Page "Unstrut" Paragraph 7

Due to its marshy character, the Unstrut was not navigable for ships for a long time.

Finally, in the years 1790-1794, the river was made navigable on the orders of the Elector of Saxony.

It became an important shipping lane for a century ; in particular, sandstone and limestone were shipped.

From 1889, when the Unstrut Railway ( Unstrutbahn ), was built alongside the river, the significance of the waterway as a transport route was much reduced.