Harz
A highland area in northern Germany with the region's highest elevations.
The Harz, often called the Harz Mountains, is a rugged highland region in northern Germany and the highest area in that part of the country. It stretches across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name comes from the Middle High German word *Hardt* or *Hart*, meaning hill forest. The highest peak is the Brocken, which rises to 1,141.1 meters above sea level.
The range runs about 110 kilometers from Seesen in the northwest to Eisleben in the east, and is up to 35 kilometers wide, covering an area of 2,226 square kilometers. It is split into two main sections: the Upper Harz in the northwest, which reaches up to 800 meters high (except for the 1,100-meter Brocken massif), and the Lower Harz in the east, which tops out around 400 meters and has plateaus suitable for farming. The Upper Harz includes the districts of Goslar and Göttingen in Lower Saxony; the Lower Harz lies within the Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz districts in Saxony-Anhalt. The boundary between them roughly follows a line from Ilsenburg to Bad Lauterberg, which also separates the river catchments of the Weser (Upper Harz) and the Elbe (Lower Harz). The southeastern part of the Upper Harz, known as the High Harz, contains the Brocken massif, which exceeds 1,000 meters. Besides the Brocken, other notable peaks include the Heinrichshöhe (1,044 m), Königsberg (1,023 m), the Acker-Bruchberg ridge (927 m), the Achtermannshöhe (925 m), and the Wurmberg (971 m), the latter being the highest peak entirely within Lower Saxony. In the far east, the mountains transition into the East Harz foothills, dominated by the Selke Valley. Part of the southern Harz lies in the Thuringian district of Nordhausen. The Harz National Park protects the Brocken and its surrounding wilderness. About 600,000 people live in the region’s towns and villages.
Because the Harz receives heavy rainfall, its rivers were dammed early on. The two largest dams are the Oker Dam and the Rappbode Dam. Early mountain communities also created ponds, like the Oderteich, as part of the Upper Harz waterways. Today, 17 dams block twelve rivers, using the abundant water to generate electricity, supply drinking water, prevent floods, and provide water during dry spells. Modern dam-building began with the Söse Valley Dam, built between 1928 and 1931, while the Upper Harz lakes include some of Germany’s oldest still-operating dams
- location
- Northern Germany (Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia)
- length
- 110 kilometres
- width
- 35 kilometres
- area
- 2,226 square kilometres
- highest_point
- Brocken (1,141.1 m)
- population
- Approximately 600,000
- type
- Highland area / fault-block range
Lore & Background
The Harz is divided into the Upper Harz in the northwest, which is up to 800 m high apart from the 1,100 m high Brocken massif, and the Lower Harz in the east which is up to around 400 m high. The Upper Harz features fir forests, while the Lower Harz has deciduous forests interspersed with meadows. The dividing line between Upper and Lower Harz follows approximately a line from Ilsenburg to Bad Lauterberg, separating the catchment areas for the Weser and Elbe rivers. The Harz National Park covers the Brocken and surrounding wilderness area.
Reader's Guide
The Harz is significant as the most geologically diverse of the German Mittelgebirge, dominated by argillaceous shales, slaty greywackes, and granite intrusions. Its formation began during the Hercynian mountain building of the Carboniferous period, about 350 to 250 million years ago. The Harz is a fault-block range that rises abruptly from the surrounding lowlands in the west and northeast and gradually dips towards the south. Climatically, it has lower temperatures and higher precipitation than surrounding land, with the windward side receiving up to 1,600 mm of rain annually. The 17 dams in the Harz block a total of twelve rivers and are used to generate electricity, provide drinking water, prevent flooding, and supply water in times of scarcity. The Harz is also known for its six altitudinal vegetation zones, from the subalpine Brocken summit to the colin zone at the edge of the range.
Did You Know?
- The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart, meaning hill forest.
- The Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz at 1,141.1 metres above sea level.
- The Harz has 17 dams that block a total of twelve rivers.
- The Harz is the most geologically diverse of the German Mittelgebirge.
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