Living Cultural Heritage
Construction and use of the Spreewald barge
The Spreewald Barge, cołn in Lower Sorbian, is a historic means of transport adapted to the conditions of the countless streams in the Spreewald. It is part of the Spreewald’s cultural landscape and has been used in various situations, such as christenings, as a school barge, for transporting goods, for weddings or even as a funeral barge.
Historically, the barge evolved from dugout canoe, which remained in use until mid-19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, barges began to be constructed from several longitudinal and transverse planks, resulting in the keelless, flat shape of the Spreewald barge. While initially different types of wood were used to build barges, sheet steel was used as a new material starting in 1966. The first aluminum barges were manufactured in 1973.
Today, the barges are made of either wood or aluminum. The construction of wooden barges requires specific knowledge that is available only to a small group of craft businesses or private individuals. However, limited availability of suitable wood is a risk to the craft. Negative environmental influences and a small number of healthy old trees make this resource rare. A wooden Spreewald barge also requires special care, as it must be taken out of the water at least once a year to dry and be treated with pine tar.
In contrast to the complex maintenance of wooden barges, aluminum barges require almost no servicing and can be reliably used even during the winter months.
Today, there are only a few carpenters that commercially manufacture wooden barges and a few metalworking companies that manufacture aluminum Spreewald barges. However, due to the aging of the current manufacturers and the small number of skilled workers succeeding them, the number of businesses is declining. In addition to these commercial activities, there is also a small group of private individuals who build their own Spreewald barges.
Even today, barges accompany people as a means of transportation in their daily lives.
Preserving, documenting and sharing knowledge about Spreewald barges is the goal of several activities in the region. The Lehde Open-Air Museum includes a former barge workshop and introduces visitors to traditional wooden barge building. The region’s identity-forming character is also reflected in a wealth of events centered around and featuring the Spreewald barge.
Construction and use of Spreewald barges have been listed in the German National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2023.
