About Edersee Dam

The Edertalsperre, known simply as the Edersee, is one of Germany's most iconic reservoirs and the second largest by volume at 199.3 million cubic metres. Completed in 1914 for flood control, low-water augmentation of the Weser and Fulda rivers, and hydroelectric generation, the dam spans the Eder valley in the northern Hesse highlands near the historic Kellerwald forest — now a UNESCO-listed national park. The concrete masonry arch dam stands 48 metres tall and holds back a reservoir that winds for 27 kilometres through heavily wooded valleys. The Edersee gained international infamy during the Second World War when the RAF's 617 Squadron, the famous 'Dambusters', breached it on 16 May 1943 using Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb, releasing a devastating flood wave that killed more than 1,200 people downstream. The dam was rebuilt within months. Today the Edersee is Hesse's most visited tourist attraction, with boat trips, the historic Burg Waldeck castle overlooking the southern shore, and a viaduct at Bringhausen that disappears underwater during high fill periods and re-emerges dramatically as summer droughts lower the level. The reservoir is managed by the Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Hann. Münden and regulated to support year-round navigation on the Weser.