St. Mary Magdalene's flood

Following the passage of a Genoa low, the rivers Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, Weser, Werra, Unstrut, Elbe, Vltava and their tributaries inundated large areas.

Many towns such as Cologne, Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Würzburg, Regensburg, Passau and Vienna were seriously damaged.

It appears that after a prolonged hot and dry period, continuous rainfalls occurred, lasting several consecutive days and amounting to more than half of the mean yearly precipitation.

In Würzburg, the then-famous Steinerne Brücke (Stone Bridge) was washed away, and in Cologne it is said that a rowing boat could pass over the city's fortifications.

A precise number of casualties remains unknown, but it is believed that in the Danube area alone, 6,000 people perished.

High water marks in Frankfurt/Main at the Eiserner Steg
The high water mark at the "Packhof" in Hannoversch Münden indicates the St. Mary Magdalene's flood.
High water marks in Hannoversch Münden at the Blasius church