Uecker

For the surname, seeUecker (surname).

Uecker
The rivers Ucker/Uecker,Randow,andWelse
Location
Country	Germany
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Temmen-Ringenwalde
• coordinates	53°4′5″N13°42′49″E
• elevation	76 m (249 ft)
Mouth
• location	Szczecin Lagoon
• coordinates	53°45′0″N14°4′1.2″E
Length	98 km (61 mi)
Basin size	2,200 km2(850 sq mi)

Island of thegordinOberuckersee

The Uecker nearTorgelow

TheUecker(German pronunciation:[ˈʏkɐ]) orUckeris ariverin the northeasternGermanstates ofBrandenburg,where it is known as theUcker,and ofMecklenburg-Vorpommern.Its source lies in theUckermark district,one kilometer north ofRingenwalde.It flows northward through several lakes. The first one isGroßer Krinertsee.The next ones are rather small.

Then there are two large lakes, LakeOberuckerseeand LakeUnteruckersee,joined by the navigable section of the river, calledder Kanal,with the smaller Lake Möllensee in between. The island within Oberuckersee was the residence of aSlavicruler in the 10th century, and connected to the coast of the lake by a long wooden bridge. On the northern end of Unteruckersee the city ofPrenzlauis situated, nowadays the district capital of Uckermark. In Middle Ages, it was granted urban rights by thePomeranianGriffinsearlier thanSzczecinin 1234, shortly before they lost the Uckermark to theMargraviate of Brandenburgin 1250.

Most of the course below Unteruckersee is not navigable. An effort of thevon Arnimfamily to prepare it for large river boats ceased after a few decades in the 19th century. Between Prenzlau and the junction of the riverKöhntop,it is sometimes even difficult to travel by canoe. Near the small village ofNieden,the river arrives in (Mecklenbuurg-)Hither Pomerania,where it is called Uecker. In this country, it passes through the towns ofPasewalk,Torgelow,andEggesin.Pasewalk, as well as Prenzlau, features some importantBrick Gothicarchitecture.

In Eggesin, the northern section of the riverRandowdischarges into the Uecker. InUeckermünde,the Uecker ends inSzczecin Lagoon,which is connected to theBaltic Seaby the three straitsPeenestrom,ŚwinaandDziwna.

The nameUckeroriginates from aWest Slavic language,the wordvikru/vikrus,meaning 'fast' or 'quick'.The Uecker gave its name to theUckermarkhistorical region and to the two districts Uckermark andUecker-Randow.

References

• Heinrich, Gerd (1973).Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Band 10, Berlin und Brandenburg(in German). Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner Verlag. p. 563.ISBN978-3-520-31103-0.