe. During the siege of the city of Magdeburg, Tilly temporarily had his headquarters in Westerhüsen. The siege ended with the destruction of the city, known as the Magdeburg Wedding .
The whereabouts of the ferry are unclear. Presumably it was confiscated by Magdeburg and used in the construction of a ship bridge, which temporarily replaced the destroyed river bridge in the old town.
For a long time, Westerhüsen, which was at times completely depopulated, then had no ferry. First the Salbker monastery ferry went into operation again. Due to the mobility of the ferry, however, it turned out to be too unreliable in the long run. In 1690 a community ferry was purchased. The provost of the Monastery of Our Dear Women , Dr. Müller then complained to the Domvogtei . He stated that the ferry Westerhüsen would endanger the existence of the monastery ferry belonging to the monastery. In the ensuing legal dispute, 79-year-old David Koch from Westerhüsen testified that there had been two ferries before the Thirty Years War, without any of their existence being threatened. The provost's protest was then rejected.
The ferry was then a so-called Schrick ferry . It consisted of a boat, which was pounded by two or three ferrymen across the Elbe . A sail was used for support when the wind was favorable . As far as repairs to the Magdeburg bridges were necessary, the Elbe ferries of the villages were also used for repair purposes in Magdeburg. After the Long Bridge in Magdeburg was destroyed by ice on February 17, 1768 and had a gap of 51 cubits, the Westerhüsen and Hohenwarte ferries took over the traffic in front of Magdeburg's old town until the bridge was restored on March 23. The same happened when the second pillar of the Magdeburg River Bridge was destroyed on March 1, 1803 and there was an 86-foot gap in the bridge.
From 1715 to 1873, the Westerhüsen ship mill with a small mill harbor was located south of the ferry . Around 1750, Joachim Scheffelmann from Westerhüsen and Christoph Sibke from the Westerhüsen family are known to have leased the ferry . They had to pay an annual rent totaling 30 thalers. In addition, after the hay harvest, the ferry had to cross the community's flock of sheep free of charge. The residents were forbidden to take people across the river for a fee. However, there were also violations of this prohibition time and again, which resulted in legal disputes. A lawsuit was brought against the operator of the monastery ferry because it had transferred private individuals and wagons, which was only available to the Westerhüsen ferry. In fact, the Domvogt decided in favor of the Westerhüser ferry and forbade both the monastery ferry and other private individuals such black journeys. The Westerhüser Schöppe Moritz Johann Böckelmann was commissioned to repent if necessary and to confiscate the boat.
During the Seven Years' War in 1760 the ferry fee was increased. Local carriages then cost eight groschen, while foreigners took twelve groschen. The owners of the Elbwiesen, especially the deanery and Greifenwerder, protested against the increase because they feared that they would no longer find tenants or at least they would have to lower the rent. The profits accruing to the community of Westerhüsen and the operators from the ferry revenues attracted attention in the vicinity. In particular, citizens of Salbker also regularly applied for the lease of the ferry and were awarded the contract several times. The municipality of Salbke then applied to become a co-owner in return for a payment of 100 thalers. Indeed it was done. On February 12, 1763, both communities leased the ferry together for the first time for an annual lease of 55 thalers to Joachim Uebe . The leasing of the ferry was advertised publicly through notices in the municipal jugs of Westerhüsen, Salbke and Frohse .
Around 1760/1770 there was a serious ferry accident. Because of an approaching thunderstorm, many people and also hayfires rushed to the ferry in order to get to the other bank of the Elbe quickly. When the overloaded ferry was in the middle of the river, a heavy storm broke out. The ferrymen lost control of the boat. An anchor chain broke. The ferry drifted quickly and overturned in a strong gust of wind. Many people drowned, only a few were able to save themselves.
The lease from 1808 to Heinrich Gottfried Uebe and Gottfried Sebastian Uebe from Westerhüsen for 70 thalers a year. The public auction took place in the Westerhüser community jug. Special provisions of the lease provided that washing the sheep of the community herds on the ferry was to be allowed free of charge. Both herds and shepherds were also to be transferred free of charge. When setting up the ferry fee, it was important to note that the cheaper ferry price for locals also applied to the tenants of the preposition and Greifenwerder , even if they were actually supposed to be foreigners.
In the spring of 1813, the French governor of Magdeburg Fortress ordered all ships and ferries to be brought there. The Westerhüser ferry also had to be delivered. The ship was ultimately completely destroyed, so that after the withdrawal of the French troops, a new ferry had to be purchased. The costs of 741 thalers incurred for this were shared equally between the two communities and the ferry leaseholder Martin Böckelmann . It is known that on February 12, 1834 Michael Brandt and Christian Linde leased the ferry for 70 thalers for three years.
In 1850, ferry traffic was started with a cross ferry , which crossed the river on a chain and was driven to the left or right by the current depending on the position of the ship. The chain was guided over two rollers on the ship's side and also operated using two winches. With the advent of chain shipping , however, the ferry's transverse chain presented a particular obstacle to shipping. Therefore, it was later converted to the form of the yaw ferry, which is still used today.
The centuries-old competition with the monastery ferry came to an end in the middle of the 19th century, as when the management of the monastery property was discontinued, the ferry was no longer operated. In Salbke, however, a boat ferry was operated for about 100 years.
In 1876 the Elbe caused extreme floods, a water level mark still existing below the church in the bank wall shows the highest level of the flood. Although the ferry service had to be stopped with the regular ferry, one drove with a boat directly to the distant Randau dike. In 1892 a new wooden ferry was put into operation in the Gerloff shipyard , which was then located immediately north of the ferry, and in 1933 it was exchanged for the first ferry made of metal. In 1913, the German military practiced transferring a gun across the Elbe in the immediate vicinity of the ferry.
On April 13, 1945, the area of the ferry station became a theater of war in World War II . The ferry traffic was stopped. The ferry is said to have been set on the east bank. US troops moving into Magdeburg from the west tried to build a pontoon bridge over the Elbe in this area. However, the bridge was destroyed by German artillery before it was completed. Several soldiers lost their lives. The American bridgehead, which had already been established on the right bank of the Elbe, had to be relocated to the south and later abandoned entirely.
In March 1953 VEB (K) Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe took over the ferry, but Walter Gerloff , who had been the ferry leaseholder since 1948, remained the ferry master. Since the floor of the ferry needed renovation, the ferry was towed to the Aken shipyard for renovation . As a temporary measure, the ferry service was provided by a motor ferry. On January 22, 1954, the repaired ship was back and did its job again as a yaw ferry.
In the time of the GDR , the ferry was mainly used by the Westerhüsen-based LPG "Freie Erde" to reach the 150 hectares of meadows and pastures in the East Elbe. The LPG Dodendorf also used the ferry and pastures. Employees living in the east of the Elbe at the Fahlberg-List plant located directly north of the ferry in the west of the Elbe took the ferry across. Between 5.30 a.m. and 11 p.m. the ferry ran back and forth 52 times a day. The ferry operated from April to November. While the ferry service was discontinued at high tide, the ferry connection was still operated at extremely low tide, for example in the summer of 1976 when the water level was only 68 cm.
There was an accident on August 8, 1987. A team of horses wanted to cross over from the right bank of the Elbe. There were seven passengers on the trailer who were going on a brigade ride. The carriage, drawn by two horses, slipped into the Elbe as it approached the ferry station. The passengers, including a twelve-year-old child, were able to save themselves by swimming. The two horses drowned, however, as attempts to relax them quickly failed. The cause of the accident is said to have been an inability to drive the driver. He is said to have drank considerable amounts of alcohol while driving and ultimately had a blood alcohol content of 3.0 per mille. The driver was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and damages of 14,000 marks .
Since the closure of the LPG and chemical works after the political change in 1989 , the function of the ferry has been more of a tourist nature. In 2014 the jetty on the left side of the Elbe was renewed. The ferry service was stopped during the work.
Say
The Westerhüsen ferry is also the subject of legends . It is mentioned in the saga of the treasure in the devil's kitchen near Westerhüsen . According to the legend of the meadow guard Marie , the ferry is haunted at midnight. According to legend, the meadow caretaker from Greifenwerder had a beautiful daughter, Marie . They lived in a small house on the meadow in the so-called Greifenwerder, to the right of the Elbe further south of the ferry. Marie fell in love with a young hunter's boy who lived and worked at the Kreuzhorst forester, probably at Gut Kulenhagen . When the young man was transferred to a village behind Magdeburg as a forester , it was decided to get married before Easter. At the end of February the young man visited Marie again. In the evening he wanted to go home again. The old meadow keeper warned him about the laughs standing in the meadows. In many depressions in the meadows, there was water covered by an ice sheet. Marie preferred not to ask him to go, but he set off. After a short time, Marie and her father heard his screams and cries for help. They ran out and yelled Holla , but he didn't answer anymore. Only in the morning did they discover his body, collapsed into a laugh. Marie then lost her mind and from then on ran across the meadow every night and called Holla up until she died too. Since then it has been reported that even after her death she appeared as a white figure on the Elbe meadow at night and called “Holla hoh”. The old ferryman Brandt is said to have reported that he would have been shouted at night with "Holla hoh, hol 'über!", But then he did not meet anyone on the Kreuzhorster side of the Elbe. When he followed the call, he saw the white figure. He followed the figure and almost fell into a laugh. Since then he has heard the call thousands of times, but then ignored it. The death of the maid Dorothee Bosen in 1702 is believed to be a possible real connection point for the legend.
Leaseholder of the ferry from 1850
Around 1850, the innkeeper of the Westerhüser restaurant Goldenes Schiff , Heinemann also leased the ferry. He was followed by Karl Knie for six years . He handed it over to the innkeeper of the Elbschlösschen restaurant , Friedrich Müller , for six years . Then the brothers Wilhelm and Friedrich Eins took over the ferry for 1650 marks annually , before Friedrich Müller again operated the ferry for 12 years this time. Steinbeck , who came from Salbke, worked for only 2½ years, followed by Gustav Constabel for 9½ years and an annual lease of 750 marks . The meadow caretaker Hahn then leased the ferry until 1910. Ferry master Wilhelm Meinecke operated the ferry from 1910 to 1930, which was then continued by the Gerloff family . Initially, from 1930 until his death in 1936, Fritz Gerloff was the ferry leaseholder. His widow Anna Gerloff remained the tenant, but Walter Gerloff then took over the service as a ferryman , who also became the tenant in 1948. After the takeover by the Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe in 1953, Walter Gerloff remained a ferryman.
literature
- Otto Dieckmann, Die Westerhüser Fähre in the Evangelical Community Gazette Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 1924–1942.
- Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the Magdeburg-SO district , manuscript in the Magdeburg city archive, signature 80 / 1035n, Part I, page 106 ff.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Marta Doehler, Iris Reuther , Settlement Development in Westerhüsen Magdeburg Southeast , State Capital Magdeburg 1995, page 20
- ↑ Großhennig, Ortschronik Westerhüsen, Part I, page 108 f.
- ↑ Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen, page 99
- ↑ Westerhüsens economic hardships 1806-15 , Protestant Community Journal Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 1924-1942, the city archives Magdeburg, signature 80 / 8166n
- ↑ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the Magdeburg district-SO, signature 80/1035, Volume I, page 49
- ^ Calendar Magdeburg SüdOst 2014, Fermersleben, Salbke, Westerhüsen , sheet August 2014; Magdeburg 2013
- ↑ Alfred Brylla, Ferrymen build a bridge over the river in New Germany from July 1, 1978, page 11
- ↑ Karl-Heinz Kaiser, do you remember? , Volume 2, Herkules Verlag Kassel 2014, ISBN 978-3-941499-95-9 , page 35
- ↑ W. Schulze, A Little History of the Country in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, between 1924 and 1942
- ^ Olaf Meister , local sagas from Westerhüsen and the surrounding area , epubli Berlin 2019, ISBN 978-3-748572-28-2 , page 50 ff.
- ↑ Olaf Meister, local sagas from Westerhüsen and the surrounding area , epubli Berlin 2019, ISBN 978-3-748572-28-2 , page 57 f.
Coordinates: 52 ° 3 ′ 59.7 ″ N , 11 ° 40 ′ 45.9 ″ E