The Spreewald barge

The Spreewald barge has existed in its present form for around 200 years. The barge is built as a transverse plank or transverse bottom barge. The floor boards are attached to the curved side planks or side walls at right angles to the direction of travel. In order to achieve a certain durability, the traditional wooden barges are made from pine wood, but also from fir or larch.

In order for the barge to be tapered at the ends in the typical shape, the sides must first be slowly and carefully heated and bent over an open fire. The cut “sides” are braced at one end and then bent over an open fire, water and with a lot of experience and feeling for the wood. Depending on the nature of the wood, the bending process takes about an hour. The traditional wooden barges are currently still being built in two workshops in and around Lübbenau.

The wooden barges are available in different sizes:

• Small “fishing barges”: slim, maneuverable, fast. Just 6 m long and 1 m wide. A primitive “stand-up paddleboard” so to speak.
• Larger “middle barges”: For up to 10-12 people.
• So-called “ox barges”: up to 7.80 m long and 1.40 m wide. These large barges have a load capacity of up to 4000 kg of weight.

But be careful, loading a wooden barge is a science in itself, because the loads have to be evenly distributed and, above all, loaded slowly. Otherwise the sides or floorboards will “rip out”.

Wooden barges also need careful maintenance. They are pulled ashore during the winter and especially when it freezes, as they do not tolerate ice. As each farmstead had several different wooden barges, hauling them out has always been a joint effort that only succeeded with the help of the neighbors. And a wooden barge is never hauled out with a metal shovel. A barge scoop made of poplar wood is always preferred. But that’s another story …