Magic rainbow over the riverbank in the Oderbruch

by Silva Wischeropp

This photographic landscape shot shows a fantastic rainbow shortly before a heavy rain shower over the river Oder in the small town of Zollbrücke in the district of Märkisch-Oderland in the Oderbruch. The enchanting image motif with great weather spectacle was taken with the Nikon D90 in the early evening of 7 March 2019.
Zollbrücke is a residential area in the district of Zäckericker Loose in the municipality of Oderaue in the district of Märkisch-Oderland. Oderaue is administered by the Amt Barnim-Oderbruch.
The village of Zollbrücke came into being after the regulation of the Oder. In 1755, the first settlers built a wooden bridge over the Oder and charged customs for crossing the bridge. The village was named after the bridge. The farmers from Zäckerick (today Siekierki) used the structure to access their lands in the Oderbruch.
In 1806, an ice flood destroyed the bridge. It became dilapidated and was replaced by a ferry. The ferry ceased to operate in 1945 after the Second World War. The embankment remained as an opening and became a landmark of flood protection in the Oderbruch.
The flood in 1997 severely damaged the residential site. After the flood, the dyke was moved about six metres towards the Oder at the height of the Dammmeisterhaus. During the construction work, the old embankment embrasure had to be removed. A new embrasure was created, the bottom of which was reinforced with iron and filled with a special concrete. The side walls were faced with clinker bricks and fitted with railings. At this point, the dike is one metre higher than the previously measured high water level of 9.55 metres above sea level on 22 March 1940.