Raging Neisse

The Raging Neisse (Nysa Szalona, Wütende Neiße or Jauersche Neiße) is a river in Poland. It has a length of about 51 km and flows into the Kaczawa (Katzbach), which in turn flows into the Oder. Its largest tributary is the Little Neisse.

The Raging Neisse rises at a height of 600 m on the western side of a mountain called the Kokosz on the Waldenburg Heights. It flows down through the lowlands among the foothills of the Sudetes and the heights of Hainau, through the towns of Bolków (Bolkenhain) and Jawor (Jauer). It then merges with the Kaczawa (Katzbach) at a height of 141 m not far from Jawor near the village of Slup (Schlaup) on the battlefield of the Battle of Katzbach.

During heavy rain and due to its mountainous character, the water level of this small river can rise by up to 2.5 metres or about 8 feet, whence its name, the "Raging" Neisse.

Napoleonic Wars
The river became famous as a result of the Battle of Katzbach when fleeing French troops being pursued by Marschall Blücher were driven into the Katzbach and Raging Neisse rivers which were swollen as the result of a thunderstorm.

Literature

 * Henderson, Ernest F. (2015). Blücher And The Uprising Of Prussia Against Napoleon, 1806-1815.
 * Dodge, Lt. Col. Theodore Ayrault Dodge (2014). Napoleon: a History of the Art of War. [1907]
 * Dodge, Lt. Col. Theodore Ayrault Dodge (2014). Napoleon: a History of the Art of War. [1907]