The Ruhr is a river in western Germany ( North Rhine-Westphalia ), a right tributary (east-side) of the Rhine .
6-595: The Hönne is a left tributary river to the Ruhr , flowing through the northern Sauerland hills in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . The spring of the Hönne is located in the west of Neuenrade at 437m above sea level. After 33 km the river ends near the town of Fröndenberg . The total catchment area of the river is 262 km². Most notable is the narrow valley between Balve and Menden , where
12-629: The Hönne has carved 60m deep into Devonian limestone . Several caves are located in the valley, of which the Balver Höhle and the Reckenhöhle are accessible for visitors. When the water level in the river is low, some parts of the valley fall dry as the water flows subterraneously through the Karst rocks. Several of the tributary brooks in that valley also flow subterraneously for some parts of their course. Many caves were formed throughout
18-715: The Hönne. The biggest culture cave in Europe is located in Balve . A cave with flowstone , the Reckenhöhle, is also nearby. Some experts found signs of cannibalism in the caves (especially the Karhofhöhle) that date from 1000 to 700 BCE. Ruhr (river) The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 670 metres (2,200 ft). It flows into
24-705: The Ruhr from 1923 to 1924 by French forces, due to the Weimar Republic 's failure to continue paying reparations from World War I , provoked passive resistance , which saw production in the factories grind to a halt. As a result, the German hyperinflation crisis grew even worse. During World War II , two of the dams on the Ruhr, the Möhne Dam and the Sorpe Dam were targets for Operation Chastise , in which special "bouncing bombs" were developed to take out
30-611: The lower Rhine at an elevation of only 17 metres (56 ft) in the municipal area of Duisburg . Its total length is 219 km (136 mi), its average discharge is 79 cubic metres per second (2,800 cu ft/s) at Mülheim near its mouth. Thus, its discharge is, for example, comparable to that of the river Ems in Northern Germany or the River Thames in the United Kingdom . The Ruhr first passes
36-434: The towns of Meschede , Arnsberg , Wickede , Fröndenberg , Holzwickede , Iserlohn , and Schwerte . Then the river marks the southern limit of the Ruhr area , passing Hagen , Dortmund , Herdecke , Wetter , Witten , Bochum , Hattingen , Essen , Mülheim , and Duisburg . The Ruhr area was Germany's primary industrial area during the early- to mid-20th century. Most factories were located there. The occupation of
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