Anyone paddling near Leibsch should rest their paddles for a moment – because here lies a rare piece of technical history: the Leippsch Needle Lock, a technical monument with a roller gate and boat lane. The lock, originally part of the Hermsdorf Mill weir system, was built at the beginning of the 20th century to regulate the water level on the Dahme River and consists of a roller gate and a double gate – constructed of riveted steel.
Since 1999, the historic lock has been dismantled and rebuilt as a technical demonstration object directly at the old lock site. Anyone interested in historical hydraulic structures or simply wanting to see how water was controlled in the past will find what they are looking for here: rusty, powerful, and rich in detail.
The location is easily accessible for canoeists, even though the lock itself is no longer in operation. Those approaching from the Spree can rest at a suitable spot and look at the monument – an information board explains the technical data (e.g. dam height 1.8m, flow width up to 7m).