Body Recovered from Schwarzenbachtalsperre Reservoir, Possibly Missing Woman

Forbach, Germany – A body was discovered on Sunday in the Schwarzenbachtalsperre reservoir near Forbach in the Rastatt district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Police confirmed the discovery of the deceased woman on Monday.

Possible Connection to Long-Term Missing Person Case

Authorities believe the recovered body may be that of a woman who has been missing for several years. Passersby initially spotted the body floating in the water on Sunday afternoon and immediately alerted emergency services. Firefighters retrieved the body from the reservoir using a boat.

DNA Analysis Underway

To confirm the identity of the deceased, police are conducting a DNA analysis. According to a spokesperson for the Offenburg police, the results will be compared against databases of missing persons to determine if a match can be made SWR.

Water Level Reduction Facilitated Discovery

The recovery of the body was aided by ongoing maintenance operate at the Schwarzenbachtalsperre, which requires draining the reservoir’s water level. The lowered water level brought the body to the surface Tagesschau.

About the Schwarzenbachtalsperre

The Schwarzenbachtalsperre, located between the Schwarzwaldhochstraße and the Murgtal valley at an elevation of 668 meters, is the largest lake in the northern and central Black Forest. It spans two kilometers in length and holds 14.4 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir is used for hydroelectric power generation, with water channeled to the Rudolf-Fettweis-Werk/EnBW power plant in Forbach Landkreis Rastatt Tourismus.

Construction of the dam took place between 1922 and 1926, employing up to 2,000 workers, many of whom were Italian craftsmen. The dam’s granite stones were sourced from nearby quarries. The structure is a significant achievement in German dam construction, measuring 400 meters in length and 65.3 meters in height.

Ongoing Construction at the Dam

Currently, a new pumped storage hydroelectric power plant is under construction at the Schwarzenbachtalsperre, involving underground excavations and controlled explosions SWR. The project, valued at 280 million euros, features a large underground water reservoir.