The Henrichenburg Ship Lift

History

More than 20.000 postcards were sent from Waltrop on the 11 August 1899. Probably all of them recount enthusiastically the festive inauguration of the Henrichenburg ship lift that same day. It must remain an open question what the visitor crowds did appreciate more: the guest of honour Wilhelm II or the first ship lift in the world for large barges. Within the strategy of the German emperor – "water is our future" – the industrial construction at Waltrop was of crucial importance. The concurrent opening of the Dortmund-Ems canal was not at all coincidental. In fact it sent a clear message to the public in favour of a second powerful transport system complementing the railway networks.

The technical specifications of the state-of-the-art ship lift were a sensation. It allowed to move cargo boats of up to 750 tons in weight which nearly meant a doubling of the performance of comparable constructions in England, France and Belgium. The 70-metre long and 8.80-metre wide trough only needed two and a half minutes to cover the 14 metres between upstream and downstream side of the canal. The exhibition in the old engine house shows visitors how this was done and explains, by means of working models, the theory and practice of raising ships using air-inflated submerged bodies. Moreover it gives an impression of the historical background to the construction.

Until today the old Henrichenburg ship lift is a popular place. That's far from being self-evident. In 1962 a new ship lift was opened just up the road and the whole construction was threatened with demolition when it had to close down in 1970. It was only saved after a hard-fought grass-roots campaign which culminated, after complex restoration and reconstruction works, in the opening of the museum in 1992. Along with the neighbouring modern ship lift and two locks the museum offers vivid insights into inland waterways traffic and canal life during the last 100 years.