At the beginning of the 20th century, the Emscher and its tributaries were reshaped to dispose of the wastewater in the Ruhr District.
Because of the frequent occurrence of subsidence in many places caused by coal mining, the first step taken was to relocate the course of the Emscher from Oberhausen to Dinslaken. Since, for the same reason, discharge of the wastewater through a system of underground pipes was not possible, an above-ground canal was created, the massive dykes of which protected the lower lying surroundings from flooding.
After the relocation was completed, this left an open sewer in north Duisburg – the Old Emscher, completely cut off from the main river.