# Canonical recap data for Kiel Canal Opens to Traffic (1895)
# Source: https://recap.at/1895/kiel-canal-opening
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: kiel-canal-opening
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1895/kiel-canal-opening"
title: Kiel Canal Opens to Traffic
subtitle: The Kiel Canal's completion provided Germany direct naval access between the North Sea and Baltic, reshaping European maritime strategy.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1895-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1895
decade: 1890
country:
name: Germany
slug: germany
summaryShort: 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 ad
summaryLong: 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.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/13-09-23-Fotoflug-Nordsee-RalfR-N3S_0008.jpg/1280px-13-09-23-Fotoflug-Nordsee-RalfR-N3S_0008.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Kiel Canal"
importance: 75
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Canal"
  title: Kiel Canal
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- launch
metaDescription: 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-Holstei
wikidataQid: Q144825
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260620170724/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Canal"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-20
  label: Kiel Canal
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel_Canal"
