---
title: "Kiel Canal Opens to Traffic"
year: 1895
country: "Germany"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1895/kiel-canal-opening"
slug: "kiel-canal-opening"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1895-01-01"
---

# Kiel Canal Opens to Traffic

> The Kiel Canal's completion provided Germany direct naval access between the North Sea and Baltic, reshaping European maritime strategy.

## Summary

The Kiel Canal is a 98-kilometer-long (61 mi) freshwater canal that links the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. It runs through the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, from Brunsbüttel, at the mouth of the Elbe, to Holtenau, on the Kiel Fjord. It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 and widened between 1907 and 1914. In addition to the two sea entrances, the canal is linked at Oldenbüttel to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal.

## Sources

- [Kiel Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Canal) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1895/kiel-canal-opening