View source for Leine

{{short description|River in Germany}}
{{about|the tributary of the Aller|other uses, including other rivers with the same name}}
{{Infobox river
 | name                 = Leine
 | map                  = Leine.png
 | map_size             = 280px
 | map_caption          = Course of the Leine 
 | image                = Ruthe-Leine-Winter.jpg
 | image_size           = 
 | image_caption        = The Leine near [[Sarstedt]]-Ruthe
 | mapframe             = yes
 | mapframe-zoom        = 6
 | subdivision_type1    = Country
 | subdivision_name1    = [[Germany]]
 | subdivision_type2    = [[States of Germany|States]]
 | subdivision_name2    = [[Thuringia]] and [[Lower Saxony]]
 | subdivision_type3    = Reference no.
 | subdivision_name3    = DE:&nbsp;488
 | length               = {{convert|281|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | width_avg            = 
 | depth_avg            = 
 | source1_location     = In [[Leinefelde-Worbis|Leinefelde]] in the [[Eichsfeld]]
 | source1_coordinates  = 
 | source1_elevation    = {{Höhe|340|DE-NN|link=true }}
 | mouth_location       = Near [[Schwarmstedt]] into the [[Aller (Germany)|Aller]] at km 52.26<ref name="laenge">[http://www.wsv.de/wasserstrassen/gliederung_bundeswasserstrassen/index.html Längen (in km) der Hauptschifffahrtswege (Hauptstrecken und bestimmte Nebenstrecken) der Binnenwasserstraßen des Bundes], Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes</ref>
 | mouth_coordinates    = {{Coord|52|43|22|N|9|35|38|E|display=inline,title}}
 | mouth_elevation      = {{Höhe|25|DE-NN|link=true}}
 | basin_population     = 
 | basin_landmarks      = {{ubl
 | Cities: [[Göttingen]], [[Hanover]]
 | Large towns: [[Leinefelde-Worbis|Leinefelde]], [[Northeim]], [[Einbeck]], [[Freden]], [[Alfeld (Leine)|Alfeld]],<br /> [[Laatzen]],  [[Seelze]], [[Garbsen]], [[Neustadt am Rübenberge]]
 | Small towns: [[Heilbad Heiligenstadt]], [[Gronau (Leine)|Gronau]], [[Elze]], [[Pattensen]]
 | Villages: [[Freden (Leine)|Freden]], {{ill|Burgstemmen|de}}, [[Bordenau]], {{ill|Bothmer, Schwarmstedt|lt=Bothmer|de|Bothmer (Schwarmstedt)}}
 }}
 | progression          = {{RAller}}
 | basin_size           = {{convert|6517|km2|abbr=on}} {{GeoQuelle|DE-NI|UK}}
 | discharge1_avg       = {{convert|5.3|m3/s|abbr=on}}
 | discharge1_location  = at Göttingen gauge
 | discharge2_avg       = {{convert|32.0|m3/s|abbr=on}}
 | discharge2_location  = Greene
 | discharge3_avg       = {{convert|52.3|m3/s|abbr=on}}
 | discharge3_location  = Herrenhausen
 | discharge4_avg       = {{convert|61.7|m3/s|abbr=on}}
 | discharge4_location  = Schwarmstedt
 | tributaries_right    = [[Garte]], [[Rhume]], [[Aue (Leine)|Aue]], [[Gande (river)|Gande]], [[Innerste]], [[Auter]]
 | tributaries_left     = [[Espolde]], [[Ilme]], [[Saale (Leine)|Saale]], [[Haller (river)|Haller]], [[Westaue]]
 | waterbodies          = 
 | ports                = 
 | bridges              = 
 | extra                = 
}}

The '''Leine''' ({{IPA|de|ˈlaɪnə|lang|De-Leine.ogg}}; [[Old Saxon]] ''Lagina'') is a river in [[Thuringia]] and [[Lower Saxony]], [[Germany]]. It is a left tributary of the [[Aller (Germany)|Aller]] and the [[Weser]] and is {{convert|281|km|mi|abbr=on}} long.
[[Image:Leine Nordstemmen.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Leine near [[Nordstemmen]]]]
The river's source is located close to the town of [[Leinefelde]] in Thuringia. About {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} downriver, the river enters Lower Saxony and runs northwards.

Important towns along its course, from upstream to downstream, are [[Göttingen]], [[Einbeck]], [[Freden]], [[Alfeld]], and [[Gronau, Lower Saxony|Gronau]], before the river enters [[Hanover]], the largest city on its banks. Downstream some {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of Hanover, near [[Schwarmstedt]], the river joins the Aller and reaches the [[North Sea]] via the [[Weser]]. Its northern (lower) reaches are only navigable today by the smallest commercial carriers, though in the past, it served as an important pre-[[railway]] [[barge]] transport artery as far upriver as Göttingen.

The river is somewhat polluted by industry, so the water is not used for drinking, but the pollution has never been severe enough to prevent fish from living in it. Like many western rivers since the 1960s, it has enjoyed increasingly cleaner waters since the implementation of environmental controls. [[Sport fishing]] is enjoyed from small boats and along the banks, although yields are normally low.

At least one point of the river (Göttingen) is partially diverted into a canal that runs more or less parallel to the river.

Serial killer [[Fritz Haarmann]] disposed of most of his victims' remains in the Leine river.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-victims-of-fritz-haarmann-memorial|title = The Victims of Fritz Haarmann Memorial}}</ref>

== In fiction ==

In his 1986 bestseller ''[[Red Storm Rising]]'', author [[Tom Clancy]] uses the Leine as a major obstacle to the [[Soviet Union]]'s [[Red Army]] drive to the [[Rhine]] and the North Sea ports of the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]] through [[West Germany]]. In reality, the river is a rather minor one, and, for most of its length, is quite narrow with a small flow volume. As such, it would not provide a significant barrier to an advancing army.

==See also==
*[[List of rivers of Thuringia]]
*[[List of rivers of Lower Saxony]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Uwe Schmida: ''Die Leine - Eine fotografische Reise''. {{ISBN|3-00-020567-5}}
* Gerd Lüttig: ''Neue Ergebnisse quartärgeologischer Forschung im Raume Alfeld-Hameln-Elze.'' In: ''Geologisches Jahrbuch'' vol. 77, page 337–390. Hannover, June 1960.

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Leine (river)|Leine}}
* [https://archive.today/20070628072907/http://www.bfn.de/0311_landschaft.html?landschaftid=37200 Bundesamt für Naturschutz: Landschaftssteckbrief "Leine-Ilme-Senke"]
* [https://archive.today/20070628072907/http://www.bfn.de/0311_landschaft.html?landschaftid=62704 Bundesamt für Naturschutz: Landschaftssteckbrief "Leine-Niederung"]

{{Leine basin}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Leine basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Thuringia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lower Saxony]]
[[Category:Federal waterways in Germany]]
[[Category:Rivers of Germany]]