Mulde
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{{Infobox River | river_name = Mulde
| image_name = Mulde dueben1.jpg
| caption = The Mulde near [[Bad Düben]].
| origin = [[Zwickauer Mulde]] and [[Freiberger Mulde]]
| mouth = [[Elbe]]
| basin_countries = [[Germany]]
| length = 124 km (290 km incl. Zwickauer Mulde)
| elevation = 63 m
| discharge =
| watershed =
}}
The '''Mulde''' ({{IPA2|ˈmʊldə}}) is a [[river]] in [[Free State of Saxony|Saxony]] and [[Saxony-Anhalt]], [[Germany]]. It is a left tributary of the [[Elbe]] and 124 [[kilometre|km]] in length.
The river is formed by the confluence, near [[Colditz]], of the [[Zwickauer Mulde]] (running through [[Zwickau]]) and the [[Freiberger Mulde]] (with [[Freiberg, Saxony|Freiberg]] on its banks), both rising from the [[Ore Mountains (Germany)|Ore Mountains]]. From here the river runs northwards through Saxony ([[Grimma]], [[Wurzen]], [[Eilenburg]], [[Bad Düben]]) and Saxony-Anhalt ([[Jeßnitz]] and [[Dessau]], the old capital of [[Anhalt]]). The Mulde flows in to the Elbe 3 km north of Dessau.
In August 2002 a flood caused severe damage, that even endangered the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] "Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich" and the city [[Dessau]]. Especially the cities of [[Döbeln]] and [[Grimma]] suffered from the damages of the flood.
Its name could be derived from Old German (possibly [[Gothic language|Gothic]]) "Mulda", meaning "dust" and a cognate of English "[[mould]]"). But more possibly it is related to the German "mahlen" which means "to mill". Therefore, Mulde probably means "the milling river" and corresponds to the great number of water mills driven by the river in former times. Nowadays, there are hydroelectric power stations in use.
{{Commons|Mulde|Mulde}}
{{coord|51|52|08|N|12|13|52|E|display=title|region:DE-ST_type:river_source:dewiki}}
[[Category:Rivers of Germany]]
[[Category:Geography of Saxony]]
[[Category:Geography of Saxony-Anhalt]]
{{Saxony-geo-stub}}
{{SaxonyAnhalt-geo-stub}}
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[[zh:穆尔德河]]