Schunter

Schunter
Confluence of the Schunter (left) and Oker river near Groß Schwülper.
Country	Germany
Basin features
Main source	Elm 175 m (574 ft) 52°10′56″N 10°50′57″E / 52.18222°N 10.84917°E / 52.18222; 10.84917
River mouth	Oker 52°20′37″N 10°26′22″E / 52.34361°N 10.43944°E / 52.34361; 10.43944Coordinates: 52°20′37″N 10°26′22″E / 52.34361°N 10.43944°E / 52.34361; 10.43944
Basin size	603 km2 (233 sq mi)
Physical characteristics
Length	57 km (35 mi)

The Schunter is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a length of 58 km, right tributary of the Oker. It originates in the Elm hills near Räbke west of Helmstedt, flows northward to Süpplingenburg, then turns westward and joins the Oker at Schwülper, downstream of Braunschweig (Brunswick). Another municipality on the Schunter is Lehre.

The river was first mentioned as Schuntra in a 781 deed. The name may be of Slavic origin as sukątora means "with many angles". Its clear spring waters formerly supplied the paper mills of Räbke. In the 18th century it was also used for timber rafting of logs harvested in the Elm range.

Tributaries

Springs in the Elm.

Sources

• Theodor Müller: Schifffahrt und Flößerei auf der Schunter im 18. Jahrhundert. In: Forschungen zur Braunschweigischen Geschichte, 1954, 135-159
• Gunhild Ruben: Herzog Karl I. und der Schifffahrtskanal vom Elm nach Braunschweig. Braunschweig 2002
• Uwe Kleineberg: Chronik 975 Jahre Wenden. Braunschweig 2006, p.135ff