The construction of the Canal was drafted in 1926. It was meant to connect Leipzig with the river Saale near the village of Kreypau. Work started at Burghausen near Leipzig in July 1933. The construction work was stopped in February 1943 because of the war. Less than 11.5 km of the canal were finished.
This canal would have given Leipzig access to the Elbe via the Saale and thus to Hamburg and the North Sea. The canal was planned for ships up to 1,000 tonnes in weight. Plans to resurrect the building of the canal were drawn up in February 2007.
