Ever noticed how some places carry stories beneath their surface? The B\u00e4ke is one such place. Once a vibrant stream it flowed from Steglitz to Potsdam’s Griebnitzsee.
Today the B\u00e4ke exists in two small sections. Much of its course was integrated into the Teltow Canal. Construction occurred between 1900 and 1906. The canal utilized the B\u00e4ke valley.
Interestingly the B\u00e4ke’s original name was Telte. Telte gave its name to the Teltow region. This includes the area south of Berlin and Brandenburg. The B\u00e4ke’s valley has a long history. It was inhabited since the Old Stone Age. It became a core area of the Mark Brandenburg founded in 1157.
One surviving section of the B\u00e4ke starts at Steglitz’s Fichtenberg. Today the stream runs underground west of Steglitz’s center. It emerges near Haydnstra\u00dfe after about a kilometer. The B\u00e4ke then flows another kilometer through B\u00e4kepark. It empties into the Teltow Canal opposite Steglitz harbor.
South of the Teltow Canal a second B\u00e4ke section exists. This part stretches three kilometers. It begins at the meadows of Kleinmachnow’s Weinberg. This section runs parallel to the Teltow Canal. It flows through the B\u00e4ketal nature reserve. The B\u00e4ke passes by the B\u00e4kem\u00fchle. It merges into the Teltow Canal west of Kleinmachnow lock.
Before the Teltow Canal the B\u00e4ke drained areas southwest of Berlin. It ran from Fichtenberg to Birkbusch. Then it went southwest to Lichterfelde. It passed Giesensdorf now part of Lichterfelde. The B\u00e4ke flowed through the Teltowsee and Sch\u00f6nowsee. These lakes disappeared during canal construction. The stream continued west. It bordered Teltow village. Near Kleinmachnow it flowed north of Machnower See. The B\u00e4ke then reached the Griebnitzsee. It connected to the Havel River.
Geologically the B\u00e4ke flowed through a glacial meltwater channel. The Teltow is a gently undulating ground moraine. It formed during the Weichsel Ice Age around 21000 years ago. These Ice Age deposits average 15 meters thick. They consist mainly of boulder clay and meltwater sands. The B\u00e4ke valley features a dynamic terrain. Water flows and buried ice blocks created small hill chains. These consist of boulder clay and meltwater channels.
Archaeological finds show that the B\u00e4ke valley has been settled for a long time. Farmers lived here about 2500 years ago. Researchers found Bronze Age artifacts and pottery with bone remains. Excavations near Steglitz’s B\u00e4kepark revealed a village. This village stood on a slope above the river and marshland.
Around 1170 settlers and Slavs built a village near Zehlendorf’s D\u00fcppel. By 1220 the village had 16 farms arranged around a village square. This village exemplifies peaceful Slavic-German settlement. However this settlement was abandoned around 1250.
Until 1470 a passable crossing existed in the B\u00e4ke swamp area. This causeway was near Kleinmachnow castle. It was a strategic point on the Leipzig-Spandau trade route.
In the late 19th century Berlin grew rapidly. The population quadrupled between 1860 and 1910. The region needed traffic coordination and construction planning. The Teltow Canal addressed these issues. It relieved ship traffic in Berlin’s center. The canal also enabled faster passage south of Berlin. The canal also regulated rainwater drainage. The B\u00e4ke could no longer handle these functions adequately.
The Teltow Canal’s construction significantly altered the B\u00e4ke. It dried up lakes and changed the river’s course. Still the B\u00e4ke’s legacy remains. Its name lives on in streets parks and a bridge. The B\u00e4ketal nature reserve preserves its original character. Remember the B\u00e4ke. It shaped the landscape we see today.