Havel

Havel (hä`fəl), river, c.215 mi (350 km) long, rising in the lake region of Mecklenburg, N Germany. It flows generally S through West Berlin to Potsdam where it turns west. At Brandenburg it turns northwest and enters the Elbe River near Havelberg. It is navigable for most of its length. The Spree River, its chief tributary, joins it at Spandau. The Havel is linked with the Oder River by the Oder-Spree Canal. During the Soviet blockade of Berlin (1948) the Havel was used as a runway for amphibian aircraft.

---

Havel¹

Václav . born 1936, Czech dramatist and statesman: founder of the Civil Forum movement for political change: president of Czechoslovakia (1989--92) and of the Czech Republic (1993--2003). His plays include The Garden Party (1963) and Redevelopment (1989)

---

Havel²

a river in E Germany, flowing south to Berlin, then west and north to join the River Elbe. Length: about 362 km (225 miles)

---

Havel 

a river in the German Democratic Republic, a right tributary of the Elbe. A small section of the Havel is in West Berlin. The river is 341 km long and drains an area of 24,400 sq km. It rises in the Mecklenburg Lakes Region and flows through a series of lakes and reservoirs. Dams regulate the river’s flow. The Havel’s principal tributary is the Spree. The mean flow rate is approximately 80 cu m per sec; maximum flow occurs in February and March.

Canals land locks render the Havel navigable for almost its entire length, and canals link it with the Oder and the Elbe. The cities of Berlin, Potsdam, and Brandenburg are situated on the Havel.