Jubilee on the Eider: On March 20, 1973, the imposing Eider barrage at the mouth of Schleswig-Holstein’s longest river was officially put into operation. The reason for the construction of the bulwark in the mouth of the Eider was the severe storm surge of 1962 on the North Sea coast. The groundbreaking ceremony was on March 29, 1967. By the time it was completed six years later, 45,000 cubic meters of concrete, 6,000 tons of steel and 95,000 tons of crushed rock had been used. The costs added up to the equivalent of around 87 million euros (171.5 million marks). According to the water and shipping authority, a celebration is not planned for Monday – this should be made up for in early autumn.
The barrage protects around 2,000 square kilometers of inland up to Rendsburg from flooding. The centerpiece is the barrage, which is partly under a tunnel and has five lock gates. Each of these double-height gates is 400 square meters and weighs 250 tons. The gates are open in normal weather and flood conditions, but can be closed in the event of a storm surge. The structure is also considered a major tourist attraction, attracting large numbers of visitors at any time of the year.
Projekt Zukunft Eider Information on the Eider barrage
