Oberharzer Sonderbauwerke

The Sperberhaier dam, the Oder pond, the Polsterberger Hubkunst and the Huttaler Widerwaage are all part of the special structures of the Oberharzer Wasserregal.

The Sperberhaier Dam is an equaduct (structure for transporting water) built between 1732 and 1734 with a height of 16 metres and a length of around 900 metres. Its purpose was to channel the water of the so-called Dammgraben up to the Clausthal plateau, thus meeting the increasing demand of the Clausthal mines. Today, a channel can still be seen at the western end, through which up to 1000 litres per second were once channelled. The dam, like all the structures of the Oberharzer Wasserregal, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010.

The Oderteich , on the other hand, will probably be familiar to one or two holidaymakers in the Harz. The dam is located near St. Andreasberg and, as the name suggests, collects water from the Oder River. In addition, the dam was considered one of the oldest dams in the whole of Germany until the 19th century. It was once used by the Harz mining industry to operate water wheels and is now used to supply drinking water. To this day, the dam has stood virtually unchanged since it was built between 1715 and 1722. You can find more information about the Oderteich in the Harz in our detailed article here on Harzspots.com.

Much less well known, on the other hand, is the Polsterberg Hubkunst, a former pump house above the Dammgraben, with the help of which the water of the ditch could be pumped up to a level 18 metres higher. Today, the building, which is now used exclusively as a restaurant, is a listed building and a popular destination for hikers.

Usually mentioned in the same context is the Huttaler Widerwaage, which - to put it simply - can let water flow in two different directions. When the water level is low, the Huttaler Widerwaage feeds water from the Huttal to the Hirschler Pond and, conversely, can relieve it when there is excess water.

Picture sources:
- Hüttenteich - Silberchen - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC3.0
- Huttaler Widerwaage - Frank Hebestreit - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC4.0
- Sperberhaier Damm - Kassandro - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC4.0
- Sperberhaier Damm West - Hajkal - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC2.0
- Arches - JuTe CLZ - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC3.0
- Outlet mouth - JuTe CLZ - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - public domain
- Clausthaler Teich - JuTe CLZ - unchanged - Wikimedia Commons - CC3. 0