Uecker
The Uecker or Ucker is a river in the northeastern German states of Brandenburg, where it is known as the Ucker, and of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its source lies in the Uckermark district, one kilometer north of Ringenwalde. It flows northward through several lakes. The first one is Großer Krinertsee. The next ones are rather small.
Then there ars two large lakes, Lake Oberuckersee and Lake Unteruckersee, joined by the navigable section of the river, called "der Kanal", with the smaller Lake Möllensee in between. The island within Oberuckersee, in 10th century AD, was the residence of a Slavic ruler, and connected to the coast of the lake by a long wooden bridge. On the northern end of Unteruckersee, the city of Prenzlau is situated, nowadays district capital of Uckemark. In Middle Ages, it was granted urban rights by the Pomeranian Griffins earlier than Szczecin in 1234, short before they lost the Uckermark to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1250.
Most of the course below Unteruckersee is not navigable. An effort of von Arnim family to prepare it for large river boats ceased after few decades, in the 19th century.
Between Prenzlau and the junction of river Köhntop, it is sometimes even difficult to go on it by canoe.
Near the small village of Nieden, zhe river arrives in Hither Pomerania, where it is called Uecker. In this country, it passe throuh the towns of Pasewalk, Torgelow, and Eggesin. Pasewalk, as well as Prenzlau, has some important Brick Gothic architecture.
In Eggesin, the northern section of river Randow discharges into the Uecker. In Ueckermünde, the Uecker ends in Szczecin Lagoon, which is connected with the Baltic Sea by the three straits Peenestrom, Świna and Dziwna.
The name "Ucker" originates from a West Slavic language, the word vikru/vikrus, means "fast" or "quick". The Uecker gave its name to the Uckermark historical region and to the two districts Uckermark and Uecker-Randow.
