ELSTER

elster, the name of two rivers of germany. (1) the schwarze (black) elster rises in the lausitz range, on the southern border of saxony, flows n. and n.w., and after a course of 112 m. enters the elbe a little above wittenberg. it is a sluggish stream, winding its way through sandy soil and frequently along a divided channel. (2) the weisse (white) elster rises in the north-western corner of bohemia, a little north of eger, cuts through the vogtland in a deep and picturesque valley, passing plauen, greiz, gera and zeitz on its way north to leipzig, just below which city it receives its most important tributary, the pleisse. at leipzig it divides, the main stream turning north-west and entering the saale from the right a little above halle; the other arm, the luppe, flowing parallel to the main stream and south of it enters the saale below merseburg. total length, 121 m.; total descent, 1286 ft.