Oker

The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, 105 kilometres (65 mi) in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.

Origin and meaning of the name

The river's name was recorded around 830 as Obacra and, later, as Ovokare und Ovakara. The origin of the name is derived from the roots ov- and -akara meaning “upper” (cf. New High German ober-) and “onward rushing” (rendered in German as “Vorwärtsdrängende”) as distinct from its tributary, the Ecker, whose name means only “onward rushing”.

Course

The Oker rises at about 910 metres in the Harz National Park in a boggy area on the Bruchberg in the Harz mountains of central Germany. This early section is known as the Große Oker ("Great Oker") and it is impounded below Altenau by the Oker Dam (Okertalsperre). From the dam wall to the former village of Oker, which is today part of the borough of Goslar, the Oker is on certain occasions suitable for canoeing. This section, often called the "Oker Valley" (Okertal), includes the Romkerhall Waterfall. Here the Romke stream drops about 64 metres in height over a waterfall laid out in 1863 into the Oker. Downstream in the river's fast-flowing waters, the Verlobungsinsel ("Betrothal Island") is to be found. Left and right of the Oker in this area are many crags that are popular with climbers.

Oker (Goslar)

Oker has been part of the borough of Goslar in central Germany since 1972. It lies on the edge of the Harz mountains and has a population of 7,282 (as at 2006). Previously Oker had been a parish within Wolfenbüttel district since 1952.

Geography

Location

The village lies at the exit of the Oker valley between the Hahnenberg and Adenberg hills in the south and Sudmerberg in the north. Oker is divided into two unofficial districts: Oberoker ("Upper Oker"), south (and nearer the Harz) of the railway line, and Unteroker ("Lower Oker"), north of it.

The river Oker gives its name to the village.

History

Founded in 1527 as a smelting site for the processing of ore from the Rammelsberg mines, Oker was a centre of Harz smelting technology . In 1819 a branch of the Brunswick Postal Service was opened. This was moved to the railway station on the opening of the railway between Goslar and Vienenburg (on 23 March 1866).

Economy

Today Oker is home to chemical-metallurgical, recycling and specialised industrial concerns, like Harz-Metall and Norzinco. The largest employer in Oker and the district of Goslar is a factory belonging to H.C. Starck-Gruppe.