Søerne Københavns Indre Søer – bedre kendt som Søerne – er naturlige søer med tilpassede breder beliggende centralt i København. De fem søområder har tre navne: • Sankt Jørgens Sø består af to dæmningsadskilte søområder og strækker sig fra Gammel Kongevej ved Planetariet til Kampmannsgade (dæmning) og videre til Gyldenløvesgade (dæmning). • Peblinge Sø beliggende mellem Gyldenløvesgade og Dronning Louises Bro, der forbinder Nørrebrogade med Frederiksborggade. Sortedams Sø består også af to dæmningsadskilte søområder og strækker sig fra Dronning Louises Bro til Fredensbro (dæmning) og videre til Østerbrogade. Historie Det område, som i dag udgør Søerne, lå oprindeligt som en lang ådal i en bue uden for byens volde. I den tidlige middelalder havde man behov for et vandløb til mølledrift, hvorfor man opdæmmede vandet i ådalen og derved skabte Peblinge Sø. Efter Københavns belejring i 1523 ønskede man at udvide voldgravene for at styrke byens befæstning. Dæmningen ved Peblinge Sø blev forhøjet, og en ny dæmning – Sortedam – blev anlagt, hvorved Sortedams Sø blev dannet. I begyndelsen af 1600-tallet opstod også Sankt Jørgens Sø som følge af yderligere opstemninger. Herved kunne voldgravene mellem voldene og søerne oversvømmes i tilfælde af angreb. Udover at være en del af byens forsvarsværk indgik Peblinge og Sortedams Søer også i byens vandforsyning. I årene 1705–1727 foretog man oprensninger af de to søer. De blev gravet dybere, og kanterne blev rettet til, så de fik deres nuværende form. I midten af 1800-tallet blev Peblinge og Sortedams Søer opgivet som vandreservoirer pga. dårlig vandkvalitet. I stedet tog man Sankt Jørgens Sø i brug, der i den forbindelse blev gravet ud til den form, den har i dag. Sankt Jørgens Sø havde en central rolle i Københavns vandforsyning frem til 2. verdenskrig og fungerede som reservereservoir frem til 1959. Langs østsiden af Sankt Jørgens Sø – mellem Gammel Kongevej og "Dæmningen"/Kampmannsgade – lå en serie vandrensningsbassiner (et sandfilteranlæg) med en rørforbindelse ind til vandværket fra 1857 ved Axeltorv/Studiestræde. Arealet med disse vandrensningsbassiner blev senere kaldt Vandfiltergrunden, et område der nu er bebygget. (Området mellem de sydlige dele af Vester Søgade og Nyropsgade, på begge sider af Herholdtsgade). Den første Fredensbro blev anlagt over Sortedams Sø 1878 som en smal træbro. Den nuværende Fredensbro (dæmning), blev anlagt i 1976–1977. De lodrette sider af granit omkring Peblinge Sø og Sortedams Sø stammer fra 1929, hvor også gangstierne rundt om søerne blev anlagt. I 1960'erne blev det foreslået at inddrage store dele af søerne til en firesporet omfartsvej, Søringen, men projektet blev ikke til noget. Tværtimod blev Søerne fredet i 1966[1]. Ordet pebling i Peblinge Sø betyder elev på en latinskole. Sankt Jørgens Sø har sit navn fra et spedalskhedshospital, Sankt Jørgens Gården, der fra 1261 eller tidligere og frem til 1524 har ligget i nærheden af den nuværende sø. Sankt Jørgen er det danske navn for Sankt Georg, der blandt mange andre egenskaber er skytspatron/skytshelgen for de spedalske. Tilsvarende Sankt Jørgens Gårde eller Sankt Jørgens Hospitaler fandtes udenfor mange danske og nordiske byer. Sankt Jørgens Sø har fra "gammel tid" af en dæmning været opdelt i to dele. Kampmannsgade blev i 1933 ført hen over dæmningen, men vejstrækningen mellem de to dele af søen blev i mange år efter stadig kaldt Dæmningen. The lakes (from wikipedia)
History
Originally the area, which the lakes now form, was one long stream. It had an arch shape and was just outside the city levees. In the early Middle Ages, a need of water for watermills was determined. As a result of this a dam was built and the Peblinge Sø was created.
As a result of a siege of Copenhagen in 1523, it was decided to expand the entrenchments in order to improve the fortifications of the city. The levee at Peblinge Sø was expanded and another was created, which resulted in the creation of Sortedams Sø. In the beginning of the 16th century, Sankt Jørgens Sø was created, by further damming. This made it possible to flood the banks and lakes in case of an attack.
Peblinge Sø and Sortedams Sø also served as reservoirs for the city, and in the period 1705-1727 they were cleaned and dug deeper. The edges were also straightened, giving them their current shape. In the middle of the 18th century they were discontinued as a source of drinking water, due to poor water quality. Sankt Jørgens Sø was to be used instead and it was cleaned and straightened in a similar manner as had the two other lakes 120 years earlier. Until the end of World War II, it played a central role in as a reservoir in Copenhagen and as a backup reservoir until 1959.
The first Fredensbro (bridge) was built across Sortedams Sø in 1878 as a small wooden bridge. The current Fredensbro is a wide levee, that separates the two basins. It was created in 1976-1977.
The vertical slopes of Peblinge Sø and Sortedams Sø were made in 1929, where the pathways surrounding the lakes also were made. In the 60's it was suggested a four lane city ring (named Søringen) be constructed, but the project was disbanded and the lakes were granted the a status of a protected area in 1966.
Fugleøen was raised to fame in 1967, when it was "liberated" by a group of activists, who declared it an independent state, separate from Denmark.
Geography
The landmark consist of three artificial lakes, which are divided into five basins:
- Sankt Jørgens Sø (English: Saint George's Lake) is made of two basins (south and north) with the southernmost point at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium and northernmost point at Gyldenløvesgade (a continuation of H. C. Andersens Boulevard which passes the city hall square. The two basins are divided by levee that serves as a foundation for the street Kampmannsgade.
- Peblinge Sø (English: Student Lake). A single basin between Gyldenløvesgade and Dronning Louises Bro (English: Queen Louise's Bridge), which is the continuation of Nørrebrogade. The word pebling means little priest, and was used metaphorically for any student in the elementary and secondary schools in Denmark during the time when the church was the sole provider of education.[1]
- Sortedams Sø (English: Black Pond Lake or Black Dam Lake) consists of two basins (north and south). The southernmost point is by the Dronning Louises Bro, while the northernmost is by Østerbro. The lakes are separated by Fredensbro (English: Bridge of the Peace).
Water
The lakes inlet is through piped streams (Grøndalsåen, Lygteåen and Ladegårdsåen). These streams jointly provide water from the wet-area Utterslev Mose, the lake Emdrup Sø and to a lesser degree the lake Damhussøen. Ladegårdsåen was converted from an open stream to a piped stream in 1925 and is located below the streets Ågade and Åboulevarden. It provides water for Peblinge Sø and has its endpoint near the pavilion Søpavillonen (English: The Lake Pavilion). From the lakes the water is streamed further on, with an endpoint at the north end of Sortedams Sø, to the lakes in Østre Anlæg, the Fredrikshavn Entrenchment and Øresund. The water has an average time in the lakes of approximately 1 year.
The water in Utterslev Mose and Emdrup Sø is very high in nutrients. As a result of this, large quantities of algae formed in the lakes and the water became rather unclear as well as hindering animal and plant life. In 1999 the municipality of Copenhagen erected a water treatment plant by Emdrup Sø, to clean the water that was being led to the lakes.This allowed for the re-creation of the water environment. Currently the water is much more clear and animal and plant life are present.
