The Havelquelle was erected in 2007 south of the Mühlensee and symbolizes the beginning of the Havel as a 334 km long river through northeast Germany. With coats of arms are the most important cities and municipalities along the Havellauf represented.
The source of the Havel is difficult to find, because until the Havel "springs," sufficient water must accumulate in its large-scale headwaters. Since the Havel spring area is very poor in precipitation with an average of 580 mm per year, water from the large-scale area from Freidorf to Kratzeburg is needed until a constant outflow occurs.
Human intervention in this area since the Middle Ages has altered the origin of the Havel River - and thus the watershed between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea - several times. The most significant measure was the cut at Mühlensee, 3 km to the north, which was probably made in the 16th century.
Since then, the water from the Born-, Trinnen- and Mühlensee lakes flowed off in the direction of Ankershagen to operate a water mill there. As a result, the outflow to the south dried up, so that Lake Dambeck was considered the source of the Havel River for a long time. Due to melioration works in the 19th and 20th century the spring area was moved northwards again in the direction of Diekenbruch. Since 2004 this bog has been renaturalized again.
The dam between Mühlensee and Diekenbruch, on which the road from Ankershagen to Ulrichshof runs, is the watershed between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The Havel spring, which was built here in 2007, is now a popular destination for excursions.
