Römische Wasserleitung Hürth

In the charming town of Hürth, nestled in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, lies a remarkable testament to ancient engineering: the Römische Wasserleitung Hürth. These Roman aqueducts, known locally as Römische Wasserleitungen in Hürth, were the precursors to the later Eifel Aqueduct and are a fascinating glimpse into the ingenuity of Roman infrastructure. These aqueducts were designed to capture the spring waters of the Hürth streams, which previously seeped into the Rhine gravel, and channel them to the Roman settlements that preceded the city of Cologne, including the Oppidum Ubiorum around 19 BC and the later Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium from AD 50. This ensured that these settlements met Roman standards of water supply, a vital component of urban life in the ancient world.

The Oldest and Most Important Aqueduct: The Alt-Hürther Leitung

The Alt-Hürther Leitung is the oldest and most significant of the aqueducts, tapping into the source area of the Duffesbach. Based on Roman coins found at the sedimentation basin at the city boundary between Efferen and Cologne, it is estimated that the first aqueduct was constructed around AD 30. The source area, although not archaeologically confirmed, was likely located about 800 meters northwest of Knapsack, in the vicinity of the Goldenberg power plant and the Knapsack chemical park.

This aqueduct was buried and ran along the left bank of the stream, crossing modern-day Mühlenstraße, Schlangenpfad, Weierstraße, and Am Römerkanal, before reaching the area near the Hermülheim Castle. Despite extensive excavations, the final section of the aqueduct has not been found, even during the construction of the town hall and community center, which were believed to be along its path. However, parts of the aqueduct were uncovered during construction work on Schlangenpfad and (in 1938) on Am Römerkanal and Kreuzstraße.

A 30-meter section of the aqueduct was exposed on the slope of the former Villebahn at Kreuzstraße, revealing a rectangular inspection shaft made of tuff stone slabs. This shaft was displayed on Luxemburger Straße but was destroyed during the war. The aqueduct here had an internal height of 1.07 meters, with a width of 33 cm at the base and 44 cm at the top. Variations in the dimensions and materials of the Hürth aqueduct suggest expansions and capacity increases over time. The access road was named after the canal upon completion of the excavations. In 1952, another section of the aqueduct was found on Kreuzstraße, featuring a depression in the floor for a 5 cm thick pole, likely used for gradient measurement during construction.

The Burbacher Leitung

The Burbacher Leitung captured the springs of the Burbacher Bach, which, along with the old village of Berrenrath, was sacrificed to lignite mining in Hürth. The first discovery of this aqueduct was made in Alstädten. It measured only 18 cm in width and 12 cm in height, made of pebble concrete and covered with slate slabs. The aqueduct ran through the former Pescher farms to the collection point.

The Gleueler Leitung

The Gleueler Leitung tapped into the springs near the Sieben Sprünge by the now-excavated Aldenrath Castle. The spring enclosures, excavated in 1930, consisted of a slate slab floor and permeable walls with tuff slab covers, similar to those at the Grünen Pütz of the Eifel Aqueduct. The water was then transported in a stone canal. A section of this aqueduct is protected as a ground monument at Ernst-Reuther-Straße, No. 31. In the center of Gleuel, it intersected with the Frechen/Bachemer Leitung, likely the youngest of the aqueducts.

The Frechen/Bachemer Leitung

The Frechen/Bachemer Leitung, probably the youngest of the pre-mountain aqueducts, originated outside the Hürth city area but is worth mentioning here. Clear excavation results are still lacking. According to older topographical maps, the spring areas were west and northwest of Bachem, naturally draining towards the Frechener Bach.

The Hürth-Köln Aqueduct

Nothing has been found of the system that connected the pre-mountain aqueducts and later the Eifel Aqueduct near Hermülheim Castle. However, during construction work at the west corner of the Friedrich-Ebert-Realschule in Hermülheim in 1959, a part of the aqueduct to Cologne was discovered next to the Duffesbach. Further down, during the construction of the sports field in 1961, another section was excavated, supplemented, conserved, and covered, making it accessible to the public. Notably, two aqueducts are visible here: the lower one served the older aqueducts, running parallel to Luxemburger Straße to near the later Neumarkt in Cologne. The later Berrenrather Straße, like Kreuzstraße, likely served as a maintenance road for the important aqueduct. Near the later green belt, it had a sediment trap. Before the Eifel Aqueduct was connected, the aqueduct was elevated, using a gradient of only 0.10% from Hermülheim Castle, allowing the water to reach a higher elevation in Cologne for better distribution.

Exploring the Römische Wasserleitung Hürth offers a unique glimpse into ancient Roman engineering and the sophisticated water management systems that sustained their settlements. As you walk along the paths once traversed by Roman engineers, you can marvel at the ingenuity and foresight that allowed these aqueducts to function efficiently for centuries. Whether you are a history enthusiast or simply curious about the past, the Römische Wasserleitung Hürth is a captivating destination that brings the ancient world to life in the heart of modern Germany.