Rur
The Rur between Monschau and Dedenborn
Origin	Hautes Fagnes
Mouth	Meuse 51°11′52″N 5°58′52″E / 51.19778°N 5.98111°E / 51.19778; 5.98111Coordinates: 51°11′52″N 5°58′52″E / 51.19778°N 5.98111°E / 51.19778; 5.98111
Basin countries	Germany, Netherlands, Belgium
Length	±170 km
Source elevation	660 m
Mouth elevation	17 m
Basin area	2,340 km²

The Rur (German; in Dutch and French: Roer), — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the river Meuse. About 90% of the river is in Germany.

Geography [link]

The Rur rises in the Hautes Fagnes/Hohes Venn National Park, near the 696 meter-tall Signal de Botrange in Belgium at an altitude of 660m. South of Monschau it flows into Germany, through North Rhine-Westphalia. It flows first through the northern part of the Eifel hills.

After 39 km it reaches the Rurstausee, the second-largest artificial lake in Germany. After approx. 160 km it flows into the Netherlands, and at its 170 km mark it flows into the river Meuse at the city of Roermond.

Major tributaries of the river Rur include the Inde and the Wurm. Cities along the Rur are Monschau, Heimbach, Nideggen, Düren, Jülich, Linnich, Hückelhoven, Heinsberg (all in Germany) and Roermond (Netherlands).

Tributaries [link]

The Rur river

• Ellebach
• Inde
• Kall
• Malefinkbach
• Merzbach
• Wurm
• Olef
• Urft

History [link]

The Rur represented an important front in the Allied push towards Germany at the end of the Second World War.

Operation Blackcock was the code name for the clearing of the Roer Triangle formed by the towns of Roermond, Sittard and Heinsberg. It was conducted by the 2nd British Army in January 1945 between 14 and 26 January 1945. The objective was to drive the German 15th Army back across the Rivers Rur and Wurm and move the frontline further into Germany. The operation was carried out under command of the XII Corps by three divisions. The operation is relatively unknown despite the sometimes fierce battles that were fought for each and every village and hamlet within the "Roer Triangle".

Between 16 December 1944 and 23 February 1945, the U.S. Ninth Army was unable to advance across the Rur because German forces controlled dams close to the river's source in the densely forested region of the Hohes Venn. This meant Axis forces could potentially blow the dams, releasing enough water to wash out an Allied assault. At the same time, the German Ardennes Offensive meant any further westward push would leave Allied forces stretched and supply lines exposed. Eventually the counteroffensive was overwhelmed and German engineers, under pressure of aerial and artillery bombardment, released the dams. As the flood waters began to subside, Allied forces crossed the Rur in rafts in the early hours of February 23, 1945, as part of Operation Grenade.

The Rur near Hückelhoven

See also [link]

From 1795 until 1815, when Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany were incorporated into France, there was a département named after the river Rur, see Roer (département). From Heimbach to Linnich, the tracks of the Rurtalbahn (Rur Valley Railway) run along the river.

External links [link]

• Roercrossing of the 102. Infantry Division 1944/45 documents and photos