Minden, Bucket-chain steam dredger at the Museum der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt in Duisburg, Germany

The Minden is a steam-powered bucket-chain dredger built in 1882, measuring 23.30 m long and 6.18 m wide. It has no engine of its own and is classed as a floating device, not a ship. Its bucket chain could reach a working depth of 6.50 m, and the crew of four lived on board in three cabins.

The ship was built in 1882 in Mainz and spent decades working on the Weser River. It left active service in 1979.

The vessel reflects German engineering craftsmanship of the 1800s and how people organized river work through mechanical means. You can see how essential such working ships were to keeping inland waterways functional.

The ship sits at the Museum of German Inland Shipping in Duisburg, where you can view it from outside and see the machinery. The museum is near the harbor and easy to reach on foot.

The ship could not move on its own and had to be positioned using anchors and chains while it dredged. This design was a remarkably efficient solution for its time despite lacking independent mobility.