Schluchsee
lake in Germany
The Schluchsee (German pronunciation: [ˈʃluːxˌzeː]) is a reservoir lake in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, southeast of the Titisee in the Black Forest near Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
Name
In the Alemannic dialects of the region the name of the lake is the Schluechs [ʃluˑəχs] or Schlues [ʃluˑəs]. Historical sources also spell it with a diphthong: 983 lacus Sluochse, 1095 Schluochsee, 1125 predium Sluocse, 1312 der sê ze Sluoze. Thus it cannot be claimed that the name, as is often asserted, from the Middle High German slûch ="pipe, tube" (Alemannic Schluuch), because in this case in the present dialect and the historical sources no diphthong was available. Albert Krieger links the name to the Middle High German sluocht "ravine". But this meaning is also not accurate.
Location
The Schluchsee, with its height of 930 metres (3,050 ft) above sea level, is the highest reservoir in Germany and also the largest lake in the Black Forest. By contrast, the Hornberg Basin (Hornbergbecken) is 1,048 metres above sea level, but is the upper basin of a pumped storage hydropower station, rather than a reservoir.
The water of the reservoir is relatively cool even in summer because of its high elevation.
The best-known settlements around the Schluchsee are on its northern shores and include the eponymous town of Schluchsee and the hamlets of Seebrugg by the dam itself and Aha.
“Schluchsee” enters the record as lake in Germany. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Schluchsee, lake and Germany can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Schluchsee” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Schluchsee, lake and Germany provides the most credible route into that argument.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q835671. VIAF identifies the subject as 133173416. Authority coordinates are 47.821, 8.153. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1095, 1125 and 1312.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Schluchsee”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Schluchsee primary sources, Schluchsee archive and Schluchsee research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Schluchsee”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Schluchsee” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.