The dugout canoe

The first watercraft in the Spreewald must have looked something like the dugout canoe made around 1816, which is on display in the museum in Lehde. It was found in the mud of an almost dry river in a year of drought.

It was only with the technical possibilities of the sawmills that the barges made of side planks and boards known today were developed and used. But the Lehd’schen also tried their hand at the old craft again. In 2001, a dugout canoe was made from a poplar tree. The poplar stood on the banks of the Spree, had a diameter of one meter and was six meters long after being cut to size – ultimately the final dimensions for the “dugout canoe”.

It is important that the trunk “unrolls” in the water beforehand, finding its natural center of gravity in the water before processing begins. Despite modern technology, it took around 100 hours of work before the dugout canoe could be launched into the water. The old “Pawnik” made of poplar wood then lasted 20 years, but had to be repaired repeatedly from time to time. In 2019, it was still used for the traditional dugout canoe race at theLehde Festival.

The second dugout was completed in 2021. However, the old techniques such as stone axe and red-hot stones were too time-consuming, so modern equipment at least helps with the rougher work. After completion of the mold, the wood was “flamed” with fire to prevent rot and mold. The test with eight people was successful.