Pfeilkraut River Courses In the north German lowlands the Elbe becomes a broad, little obstructed and unregulated river. The river spreads out, seeks new paths, broadens the meanders, constantly changing the landscape, to the extent that man allows. There is no set rhythm to the behavior of the river, no con- stants, except for dynamism and change itself. Especially typical for the Elbe are the summer floods. Since olden times these have been called »Johanni-Hochwasser« (»John the In the Elbe-Brandenburg River Landscape Biosphere Reserve, environmental education work in schools and kindergartens and Baptist floods«). Sometimes they do not occur for years on as in all the large reserves of Brandenburg, the goal is to present the biosphere reserve at festivals, exhibitions, and other On the Great River end, only then to return with impressive magnitude. On the show that land use can be environmentally sustainable. The regional events. The supporting organization for the nature watch other hand, the winter floods are often more moderate than State of Brandenburg invests considerable financial resources in Brandenburg is the foundation NaturSchutzFonds Brandenburg The Elbe floodplain was long impenetrable from both sides of those of other German rivers. The yearly flood rhythm of the in the contractual nature conservation with agriculture. In the (Preservation Foundation of Brandenburg). Personnel from the the German-German border. However, rare animal and plant Elbe leaves its traces in the dike forelands. Here the gleam- Elbe floodplain extensive cultivation was achieved on about nature watch are active in all Brandenburg large reserves and are species survived here and the broad floodplain of the Elbe, ing sandbanks and bayous alternate. The gnarled remains of one-half of the available grassland areas. The administration easily identified by their uniform with the preservation owl as its Germany’s third-largest river, remained untouched. Today this ancient alluvial forests give the landscape its special charm. of the biosphere reserve supports the efforts toward the sales symbol. valuable natural site is one of the region’s assets. Already in The Middle Elbe is Germany’s only sand-bed river. Sediment of regional, agricultural products. Work is done together with 1990 the Schwerin district administration founded the Elbe pushes itself forward with the floods. The millennia-long inter- those near Quitzöbel and Klein Schmölen (Lesser Schmölen). farmers and producers in secondary occupation to present and Valley Nature Park. With the dissolution of the GDR districts and play between sedimentation, elution, desiccation, rewetting, Within a small geographical area plants and animals can be sell the products from the Westprignitz. Ministry of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of Brandenburg the reinstatement of the historical state borders large parts of and new sedimentation has created a richly structured mosaic found in the Elbe floodplain that require totally different habi- Editors: Office of Press and Public Relations the Elbe floodplain now belong to the State of Brandenburg. of basins, depressions, bayous with varying degrees of silt tats, whether extreme wet or downright aridity. The Biosphere Nature Watch 14476 Potsdam, OT Groß Glienicke, Seeburger Chaussee 2, Tel. (03 32 01) 4 22 - 0 The 533-square-kilometer area extends along the eastern deposits, and interior dunes formed by post-glacial piling like reserve takes care of the preservation and improvement of and Elbe-Brandenburg River Landscape Biosphere Reserve Photographs: F. Neuschulz, R. Podloncky, B. Königstedt, V. Rinne (BUND) bank of the Elbe from the mouth of the Havel river until shortly this dynamic of the broad floodplain. In Germany’s biggest Whoever visits the Elbe floodplain seeks quiet, openness, Map: Pro Line Concept, Berlin before the gates of Dömitz in Mecklenburg. Just under 40 dike back transfer near Lenzen 420 hectares flood area were and pristine beauty. But when the beauty of the landscape, Design/Production: Power DesignThing GmbH Printing: Landesvermessung und Geobasisinformation Brandenburg inhabitants live on one square kilometer in this part of West- returned to the river. intact ecological cycles, and important – because often the As of: September 2013 prignitz. That corresponds to the lowest population densities last – habitats for rare species are to be maintained, then one in all of Germany. Initially the Brandenburg portion of the Elbe requires the intelligent and careful direction of the numer- floodplain had the status of a nature park. In March 1998 the Environmentally-Sustainable ous »quiet seekers«. In the Brandenburg biosphere reserve UNESCO recognized the supra-state Elbe River Landscape Land Use this is accomplished by the personnel of the nature watch. Over Elbe-Brandenburg Biosphere Reserve. The five federal states, Saxony-Anhalt, the course of a two-year training program the men and women Organisation Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, Meadows and pasturing have for centuries left their mark gain a foundational knowledge about ecosystems, conservation, der Vereinten Nationen River Landscape für Bildung, Wissenschaft and Brandenburg, all have a stake. Now the former nature for centuries on the landscape of the Elbe. In spite of the biotope preservation, preservation law, historical development of und Kultur Biosphere Reserve park is the Brandenburg section of the biosphere reserve. The incalculability and often wet feet for men and animals farm- the cultural landscape, tourism, and public relations work. The Elbe river landscape is a tourist attraction in north-western ers have never wanted to do without pasturing even in the staff of the nature watch are equally available to visitors and Landesamt für Biosphärenreservat Umwelt, Nationale Brandenburg. forelands. locals to answer questions about the nature watch. They perform Flusslandschaft Gesundheit und Naturlandschaften Verbraucherschutz Elbe-Brandenburg Schleswig- Sargleben Garlin ReetzReetz Deibow Sargleben Garlin ReetzHolstein Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Heiddorf Deibow Zapel Lauenburg Liepe Zapel Postlin Strehlen Neu Kaliß Liepe Postlin Ausbau Deibower Hof Seetz Elb Krinitz Deibower Hof Blüthen e Dömitz Dargardt Biosphärenreservat Mecklenburg- Vorpommern Grittel Mellen Dargardt Karstädt Mecklenburg- Vorpommern Steesow Karstädt Flusslandschaft Elbe- Klockow Brandenburg Kaliß Gulow Steinberg Naturpark Kaliß Holdseelen Semlin Waterloo Gulow Verklas Rambow Niedersachsen The exhibition “Globe- Görnitz Boberow Mecklenburgisches Wittenberge trotter Adebar” of the Zuggelrade Gross Glövzin Schmölen Elbetal Stavenow Glövzin Havelberg NABU, shows all about Schmölen Bochin Wüsten DÖMITZ WüstenBuchholz Buchholöz Gramzow Stendal Mankmuß Kaltenhof Buchholz Gramzow the stork. Varying Klein Schmölen Nausdorf Mesekow Premslin Schönfeld Biosphärenreservat Schmölen Polz Moor Schönfeld exhintions in the gallery Polz Groß Berlin Alt Eldenburg Buchholz Flusslandschaft Elbe Eldenburg Rudow Neu Premslin Buchholz Groß Linde offer news even to Gaarz Birkholz Nebelin Siedlung Groß Linde 55 Klein Linde Neu Potsdam Leuengarten an der Bahn Neu regular guests. See Rohlsdorf Rohlsdorf Breetz Seedorf er Lübzow Rohlsdorf Klein Luggendorf Seedorf ow z Quitzow Klein Luggendorf Baarz d t Laaslich Ru Ferbitz i Laaslich Gottschow Baekern Ferbitz n Magdeburg Gottschow Baekern k Perlhof Brandenburg c Brandenburg ö Brandenburg L Platenhof Spiegelhagen189 Guhlsdorf LENZEN 195195 Henningshof LENZEN Henningshof E lb Mödlich Gadow Dergenthin e Simonshagen Besandten Mödlich Sükow Wittenberg Gandow Sachsen-Anhalt Lenzersilge Rosenhagen Groß Gottschow Grippel Lanz Wootz Vietze Dessau Pretzetze Klein Vietze Wustrow PERLEBERG Reckenthin Klein Wustrow Düpow Laase Wootz Bernheide Burghagen Karlshorst Tüchen Brünkendorf Waldsiedlung Brünkendorf S c Krampfer Culture in the h Krampfer Pevestorf Löcknitz m Kleinow 107 Meetschow Pevestorf a Kleinow ld i Schilde Jagel em Kleinower E Jagel en lbe Lütkenwisch Ziegelei Restorf Lütkenwisch Bentwisch Neu Hoppenrade Gorleben Quarnstedt Cumlosen Motrich Kleinow Cultural Landscape Quarnstedt Cumlosen Ünze Kleinow Rambow Gedelitz Schnackenburg Garz Holtorf Schnackenburg Wentdorf Ponitz Dünsche Laasche Holtorf Wentdorf Lindenberg Weisen 55 Places such as Rühstädt, Bad Wilsnack, the Plattenburg (the Kapern Lindenberg Weisen Groß Elbe-Brandenburg River City information Bad Wilsnack Niedersachsen 493 Kapern tz Niedersachsen Gartow eni Werzin Klein Gartow tep Welle Landscape Biosphere Reserve, Am Markt 5, 19336 Bad Wilsnack Marleben Gummern Müggendorf Hermannshof S Groß oldest extant moated castle in northern Germany), Lanz (the Nienwalde Müggendorf Welle Klautze Nienwalde Breese Groß Breese Welle Administration Tel: (03 87 91) 26 20 Rucksmoor Groß Breese Klein Wanzer Viesecke Neu Neuhausstraße 9, 19322 Rühstädt hometown of the father of gymnastics, Friedrich Ludwig Trebel WITTENBERGE Liepe Trebel Schrepkow Tel: (03 87 91) 9 80 - 0 Lenzen Nature Watch Station Aulosen Grube Jahn), or the Lenzen Castle are visited by many guests in the Kuhblank Kletzke Fax: (03 87 91) 9 80 - 11 Seestraße 18, 19309 Lenzen Vasenthin Bömenzien NP Garsedow Sigrön br-flusslandschaft-elbe@ lugv. Tel: (03 87 92) 17 01 summer time. But there are other things to be discovered Uckermärkische Sigrön BR Flusslandschaft Wanzer brandenburg.de Tobringen RheinsbergNP Seen NLP Wahrenberg K K K Nemitz K Elbe-BrandenburgNemitzStechlin- BR 107 a a a Unteres a r r r along the river.