Schleuse Wanne-Eickel, Navigation lock in Herne, Germany.
The Wanne-Eickel Lock is a navigation lock on the Rhine-Herne Canal in Herne and manages water flow between two canal sections at different elevations. The facility has two chambers, with the southern chamber measuring approximately 190 meters long and 12 meters wide, serving as the active passage for vessels.
The lock was built between 1906 and 1914 and played a key role in cargo transport for the Ruhr's industrial growth. Its creation reflects the region's rapid industrialization and the need to connect factories through waterways.
The lock represents an important link in the region's industrial past, showing how waterways shaped work and commerce in the Ruhr area. Visitors can see through its structure how central it was to moving goods between factories and ports.
The southern chamber operates around the clock, allowing vessels to navigate an elevation change of about 8.4 meters. Visitors interested in watching the lock in action can find good viewing spots along the public areas by the canal.
The northern chamber has been closed since 2003 and still displays the construction methods from the early 1900s. This inactive chamber offers a rare glimpse into the technical design of a historic lock and how it was built.
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