Lake constance

The names of the Upper and Lower Lake were given back in the days of the Roman Empire . The lower lake was named by the ancient authors of Lacus Acronius , and the Upper Lake was first given the name Lacus Brigantinus , then Lacus Venetus and finally Lacus Constantinus .

In the Middle Ages, the name Lacus Bodamicus appeared . But most European languages ​​retained the name Lacus Constantinus ( French: Lac de Constance , English Lake Constance , Italian. Lago di Costanza , Spanish Lago de Constanza , port Lago de Constança ). Lacus Bodamicus ( Bodensee ) took root only in German-speaking countries, and from there it came to the Dutch language ( Bodenmeer ), which later separated from the Low German and became an independent language. When and why the name "Bodensee" also spread to the Lower Lake and the Rhine is unknown.

The name "Bodensee" is supposedly derived from the village of Bodman . This place, located on the western shore of the Uberlingen See ( Überlinger See ), in the Middle Ages was for some time a Frankish palace, the Duke of Alemanni and a mint of regional significance, which could be the reason for the name of the lake (“Lake in Bodman” = Bodman-See). You can also compare the names of the Bodanrück Peninsula, the mountain chains between Lake Uberlingen and Lower Lake, and the history of the Bodman family.

Zoning

Lake Constance is located in the Pre-Alps. The length of the coastline of the two lakes is 273 km, of which 173 km are in Germany, 28 km in Austria and 72 km in Switzerland. The area of ​​Lake Constance is 535 km². Summing up the Upper and Lower Lakes, it is the third largest after Lake Balaton (594 km²) and Lake Geneva (582 km²) and the second largest lake in Central Europe in terms of water volume (48 km³) after Lake Geneva (89 km³). The catchment area is 11,500 km².

The territory of the Upper Lake is 473 km². It extends between Bregenz and Bodman-Ludwigshafen for 63.3 km, the maximum width is 14 km (between Friedrichshafen and Romanshorn ) and the deepest place between Fischbach (the area of ​​the city of Friedrichshafen) and Utvill is measured at 254 m. The northwest finger-shaped upper lake called Lake Uberlingen ( Überlinger See ). In general usage, Uberlingen Lake is considered as an independent part of the lake, the border between the Upper Lake and Uberlingen Lake runs along the line between the peak “Hörnle” of the Bodanrück Peninsula and Meersburg . The three small bays of the Vorarlberg coast have their own names: Bregenz Bay (German die Bregenzer Bucht ) is located in front of Bregenz, Fussach Bay (German die Fußacher Bucht ) is located in front of Hard and Fussach , and to the west of it is the so-called eye, which sees where a storm comes (German: Wetterwinkel ). To the west of it, already in Switzerland, is Rorschach Bay (German die Rorschacher Bucht ). To the north, on the Bavarian side, is the Gulf of Reutin (German die Reutiner Bucht ). The railway embankment from land to the Lindau island (German Lindau ) and the bridge across the lake for automobile communication separate from the Lake Constance the so-called “Little Lake”, which is located between the Aeschach region and the island. To the east of Konstanz is the Konstanzer Trichter Bay (German der Konstanzer Trichter ).

Lower Lake Untersee , which is separated from the Upper Lake or from the northwestern sleeve of Lake Uberlingen by the large Peninsula Bodaryuk, covers an area of ​​63 km². It is formed and strongly divided by the terminal moraines of various tsungs and middle moraines. These parts of the lake have their own names. To the north of the island of Reichenau is Lake Gnaden (German: Gnadensee ). To the west of the island of Reichenau, between the Höri peninsula (German Höri ) and the Mettnau peninsula (German Mettnau ), lies Lake Zeller (German Zellersee ). Drumlins of the southern part of the Bodaryuk peninsula continue on these northern parts of the lake. South of Reichenau, from Gottlieben to Eschenets , the Rhine extends with its partially pronounced course. On most maps, the name Rhine (German: Rheinsee ) is not represented.

Origin

The Lake Constance basin was formed during the last ice age due to the Rhine glacier protruding from the alpine valley. It can be described as a lake formed by a melting glacier.

Tributaries and Origins

Lake Constance is the only region in Europe where there are no formal boundaries, as there is no legally binding agreement defining the borders between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Therefore, the lake should not be considered as a common zone, but as an area that does not belong to any country. This area does not include the coast and the 25-meter coastal zone.

Switzerland maintains that the border runs in the middle of the lake, Austria believes that the situation on the lake is governed by international law, and on the banks - by national law, the position of Germany is ambiguous. Legal issues related to ship transportation and fishing are regulated in separate agreements ^[6] .

Passenger traffic on Lake Constance is carried out by several shipping companies (German, Austrian and Swiss). Together they are known as the “White Fleet of Lake Constance” ( German Weiße Flotte des Bodensees ). The oldest passenger ship on Lake Constance is the wheeled steamer SD Hohentwiel built in 1913.

• Clash over Lake Constance on July 1, 2002
• Lakes of Switzerland
• Mainau - "Flower Island" on the lake
• Clinic Friedrichshafen

• Lake Constance / I. S. Zaitseva // “Banquet Campaign” 1904 - Big Irgiz. - M .: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 2005. - P. 667. - ( Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. Ed. Yu. S. Osipov ; 2004—2017, vol. 3). - ISBN 5-85270-331-1 .
• Live webcam that broadcasts a view of Lake Constance and the city of Lindau located on its shore
• Lake Constance Tourism Organization (German)
• Lake Constance Guide