750th Anniversary of Alt Spandau and Berlinner Zille

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

750th Anniversary of Alt Spandau and Berlinner Zille

Post by aukepalmhof » Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:58 pm

For the 750th Anniversary of Spandau in 1957 the German Post issued a stamp of 20p which shows us a gravure made by Kuhlmey around 1850 from Alt Spandau, according to Navicula.
In the foreground are some watercraft depict which are “Berliner zille” used on the Spree-Havel Rivers. Most probably the craft depict was used for the transport of passengers.

Aak to Zumbra a dictionary of the World’s Watercraft gives for the “zille”
A generic term for a flat-bottomed barge-like craft that is found on many rivers, lakes, and canals of central Europe, notably the Danube and its tributaries and on the Elbe, Havel, Oder, Main, and the Vistula Rivers.
Used for cargo, local transportation, ferrying people, fishing, and wildfowling.
The name of the “zille” dates to at least the early 16th century.
Usually open or with a short end deck. The ends of the “kaffenzille” turn up in a flat surface terminating in a narrow, flat bow, the “stevenzille” had relatively sharp ends with stem and sternpost. Long and very narrow; flush-planked, the bottom has rocker; some on the Danube were more skiff-like with longer overhang and narrow bow.
Generally rowed, poled, or floats with the current; some early boats employed sails. Cargo boats were usually towed back up streams by horses.

Reported lengths 5 – 50m, widths 1-6m. very shallow depth.

Berlin 1957 20pf sgB155, scott?
Attachments
1957 kahn _159_Spandau.jpg

Post Reply