White Elster
| White Elster (Weiße Elster) | |
|---|---|
White Elster valley
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| Country | Germany, Czech Republic |
| Basin | |
| Main source | Western Czech Republic 724 m (2,375 ft) |
| River mouth | Saale 51°25′57″N 11°57′10″E / 51.43250°N 11.95278°ECoordinates: 51°25′57″N 11°57′10″E / 51.43250°N 11.95278°E |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 257 km (160 mi) |
| Features | |
| Tributaries | |
The White Elster[1][2][3] (German: Weiße Elster, Czech: Bílý Halštrov) is a 257-kilometre (160 mi) long river in central Europe, right tributary of the Saale. Its source is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš. After a few kilometres, it flows into eastern Germany. In Germany, it flows through the states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The White Elster flows through the cities of Plauen, Greiz, Gera, Zeitz, Pegau and Leipzig. It flows into the river Saale in Halle.
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Name[edit]
Although "Elster" is German for "magpie", the origin of the name has nothing to do with the bird. It is of Slavic origin: alstrawa = hurrying. The White Elster never meets the Black Elster, which flows from Lusatia into the River Elbe. The rivers have the names "white" and "black" to distinguish between them.
History[edit]
The White Elster proved disastrous to the French troops when they retreated from Leipzig in October 1813, as a part of the Napoleonic Wars.[2] Józef Poniatowski, Marshal of France, drowned in the river on 19 October 1813.
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Source of the White Elster in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ The "White Elster" river at www.germany-tourism.co.uk
- ^ a b Brookes, Richard and Marshall, John (1832). A new universal gazetteer: containing a description of the principal nations, W.W. Reed & Co,, New York, p. 270
- ^ White Elster from National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, MD, USA. Accessed on 16 Jan 2011.
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