Rühen

Rühen (German pronunciation: [ˈʁyːən]) is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The Municipality Rühen includes the villages of Brechtorf, Eischott and Rühen.

Rühen
Municipality
Lutheran church
Coat of arms
Location of Rühen within Gifhorn district
Rühen Show map of Germany Rühen Show map of Lower Saxony
Coordinates: 52°29′N 10°52′E
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Gifhorn
Municipal assoc.	Brome
Subdivisions	3
Government
• Mayor	Theo Bossert (CDU)
Area
• Total	30.94 km2 (11.95 sq mi)
Elevation	65 m (213 ft)
Population  (2023-12-31)[1]
• Total	5,836
• Density	190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	38471
Dialling codes	05367
Vehicle registration	GF

History

Between 1945 and 1990 Rühen served as West German inner German border crossing for inland navigation on the Mittellandkanal. The crossing was open for freight vessels navigating between the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany (till 1949, thereafter the East German Democratic Republic), or West Berlin and the British zone of occupation (till 1949) and thereafter the West German Federal Republic of Germany. The traffic was subject to the Interzonal traffic regulations, that between West Germany and West Berlin followed the special regulations of the Transit Agreement (1972).

Mittellandkanal near Rühen