Henrichenburg Boat Lift

Ships rising 14 metres into the air together with a basin of water: the Henrichenburg Boat Lift near Waltrop, inaugurated on 11 August 1899 in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm II, was the world's first multi-float boat lift ever built and the most spectacular structure on the new Dortmund-Ems Canal. Today the green steel frame with its stone towers is a museum run by the LWL, and you can stand where barges once floated.

History: Dortmund's gateway to the North Sea

At the end of the 19th century the railways could barely keep up with the coal and steel industry's freight. A canal from Dortmund to Emden was to link the port to the North Sea, but between Datteln and Waltrop it had to overcome a 14-metre drop. Instead of a slow flight of locks, engineers chose a lift resting on floats, technically uncharted territory.

The lift ran almost without fault for over 60 years and survived two world wars. The Old Shaft Lock was added in 1914, and in 1962 a new lift for larger Europa-class barges. The old one stayed in reserve until 1969 and then fell into decay. A citizens' campaign prevented its demolition; the LWL took it over and turned it into an industrial museum.

How it worked

The heart of the system is the trough, a sealed water tank 70 by 8.8 metres with 2.5 metres of water. With water and steel it weighed around 3,050 tonnes. It rested on five floats, air-filled cylinders about 13 metres high sitting in 33-metre water-filled shafts. Their buoyancy exactly balanced the trough's weight, following Archimedes' principle. Whether a ship was in the trough or not made no difference: a ship displaces exactly as much water as it weighs.

What to see

• The lifting frame: You can explore the steel structure from above and below, including a look into the trough and down the float shafts.
• The stone towers: The four neo-Baroque towers were meant to show off Prussian confidence. The upper gate bears the Prussian coat of arms with crown, sceptre and orb, flanked by the arms of Westphalia and Hanover. The lower gate shows a woman's face crowned with battlements, "Fortuna".
• Engine house: At first two steam engines of 220 hp each generated electricity for the pumps, gates and lift motor, since there was no public power grid yet.
• Waltrop Lock Park: Right next door are the new lift of 1962, the shaft lock of 1914 and the large lock of 1989. They are not part of the museum but are easy to view from outside.

Opening hours and admission (as of October 2026)

• Open: Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed Mondays except public holidays.
• Admission: adults €8, reduced €4, children and young people up to 17 free.

Allow two to three hours, longer with a walk through the Lock Park.

With children

By the upper canal there is a water playground with a slide, climbing wall, raft and a small model of the lift where children crank little rafts up and down. It runs from March to October. In the exhibition the game "Clever Skipper" tests landlubbers' knowledge at seven stations, and on the second and fourth Sunday of the month there is a family tour at 2 pm.

Getting there

By car, take the A2 to the Castrop-Rauxel/Henrichenburg exit and follow the signs. By public transport, take light-rail line U41 to "Brambauer Verkehrshof" and then the bus to "Datteln/Wittener Straße". The museum is also easy to reach by bike along the canal.

Tripto tip

Take a break at the Gastrobus, a 1959 English double-decker right by the site. From the outdoor tables you look out over the lift and the boat landing. It is open from March to October, Tuesday to Sunday.