Möhne Dam Möhnesee

The Ruhr Dam Association (RTV) was founded in 1899 to manage the region’s growing water demand. Initially supporting third-party projects, RTV began building its own dams in 1904.

The Möhne Valley was chosen for its favorable terrain and low population. Ernst Link led construction, incorporating Otto Intze’s gravity dam design with waterproofing features. Franz Brantzky designed the exterior.

Construction started in 1908, finished ahead of schedule, and the reservoir flooded in 1912. Official inauguration followed in 1913, costing 25 million marks, submerging two villages and displacing 700 residents.

A hydroelectric plant was included, requiring a balancing pond to regulate flow. The dam was Europe’s largest until 1914, when the Eder Dam surpassed it.

The Möhne Dam was heavily damaged during Operation Chastise on May 16-17, 1943, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Using specially designed roller bombs, British Avro Lancaster bombers bypassed torpedo nets, striking the base of the dam, where explosions created a 77-meter-wide, 22-meter-deep breach.

The floodwave devastated the power plant and compensation pond, killing between 1,284 and 1,600 people, with deaths recorded over 100 km away in Essen-Steele. The Möhnewiesen forced labor camp in Neheim suffered the most casualties, and memorials stand today at Himmelpforten Monastery and St. John's Church.

The attack also targeted the Eder and Sorpe Dams, aiming to cripple Ruhr’s war industry, though the Sorpe Dam remained mostly intact. The event was later depicted in the 1954 film The Dam Busters and revisited in a 2019 Quarks video about the forced laborers.

Reconstruction began immediately, with forced laborers working around the clock under the Todt Organization. By October 3, 1943, the dam was operational, though its drainage system remained compromised. Nazi propaganda highlighted the swift rebuild, but the economic impact on the Ruhr was less severe than expected, and the Allies never targeted the rebuilt dam again.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: 0