Did you know that the Zschampert flows through Leipzig? This small stream has a history. It has been shaped by nature and industry.
The Zschampert is a tributary of the White Elster River. It flows through Miltitz. Today, most of its water comes from Lake Kulkwitz. Its upper reaches between Seebenisch and Knautnaundorf are dried up.
From Miltitz, the Zschampert flows past Lindennaundorf and Ruckmarsdorf. It marks the border between Leipzig and Markranstadt, and Leipzig and Schkeuditz. Near Ruckmarsdorf and Burghausen, it goes underground. A 100-meter tunnel carries it under the Elster-Saale Canal. Finally, it flows into the Old Luppe in Domholz, Leipzig’s floodplain forest.
Before it was straightened, the Zschampert flowed further west. It ran parallel to the Luppe. It joined the Luppe near Kleinliebenau. This old arm is now mostly dry. The Zschampert itself often dries up in summer.
The Augraben flows west of Kleinliebenau. It is another old branch of the Zschampert. It is still called Zschampert by some. The name Augraben has been used since 1940. Today, the Augraben is fed by drainage ditches. These lie west of the new Zschampert. It flows into the Luppe near Dolkau, a part of Leuna.
Until the 1990s, the Zschampert was polluted. It was more like a sewer than a river, especially in Miltitz. Wastewater from a chemical plant and homes caused this.
The Lebendige Luppe project aims to restore the Zschampert. Planning began in 2019. Work should finish by 2023. The riverbed will become shallower and wider. It will meander more. Normally, it will flow into the Wildbettluppe near Kleinliebenau. This will lengthen its course by six kilometers. During heavy rains, the Zschampert will flood the forests.
The Zschampert once started between Seebenisch and Knautnaundorf. It drained the Dehlitz-Ruckmarsdorf moraine. Groundwater lowering dried up the southern part. From Kulkwitz, the Zschampert flows past Gohrenz. It touches Lausen on its western edge. A stone bridge, built in 1793, carries the Lützner Landstrasse over the Zschampert.
South of Domholz, the Zschampert used to turn west. It ran parallel to the Luppe to Maßlau. There, it flowed into the Luppe. This arm was drained in 1970. The Merseburg-Ost mine caused the road to sink. The Zschampert bed became unusable. Since then, the Zschampert flows directly north. It runs in an artificial bed to the Old Luppe. The Old Luppe joins the New Luppe.
Mining had a major impact on the Zschampert. It dried up its source. The river’s remaining course shows the damage from mining. The Zschampert’s story is one of change. It shows how humans have altered nature.