Weser

"Weser" and "Werra" are the same words in different dialects. The difference reflects the old linguistic border between Central and Low German, passing through Hannoversch Münden. The name likely derives from the Old Germanic "flow, ooze". It is cognate with the Wear in England and Vistula (Polish Wisła, German Weichsel) in Poland, all of which are derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "to flow", which also gives rise to Old English/Old Frisian "mud, ooze", Old Norse "slime, stagnant pool", Dutch "haze; soggy land" (see Waasland), Old Saxon "wet ground, mire", Old High German "rain", and French "mud, sludge". ==Course==

The Weser starts at the confluence of the Fulda and the Werra. It then runs down to the Porta Westfalica between two high hill ranges, the ⁣⁣Wiehengebirge⁣⁣ in the west and the Weserbergland in the east. Between Minden and the North Sea, humans have largely canalised the river up to a limit of 1,200-ton ships. Eight hydroelectric dams stand at the ends of adjacent weir weirstreams that make up the river. The navigation is linked west to the Dortmund–Ems Canal via the Coastal Canal. It is linked east at Bremerhaven to the Elbe. A large reservoir, the Edersee, on the Eder, the main tributary of the Fulda, is used to allow enough water depth for shipping year-round. The dam, built in 1914, was bombed and severely damaged by British aircraft in May 1943, causing great destruction and about 70 deaths downstream. It was rebuilt within four months. The reservoir is a major summer resort area. Turbines driven by its sluices provide electricity. Weserradweg b Oedelsheim.jpg|"Upper" Weser, in reality the central section between the upper courses Werra and Fulda, and the lowland section Minden Weser-Mittelland Kanal Lock 01.jpg|Mittelland Canal/River Weser Lock in Minden taken in 1977 MI-16 River Weser (Minden) North (RLH).jpg|View north of the River Weser and the road bridge at Minden River Weser (Minden) South To Porta West Falica (RLH).jpg|Southern view of the River Weser from the road bridge at Minden in 1977 The Weser enters the North Sea in the southernmost part of the German Bight. In the sea it splits into two arms –the riverbed at the end of the last ice age. These sea arms are called Alte Weser (old Weser) and Neue Weser (new Weser). They are the waterways for ships heading for the ports of Bremerhaven, Nordenham, and Bremen. The Alte Weser Lighthouse marks the northernmost point of the Weser. This replaced the Roter Sand Lighthouse in 1964. == Weser deepening ==

Since the 19th century, the Weser has been deepened twelve times by humans. This caused severe ecological damage to the river. With each deepening, the tides were altered by the faster inflow of North Sea tides. This increases the risk of flooding along the river. ==Tributaries==

The largest tributary of the Weser is the Aller, which joins south of Bremen. Tributaries of the Weser and the Werra (from source to mouth) are: Modes of the list: • Listed upstream, but sides seen with the flow • Distances ("km …") from the hydrographical limit towards the sea • "II", "III"and "IV" mark distances of secondary/tertiary tributaries from the confluence with the Weser etc. • After the names, lengths and basin sizes are given. • Lengths with longer affluents are given behind the slash lengths including an upper course with another name with "or" List: • km 19, right: Geeste (in Bremerhaven), 42.5 km, 338 km2 • km 33, right: Lune, 43 km, 383 km2 • km 35.9, right: Drepte, 37.6 km, 101 km2 • km 52.8, left: Hunte, 189 km, 2.785 km2 • II: km 125.7: Lake Dümmer • km 67.6, right: Lesum, 9.9 or 131.5, 2,188 km2 • II: km 9.9, right Hamme, 48.5 km, 549 km2 • ↑ main stream: Wümme, 118 / 120, 1,585 km2 • km 72.5, left: Ochtum, 25.6 or 45 km, 917 km2 • II: km 25.6: left Hache, 33 km, 118 km2 • km 125.6, right: Aller, 260 km, 15,744 km2 • II: km 63.6, left: Leine, 278 km, 5,617 km2, stronger than river Aller above • III: km 112.7, right: Innerste, 99.7 km, 1,264 km2 • III: km 192.8, right: Rhume, 44 km, 1,193 km2, stronger than river Leine above • IV: km 15.6, right: Oder, 56 km, 385 km2, headwater of the strongest waterway of Aller system • II: km 97.3, right: Örtze, 62 / 70 km, 760 km2 • II: km 140.7, left: Oker, 218 km, 1822 km2, stronger than river Aller above • km 184.6, right: Steinhuder Meerbach • ↑ km II: 29 lake Steinhuder Meer • km 188.7, left: Große Aue, 84.5 km, 1,522 km2 • km 261.3, left: Werre, 71.9 km, 1485 km2 • II: km 12.7, left: Else, 34.6 km, 416 km2, branch of the Hase, an affluent of Ems • km 287.7, left: Exter, 26.1 km, 109 km2 • km 323.3, left: Emmer, 61.8 km, 535 km2 • km 387.5, left: Nethe, 50.4 km, 460 km2 • km 406.5, left: Diemel, 110.5 km, 1,762 km2 • km 451.5, left: Fulda, 220.4 km, 6.947 km2 :: II: km 45.3, left: Eder, 176.1 km, 3,361 km2, headwater of the strongest waterway of Weser system ::: III: km 17.1, left: Schwalm, 97.1 km, 1.299 km2 ::: ↑ III: km 49.4–70.5: Edersee reservoir :: II: 120.1, right: Haune, 66.5 km, 500 km2 • ↑ main stream above km 451.5: Werra, 299.6 km, 5.497 km2 • km 566.5, right: Hörsel, 55.2 or 64.3, 784 km2 • km 9.8, right: Nesse, 54.5 km, 426 km2 • km 513.1, left: Ulster, 57.2 km, 421 km2 • km 604.4, right: Schleuse, 34.2 km, 283 km2 ==Notable towns==

Main towns along the Weser are (from the head of the river to its mouth): Hann. Münden, Beverungen, Höxter, Holzminden, Bodenwerder, Hamelin, Hessisch Oldendorf, Rinteln, Vlotho, Bad Oeynhausen, Porta Westfalica, Minden, Petershagen, Nienburg, Achim, Bremen, Brake, Nordenham, and Bremerhaven. ==Popular culture==

The river features in the legend and folk tale the Pied Piper of Hamelin. == References ==