City of Weimar

What once used to be standing water, artificially created by the Heydenreich manor brewery for the purpose of ice making, is a valuable biotope today. In the years after the brewery stopped using the water, an entire ecosystem began to evolve in the area. As early as 1975, officials recognised the significance of the ponds for fauna and flora. Consequently, the area located east of the Ehringsdorf district in the floodplain of the Ilm was put under conservation order as a natural monument. On 5 August 2004, the decision was finally taken to designate the 9.5 ha area, whose centrepiece is formed by the two ponds, as a protected landscape component under the name “Brauereiteiche Ehringsdorf.”

Over time, the ponds slowly began to silt up, posing a growing threat to the existence of numerous animal and plant species the further the silting spread. The cause of the problem can be found in the enormous amounts of foliage falling from the surrounding trees every year and the deposition of sediments resulting from repeated flood events.

Beyond creating habitats for the European grass snake, the project aimed to protect the biosphere of various aquatic insects, amphibians, and birds. Therefore, measures such as removing trees around the ponds and opening and deepening the spillways to the drainage ditch were necessary. In addition, two-thirds of the surface area of both ponds were desilted with the help of dredgers, and an adjustable outlet structure was set up to control the water regime. In the final step, deadwood and green waste were stacked up in piles to create partial retreat and reproduction habitats for the grass snake. After successfully completing the works, the two artificially created biotopes were turned over to the district again on 26 March 2021.