LUDWIG-DANUBE-MAIN CANAL

A historic crane to load and unload the canal boats.

Many such information boards are placed along the canal. They explain its history or some canal buildings. In Worzeldorf we can read the following:

"The canal ports were made up of a single-sided broadening of the canal containing landing stages and technical equipment to load and unload canal boats. Cranes with a payload of up to 30 cwt (1 cwt = 50,8 kg) were developed by the Nuremberg mechanist J.W.Späth.

To save costs usually only simple wooden storehouses were built on the factory premises.

Port masters were responsible for undisturbed operation. In smaller ports they where also responsible for the tasks of crane master, storehouse administrator and collector. The latter was collecting the navigation charges.

Demurrage was charged from all ships that stayed longer than 18 hours. Crane and storage charges had to be paid based on the amount and kind of transacted goods.

Between 1860 and 1910 Worzeldorf handled the highest amount of cargo. Up to 12,000 t of sandstones from quarries of the surrounding area were shipped annually from here, mainly towards Nuremberg.

Products of the steam-brickyard, that was located near the canal port from 1860 until 1922 were the second most important merchandise."