Misplaced Pages

#333666

95-641: The low ridge is situated in the northern foothills of the Harz mountain range, stretching southeast of the Innerste Uplands from the Salzgitter Hills to the Oker river. It is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)— as the crow flies —northeast of Goslar and immediately north-northwest of the municipality of Vienenburg , surrounded by the villages of Weddingen, Lengde and Beuchte (all part of

190-637: A temple , the path seen as a procession route , the stone terraces as a religious theatre and the ruins of the small circular building were referred to as the Hexenaltar ("witch's altar"). From 1999 to 2000 further archaeological investigations on the Wurmberg were carried out under the leadership of Michael Geschwinde and Martin Oppermann. The results of this research largely showed the claims to be wildly exaggerated. The square formation proved to be

285-422: A breeding pair has settled in the eastern Harz as the result of a wildlife reintroduction project. The ring ouzel prefers semi-open stone runs and lightly wooded transition zones between treeless raised bogs and forests . The Harz is home to one of its few, isolated breeding areas in central Europe. Its main distribution area extends across northwest Europe, including large parts of England and Scotland, as well as

380-687: A consequence of the mining industry in the Upper Harz, was largely destroyed by a bark beetle outbreak and a storm of hurricane proportions in November 1800. This largest known bark beetle infestation in the Harz was known as the Große Wurmtrocknis , and destroyed about 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of spruce forest and lasted about for 20 years. The woods were largely reforested with spruce. Continuous problems with bark beetle and storms were

475-565: A consequence of this it is also referred to as the "Classic Geological Square Mile" ( Klassischen Quadratmeile der Geologie ). There is a room devoted to geology in the Harz Museum in Wernigerode. The vegetation of the Harz mountains is divided into six altitudinal zones : From the edge of the Harz to 700 m above sea level beech woods dominate, especially the wood-rush beech woods on locations poorly supplied with nutrients where

570-614: A few hundred metres north and east of the summit. During the Cold War there was a listening post on the summit plateau. In 1972 the US Secret Services built an 81-metre-high (266 ft) tower, the North Tower on the Wurmberg to monitor and record signals information. This station was demolished on 22 August 1994 and the debris removed. ( see also: listening post on the neighbouring Stöberhai ). Since 1963/65

665-455: A height of about 90 metres above the iron ore mining district on the eastern flank of the mountain and leads to the edge of the summit plateau in a terraced area with edging of similarly unhewn stones. Colloquially this flight of steps is known as the "Heath Staircase" ( Heidentreppe ), although in earlier times the name "Witch's Staircase" ( Hexentreppe ) had been common. In 1856 Heinrich Pröhle reported in his Harz Legends that, continuing in

760-556: A hill range has lower temperatures and higher levels of precipitation than the surrounding land. The Harz is characterised by regular precipitation throughout the year. Exposed to westerly winds from the Atlantic, heavy with rain, the windward side of the mountains has up to 1,600 mm of rain annually (West Harz, Upper Harz, High Harz); in contrast, the leeward side only receives an average of 600 mm of precipitation per annum (East Harz, Lower Harz, Eastern Harz foothills). The Harz

855-482: A keen interest in science (see Goethes: Wahrheit und Dichtung ). In 1777, Goethe climbed the Brocken, departing from Torfhaus. At that time, there was still no mass tourism on the Brocken; in the year 1779 only 421 walkers were recorded. Goethe described his feelings on the summit later, as follows: So lonely, I say to myself, while looking down at this peak, will it feel to the person, who only wants to open his soul to

950-473: A lack of old trees and natural brooks). Through improvements to its habitat, including the renaturalisation of waterways and the creation of relatively undisturbed peaceful areas, the black stork population has now recovered. A typical mammal of such deciduous woods is the European wildcat ( Felis silvestris ), that has established a stable population in the Harz. It prefers the diverse wooded areas, which offer

1045-614: A length of about five kilometres and a height difference of 400 metres. There are several ski jumps on the Wurmberg. See: Wurmberg ski jumps At the summit restaurant, the Wurmberg Baude is checkpoint no. 156 in the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network. During the summer months the Ski lift is used to transport downhill mountainbikes up the mountain for use on the three downhill mountain bike courses scattered through

SECTION 10

#1732772578334

1140-466: A result of deliberate forest management . Sycamore trees are also found in these woods. Spruce woods thrive in the highest locations from about 800 m to the tree line at around 1,000 m above sea level. These woods are also home to some deciduous trees such as rowan, silver and downy birches ( Betula pendula and Betula pubescens ) and willows ( Salix spec. ). Conditions of high humidity foster an environment rich in mosses and lichens . In spite of

1235-416: A result of the increasingly continental climate on the eastern edge of the Harz, the common beech gives way to mixed forests of sessile oak. At intermediate heights of between 700 and 800 m above sea level, mixed woods of spruce ( Picea abies ) and common beech would predominantly be found under natural conditions. However, apart from a few remnants, these were supplanted a long time ago by spruce stands as

1330-419: A rich variety of food. The animal kingdom of the mixed beech and spruce woods is also diverse. Species that thrive in mixed forest are especially at home. For example, the mixed mountain forest is the natural habitat of the capercaillie ( Tetrao urogallus ). The Tengmalm's owl ( Aegolius funereus ) may also be found here. It breeds almost exclusively in black woodpecker holes in old beeches, and needs, unlike

1425-406: A role. Melic grass beech woods are found in the few places where there is an abundance of nutrients and bases , e. g. over dolerite and gneiss formations, and they have a vegetation layer rich in variety and luxuriant growth. Here, too, the common beech dominates, mixed, for example, with sycamore, ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus ) and Scots elm ( Ulmus glabra ). As

1520-483: A straight line from the steps, there was a stone path on the plateau leading to a round pile of stones. When he collected his tales of the Upper Harz in 1851 from the inhabitants of Braunlage, they reported that a pagan temple had stood on the site. Between 1949 and 1956 Walter Nowothnig (1907–1971) carried out several archaeological digs on the Wurmberg. Pröhle's collection of legends reinforced his suspicion that

1615-407: A type of damselfly , can be seen by streams in the Harz. The dipper ( Cinclus cinclus ), which is found everywhere on Harz streams, occurs almost exclusively in the highlands. Its habitat is very fast-flowing, clear mountain streams with wooded banks. It can dive and run under water along the stream bed. It turns stones over in its search for food. The grey wagtail ( Motacilla cinerea ) also uses

1710-571: A width of 35 kilometres (22 mi). It occupies an area of 2,226 square kilometres (859 sq mi), and is divided into the Upper Harz ( Oberharz ) in the northwest, which is up to 800 m high, apart from the 1,100 m high Brocken massif, and the Lower Harz ( Unterharz ) in the east which is up to around 400 m high and whose plateaus are capable of supporting arable farming. The following districts ( Kreise ) fall wholly or partly within

1805-681: Is a native of the bilberry-rich bog spruce woods. Only a few animals are able to survive the extreme conditions of the raised bogs . Examples of these are the Alpine emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora alpestris ), which only occurs in Lower Saxony in the Harz, and is endangered in Germany, and the Subarctic darner ( Aeshna subarctica ), a damselfly which is threatened with extinction. Rocks and stone runs are important habitat components for

1900-563: Is about 660 m above NN . Until October 2006, the Wurmberg lay within the Upper Harz Nature Reserve ( Naturschutzgebiet Oberharz ). Since then only two areas totalling 183 hectares in area on the west and southwest slopes have been designated as the Wurmberg Nature Reserve . On the southern flank of the Wurmberg there are two striking tors or Wurmbergklippen , which are one of

1995-538: Is the most geologically diverse of the German Mittelgebirge , although it is overwhelmingly dominated by base-poor rocks. The most common rocks lying on the surface are argillaceous shales , slaty ( geschieferte ) greywackes and granite intrusions in the shape of two large igneous rock masses or plutons . The Gießen-Harz surface layer of the Rhenohercynian zone , which is widespread in

SECTION 20

#1732772578334

2090-876: The Roßtrappe , could indicate an earlier Celtic occupation of the Harz. The Harzgau itself was first mentioned in a deed by the Emperor, Louis the Pious , from the year 814, in which it was referred to by its High German form, Hartingowe . According to the Fulda annals of 852, the Harzgau was occupied by the Harudes and after whom the Harudengau ( Harudorum pagus ) was named. Harud , from which Hard , Hart and Harz are derived, means forest or forested mountains, and

2185-678: The Fichtel Mountains and Rhenish Massif . They were, however, heavily eroded due to their height (up to 4 km) and were later covered over by Mesozoic rocks. From the Early Cretaceous and into Late Cretaceous times the Harz was uplifted in a single block by tectonic movements and, particularly during the Tertiary period, the younger overlying strata were eroded and the underlying base rock left standing as low mountains. The most important uplift movements were during

2280-551: The Harz Mountains , is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Thuringia . The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (hill forest). The name Hercynia derives from a Celtic name and could refer to other mountain forests , but has also been applied to

2375-475: The Hexentreppe , an English button from the period around 1800 was found, which finally proved the staircase to be another work by Daubert. Even the large rampart is probably an enclosure laid out by the same forester. In the round Hexenaltar the foundations of the old 1850 trig post were found. Only the age of the stone terraces could not be clarified beyond doubt. Geschwinde's team felt it probable that it

2470-674: The Inner German border ran through the Harz, the west belonging to the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the east to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Today the Harz forms a popular tourist destination for summer hiking as well as winter sports. About 700,000 to 350,000 years ago Homo erectus hunted in and around the Harz near Bilzingsleben (Thuringia), Hildesheim and Schöningen (Lower Saxony). The Neanderthals entered

2565-682: The Schladen-Werla municipality). The range is about 6 km (3.7 mi) long by 1 km (0.62 mi) wide and its eastern edge overlooks the Oker valley. It may be reached via the A 395 motorway from Brunswick , the B 241 and B 82 highways, as well as by several side roads and tracks branching off those roads. The highest hill in the Harly Forest is the Harlyberg , roughly 256 metres high, atop which an observation tower,

2660-588: The Wolkenhäuschen ("Little House in the Clouds") on the Brocken. As a young man, the famous German poet, Goethe visited the Harz several times and had a number of important lifetime experiences. These included his walks on the Brocken and his visit to the mines in Rammelsberg. Later, his observations of the rocks on the Brocken led to his geological research. His first visit to the Harz awakened in him

2755-662: The Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony ( Germany ). The Wurmberg lies north of Braunlage , in the district of Goslar , and west of Schierke . Its summit is located due south of the Brocken and roughly 400 m ( as the crow flies ) south of the state border with Saxony-Anhalt . The two mountains are separated by the valley of the Kalte Bode , which in this area

2850-528: The common beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) is often the only tree species. In lower, drier locations the English oak ( Quercus robur ) and sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ) occur as well. Sycamore trees ( Acer pseudoplatanus ) may be found growing in wetter places. During times of decay and rejuvenation when there is plenty of light, light-dependent pioneers such as rowan ( Sorbus aucuparia ), silver birch ( Betula pendula ) and pussy willow ( Salix caprea ) play

2945-401: The geology of the Harz . The Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz with an elevation of 1,141.1 metres (3,744 ft) above sea level . The Wurmberg (971 metres (3,186 ft)) is the highest peak located entirely within the state of Lower Saxony. The Harz has a length of 110 kilometres (68 mi), stretching from the town of Seesen in the northwest to Eisleben in the east, and

Harly Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-434: The peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ) and ring ouzel ( Turdus torquatus ). The peregrine, which is threatened with extinction here, needs steep rock outcrops with little vegetation. After its population had died out in the Harz, a breeding pair was re-established in the region. A crucial contribution has been made by extensive efforts to promote quiet areas in the ancestral breeding grounds of this shy species. Since 1980,

3135-487: The pygmy owl ( Glaucidium passerinum ) which is threatened with extinction and which lives in the submontane to subalpine zones within mixed and pine forests interspersed with open areas. They prefer spruce woods for breeding, but feed in more open stands of trees or on open moorland. Like the black stork , the pygmy owl had long since disappeared from the Harz, but returned in the 1980s of its own volition, as its ancestral homeland once again became more natural, so that there

3230-461: The 13th century in the documents and commodity schedules of the County of Regenstein-Blankenburg in connexion with the mining of iron ore . In the 19th century the mountain was still being called Wormsberg or Wormberg , but a convincing derivation of the name has yet to be found. Around 1850 the first trig post was erected on the summit of the Wurmberg to assist in surveying the Harz mountains. It

3325-491: The Brocken without special permission, and the lighting of fires was forbidden. The first attempts at forest conservation in the Harz were centred on the Brocken, and began with a far-sighted nature conservation act over 275 years ago. In 1718, Count Christian Ernest of the House of Stolberg issued an ordinance in which destruction or damage to the forest on the Brocken would be severely punished. In 1736, Christian Ernest also built

3420-462: The Harly Tower ( Harlyturm ), stands. The Harly is a tectonic salt formation. In the technical language of geologists the Harly Forest is classed as a "Geological Anticline" ( Geologischer Schmalsattel ). Ecologically the Harly Forest is a near-natural hillside forest ( naturnaher Hangwald ) on warm-dry chalk and silicate habitats. The southeastern edge of the ridge lies immediately above

3515-648: The Harudes were the residents or dwellers in the Harud. Of more recent origin are settlements whose names end in –rode , a suffix that is first discernable in the Harzgau from the mid-9th century. Where the founders of these villages came from is unknown. Charlemagne declared the Harz a restricted imperial forest or Reichsbannwald . The Saxon Mirror ( Sachsenspiegel ), the oldest German law book ( Rechtsbuch ), probably published around 1220/30 at Falkenstein Castle in

3610-409: The Harz are some of the best preserved in central Europe. They were formed at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. A significant proportion of the vegetation on these raised bogs is made up of peat mosses ( Sphagnum spec. ). The flarks ( Schlenken ) and the hummocks ( Bulten ) are home to different species of flora. In the flarks, for example, Sphagnum cuspidatum is found, whereas

3705-475: The Harz is one of the regions of Germany that experiences the most rainfall, its water power was used from early times. Today the dams are primarily used to generate electricity , to provide drinking water , to prevent flooding and to supply water in times of scarcity. Modern dam-building began in the Harz with the construction of the Söse Valley Dam , which was built between 1928 and 1931. The dams of

3800-463: The Harz point to the use of this prehistoric adhesive by Neanderthals about 50,000 years ago. The Upper Palaeolithic Revolution , about 40,000 years ago, saw Homo sapiens move from Africa into Europe, including to the Harz region, where they appear to have ousted the Neanderthals and subsequently settled here. Many discoveries in the Harz, such as the bronze club of Thale, which was found by

3895-793: The Harz rocks is displayed on the Jordanshöhe near Sankt Andreasberg near the car park (see photo). The formation and geological folding of the Harz hills began during a prominent phase of the Palaeozoic era, in the course of the Hercynian mountain building of the Carboniferous period , about 350 to 250 million years ago. At that time in the history of the Earth , numerous high mountains appeared in Western Europe, including

Harly Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-559: The Harz, consists mainly of flysch . Well-known and economically important are the limestone deposits around Elbingerode and the Gabbro of Bad Harzburg . The landscapes of the Harz are characterised by steep mountain ridges, stone runs , relatively flat plateaus with many raised bogs and long, narrow V-shaped valleys , of which the Bode Gorge , the Oker and Selke valleys are the best known. A representative cross-section of all

4085-672: The Harz: Goslar and Göttingen in the west, Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in the north and east, and Nordhausen in the south. The districts of the Upper Harz are Goslar and Göttingen (both in Lower Saxony), whilst the Lower Harz is on the territory of Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz districts (both in Saxony-Anhalt). The Upper Harz is generally higher and features fir forests, whilst the Lower Harz gradually descends into

4180-719: The Oker Valley and from 1203 was the construction site of an Imperial castle , built during the German throne quarrel between the Welf and Hohenstaufen dynasties. It was erected at the behest of by the Welf king Otto of Brunswick to control the trade route to the Imperial City of Goslar, whose citizens had allied with his rival Philip of Swabia . After Philip's assassination, Otto, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1209, stayed at

4275-1061: The Oker. The Hassel , the Selke and the Holtemme (whose main tributary is the Zillierbach ) flow into the Bode. The Wipper is fed by the Eine . The Rhume is joined by the Söse and the Oder; the latter being fed by the Sieber . The Zorge , the Wieda and the Uffe all flow into the Helme. → See List of hills in the Harz → See List of rock formations (crags, tors, etc.) in the Harz Climatically

4370-533: The Selke valley, later made the imperial restriction clear: "Whoever rides through the Harz Forest, must unstring his bow and crossbow and keep dogs on a line – only crowned royalty ( gekrönte Häupter ) are allowed to hunt here". Eike von Repkow's Sachsenspiegel which, for centuries, formed the basis on which German law was administered, described the Harz as a place where wild animals are guaranteed protection in

4465-421: The Upper Harz lakes are some of the oldest dams in Germany that are still in operation. → See List of dams in the Harz The largest rivers in the Harz are the Innerste , the Oker and the Bode in the north; the Wipper in the east; and the Oder in the south. The Innerste merges into the Leine and its tributaries are the Nette and the Grane . The rivers Radau , Ecker and Ilse all discharge into

4560-421: The Wurmberg and 100 m from the middle station of the Wurmberg lift is the Rodelhaus . This used to be a simple farm building before the opening of the toboggan run ( Rodelbahn ) at the beginning of 1908. It is still open as a restaurant today and is a popular destination for visitors to Braunlage. The 1,500-metre-long (4,900 ft) toboggan run begins immediately next to the Rodelhaus and runs down into

4655-490: The Wurmberg gondola lift has run from Braunlage up the mountain. The construction of this lift was carried out in two sections; in 1997 the lift was then completely renovated. In a container on the summit is one of the 25 monitoring sites in the Lower Saxony air quality monitoring network ( de:Lufthygienisches Überwachungssystem Niedersachsen ). Since September 2007 a 70 cm amateur radio relay station has also been located on Lower Saxony highest mountain. The relay has

4750-546: The animals in these streams need to be well suited to high velocities. Only a few species, such as fish, swim actively against the stream. The most common species are brown trout ( Salmon trutta forma fario ) and bullhead ( Cottus gobio ). Much richer in variety, by contrast, is the range of species in the system of crevices under the streambed. In addition to the insects and fish hatchlings that thrive here, may be found protozoons , flatworms ( Turbellaria ) and water mites ( Hygrobatoidea ). Other species of animals cling fast to

4845-453: The area is the historic Vienenburg potash works and fertilizer plant with its old shafts: numbers I, II and III. In operation from the 1880s, the mine was closed after a massive brine inrush in 1930. The former Cistercian monastery of Wöltingerode, located on the southern perimeter of the ridge west of Vienenburg, and its abbey distillery are also worth seeing. Harz The Harz ( German: [haːɐ̯ts] ), also called

SECTION 50

#1732772578334

4940-430: The beech woods, with their abundance of dead wood, are the black woodpecker ( Dryocopus martius ) and stock dove ( Columba oenas ). An indication of the natural state of the beech woods in the Harz is the return of the black stork ( Ciconia nigra ). This shy and susceptible resident of richly diverse deciduous and mixed forest has become very rare in central Europe due to increasing disturbance of its habitat (caused by

5035-412: The callsign DB0WUR and transmits on 438.550 MHz. This enables large parts of Lower Saxony, Thuringia , Hesse and Saxony-Anhalt to be reached. The peak of the Wurmberg is covered with a variety of odd stone structures that, for a long time, were interpreted as the remnants of an ancient, pre-Christian place of worship , several millennia old. A long, straight staircase of unhewn stone begins at

5130-486: The common beech gives way to hardier deciduous species such as sycamore, large-leaved lime ( Tilia platyphyllos ), Scots elm or ash. The herbaceous layer is similar to that of the better-nourished beech woods. Notable species amongst the plant communities here include the Alpine blue-sow-thistle ( Cicerbita alpina ), perennial honesty ( Lunaria rediviva ), hard shield fern ( Polystichum aculeatum ) and long beech fern ( Phegopteris connectilis ). The raised bogs in

5225-430: The drier hummocks and occasionally the cross-leaved heath ( Erica tetralix ) may be found. Typical grasses are the sheathed cottongrass ( Eriophorum vaginatum ), known for its bright, white clusters of fruit and deergrass ( Scirpus cespitosus ), which is rust-red in the autumn. One fascinating moorland plant is the round-leaved sundew ( Drosera rotundifolia ). Bog or northern bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) grows on

5320-427: The drier margins of the bog. A multitude of wild animals live in the beech forests of the Harz Mountains. Over 5,000 species, most of them insects, have their home in these woods. They include many species that help to decompose leaves and work them into the soil and ground cover, including springtails , oribatid mites , woodlice , roundworms , millipedes , earthworms and snails . Characteristic breeding birds in

5415-505: The earlier, serious destruction of the cave's features by Vandals . The first Harz 'rangers' were formed. In 1705, the last bear was killed in the Harz, on the Brocken. The steadily increasing consumption of wood by the pits and smelting works led to overexploitation of the forests and, from about 1700, to their outright destruction. There were no less than 30,000 charcoal piles in the Harz. In 1707, an order by Count Ernst of Stolberg forbade Brocken guides to take strangers or local folk to

5510-421: The far east, the mountains merge into the East Harz foothills (Harz district, Saxony-Anhalt), which are dominated by the Selke Valley. Part of the south Harz lies in the Thuringian district of Nordhausen. The Harz National Park is located in the Harz; the protected area covers the Brocken and surrounding wilderness area. Approximately 600,000 people live in towns and villages of the Harz Mountains. Because of

5605-474: The fortress several times. Upon Otto's death at the nearby Harzburg in 1218, Harly Castle passed to his Welf heirs. At the 1290 Imperial diet in Erfurt , the Hildesheim prince-bishop Siegfried II of Querfurt accused Duke Henry I of Brunswick of using its favourable location for ambushes and highway robberies of bypassing merchants. He had the castle besieged for several months and eventually completely slighted . A vestige of former mining activity in

5700-410: The foundation of a stone hut built between 1820 and 1840, which master forester Daubert had built. The ruins of this hut and the stone cairn mentioned by Pröhle, were used in 1890 for building the above-mentioned trigonometric tower. The circular site first appeared during the construction of this tower as an abutment for the diagonal posts that supported the tower on all sides. And on one of the stones of

5795-427: The heavy rainfall in the region the rivers of the Harz Mountains were dammed from an early date. Examples of such masonry dams are the two largest: the Oker Dam and the Rappbode Dam . The clear, cool water of the mountain streams was also dammed by early mountain folk to form the various mountain ponds of the Upper Harz waterways, such as the Oderteich . The 17 dams in the Harz block a total of twelve rivers. Because

SECTION 60

#1732772578334

5890-401: The high mountains of southern and eastern Europe. The waterways, with their distinct mountain stream character, play an important role right across the Harz. In comparison with the other natural regions of Lower Saxony, they are still very natural and varied, and the water is very clean. As a result of the high water velocity of the Harz streams, flowers rarely gain a foothold in the water. Even

5985-476: The higher regions are, as in most of the Harz, comparatively poor in nutrients and bases, so that only a few herbaceous plants occur here, such as heath bedstraw ( Galium saxatile ). For that reason it is more the ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi that, in addition to spruce trees, characterise these woods. Boulders and stone runs occur in the areas of weather-resistant rock in the high (alti-)montane and montane zones – these are extreme habitats for vegetation. Due to

6080-424: The hills lie the Cretaceous layers of the sub-Hercynian depression in the rolling hills of the Harz Foreland; south of the Harz, Permian sediments lie flat on southwest-dipping Palaeozoic beds. As a result of the northern fault zone and the vertical or, sometimes even overfolded, geological strata, the geology of the Harz sometimes changes frequently within a relatively small area of just a few square kilometres. As

6175-438: The human traces of activity in the Upper Harz in the Early Modern Era . The stone quarry on the Wurmberg was established by Herrmann Bachstein as part of the construction of the South Harz Railway around 1899. From 1 September 1899 (until 1958) there was the goods station of Wurmberg at the foot of the mountain on the Brocken path. Rough and dressed stone of Wurmberg granite was loaded onto trains here. From 1925 there

6270-526: The hummocks are preferred by Sphagnum magellanicum . The blanket of peat moss is penetrated by dwarf bushes such as cowberry and blueberry . Bog-rosemary ( Andromeda polifolia ) is a relict of the ice age. Other such ice age plants include the dwarf birch ( Betula nana ) and few-flowered sedge ( Carex pauciflora ). Cranberries ( Vaccinium oxicoccus ) bloom from May to June. The black crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum ) may also be seen amongst those bearing black fruit. Common heather (Calluna vulgaris) grows on

6365-478: The king's restricted forests . There were three restricted forests, so described, in the state of Saxony, where there was no longer unfettered access for everyone. This ban did not last forever. Mining, ironworks, water management, increasing settlement, woodland clearances, cattle driving, agriculture, and later tourism all undermined this imperial protection over the centuries. As early as 1224, monks who had settled in Walkenried bought extensive tracts of forest in

6460-443: The lack of soil material, only weak, straggly, very open spruce woods thrive here. They have an especially high variety of trees and allow more room of light-loving species such as silver birch, rowan, sycamore, willow and dwarf bushes such as the blueberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus ). Mosses and ferns are also common here. One unusual species is the Carpathian birch ( Betula pubescens subsp. carpatica ). Bog-spruce woods are found around

6555-401: The many Harzklippen : On the topmost summit level of the crag there is a triangular offering cup ( Opferschale or Zwergenmolle ). Many legends, mostly about the "Wild Hunter" ( Wilden Jäger ) surround this artificially chiselled out rectangular hollow. The Wild Hunter usually epitomises the god Wodin (or Thor ) in Germanic mythology . The named Wormberch had already surfaced by

6650-429: The mountain range exceed 1,000 m above NN on the Brocken massif. Its highest peak is the Brocken (1,141 m), its subsidiary peaks are the Heinrichshöhe (1,044 m) to the southeast and the Königsberg (1,023 m) to the southwest. Other prominent hills in the Harz are the Acker- Bruchberg ridge (927 m), the Achtermannshöhe (925 m) and the Wurmberg (971 m) near Braunlage . In

6745-403: The mountain, and the superstition of Braunlage townsfolk appears to have assumed there were pagan rites behind them. From these tales the legend of the pagan temple emerged after a few decades. Although the notion that there was once a prehistoric religious site on the mountain can be excluded with certainty, in 2003 the Wurmberg plateau was declared an archaeological conservation area on account of

6840-414: The near-natural habitat there are only a few, indigenous, genetically adapted ( autochthonous ) spruce trees. Wood-reed spruce woods dominate. A well developed ground vegetation thrives on their moderately rocky and fresh, but certainly not wet, soils, characterised in appearance especially by grasses such as shaggy wood-reed ( Calamagrostis villosa ) and wavy hair-grass ( Avenella flexuosa ). The soils in

6935-576: The negative side effects of mining in the Harz Mountains. In 1818, a mounted forester, Spellerberg, from Lautenthal, killed the last lynx in the Harz on the Teufelsberg. At the start of the 19th century, the increasing changes to the natural landscape wrought by man and the extinction of large mammals like the bear, wolf and lynx raised awareness of the threat to nature. Wurmberg (Harz) At 971 m above  sea level (NN)

7030-550: The oldest, first, deepest feelings of truth. On 23 March 1798, the last wolf was killed in the Harz near the Plessenburg. The count's guest house on the Heinrichshöhe had become too small and suffered from overcrowding; in 1799 it burned down. In 1800, a new guest house was built on the Brocken to replace it. Around 1800, large swathes of the Harz were deforested. The less resistant spruce monoculture, that arose as

7125-739: The raised bogs on marshy and boggy soils. In these sorts of places spruce woods can, in exceptional cases, also form the natural woodland in lower down the mountains. These wet, moorland woods have a high proportion of peat mosses ( Sphagnum spec. ). The ground vegetation may also have a rich proliferation of low bushes such as cowberry ( Vaccinium vitis-idaea ). Clumps of purple moor grass ( Molinia caerulea ) are also typical of this type of woodland habitat. The characteristic species of fungi in natural spruce woods are Phellinus viticola and prunes and custard ( Tricholomopsis decora ). Ravine ( Schluchtwald ), riparian ( Auwald ) and river source ( Quellwald ) woods only occur in small areas. In these places

7220-483: The rich food supplies of the mountain brooks. In 2000, the lynx was successfully reintroduced by the Harz National Park , and it has since fitted well into the ecology of the region. Through specific conservation measures in past years, the retreat of the bat population in the Harz has been halted. Amongst the mammals that may be hunted are the red deer , roe deer , wild boar and mouflon . The Harz

7315-477: The rumour of these steps being laid by a man called Daubert, a horseman-forester who had lived in Braunlage around 1825, was no longer tenable. Nowothnig's excavations, rediscovered the stone path and also uncovered, at the end of the path, a circular rampart of roughly 10 m diameter which surrounded the ruins of a square stone building. Moreover, south of the path, the foundation of a small circular building

7410-579: The silver mining industry in the Upper Harz and in Goslar. In the middle of the 14th century, the settlements in the Harz became heavily depopulated as a result of the Black Death , and a systematic resettlement of mining villages in the Upper Harz did not take place until the first half of the 16th century. In 1588, the Nordhausen doctor, Johannes Thal, published the first book on regional flora in

7505-660: The spruce woods, more open beech forest with its higher population of small mammals in its search for food. For cover, however, it prefers the darker, denser spruce trees. A large number of the animals that live in natural spruce forest are suited to the special conditions of life in the higher parts of the Harz. Typical residents amongst the bird population include the crested tit ( Parus cristatus ), goldcrest and firecrest ( Regulus regulus and Regulus ignicapillus ), siskin ( Carduelis spinus ), treecreeper ( Certhia familiaris ), coal tit ( Parus ater ) and crossbill ( Loxia curvirostra ). Special mention should be made here of

7600-529: The stage about 250,000 years ago and hunted aurochs , bison , brown bear and cave bear , mammoths , rhinos , horses , reindeer , forest elephants and other animals in the Harz region. Tools used by Neanderthals were discovered inter alia in the Einhorn Cave in the southern Harz (100,000 years ago) and in the Rübeland Caves. Finds of birch pitch near Aschersleben on the northern edge of

7695-494: The stones, e. g. caddis fly larvae ( Trichoptera ) and snails , or can only live in the reduced water velocities on the bed of the stream or on stones by having flat body shapes, e. g. stonefly larvae. In the calmer parts of the stream, behind stones or in blankets of moss, there are also water beetles ( Hydrophilidae ) and small shrimp-like amphipods . Occasionally the golden-ringed dragonfly ( Cordulegaster boltoni ) and beautiful demoiselle ( Calopteryx virgo ),

7790-493: The sub-Hercynian phase (83  mya ), when the northern edge was steeply tilted. This formed a fault zone on the northern border of the Harz (the Northern Harz Boundary Fault or Harznordrandverwerfung ). The Harz is a fault-block range, that rises abruptly from the surrounding lowlands in the west and northeast and gradually dips towards the south. It is dissected by numerous deep valleys. North of

7885-543: The surrounding area and has deciduous forests interspersed with meadows. The dividing line between Upper and Lower Harz follows approximately a line from Ilsenburg to Bad Lauterberg , which roughly separates the catchment areas for the Weser (Upper Harz) and Elbe (Lower Harz). Only on the southeastern perimeter of the Upper Harz, which is also called the High Harz ( Hochharz ) (Goslar, Göttingen and Harz districts), does

7980-500: The town of Goslar , and mines became established in the following centuries throughout the mountains. During the Middle Ages , ore from this region was exported along trade routes to far-flung places, such as Mesopotamia . The wealth of the region declined after these mines became exhausted in the early 19th century. People abandoned the towns for a short time, but prosperity eventually returned with tourism. Between 1945 and 1990,

8075-593: The valley ending at the Verlobungswiese meadow near the valley station of the Wurmberg cable car. There are six downhill ski runs on the Wurmberg with a total length of 12 kilometres. In addition to the Wurmberg Gondola Lift there are three drag lifts , which together have a capacity of 1,700 passengers per hour. The runs are graded from easy to difficult. The longest run is the Sögding with

8170-466: The western Harz, to secure economically the one quarter of the Rammelsberg ore profits promised to them by Frederick Barbarossa in 1129. From that it can be deduced that there was already a shortage of wood then. From the 12th to the 14th centuries, large parts of the Harz were managed economically by the Cistercian Abbey of Walkenried . As well as agriculture and fishing, they also controlled

8265-520: The world, Silva hercynia , in which he described the flowers specific to the Harz. In 1668, Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg granted the first conservation order for Baumann's Cave . The ducal decree stated, inter alia , that the cave should be permanently preserved by all those responsible as a special, natural wonder. It also stated that nothing should be spoiled or destroyed, and that groups of ordinary strangers should not be allowed to enter without prior arrangement. A resident mine worker

8360-466: Was a ballast works at the goods station known as the Knacker . The Wurmberg loading station was initially linked to the lower bed of the quarry higher up the mountain by means of an inclined railway. Stone was transported down this in hoppers attached by a cable. The embankment on which the tracks of this incline were laid is still clearly visible today along its entire length. Later an aerial cableway

8455-412: Was built on this embankment. The foundations for its pylons may still be seen in the woods today. In the 1970s the stone quarry was closed. The high stone wall in the lower part of the quarry (now a bird reserve) is still visible. The upper quarry was filled in with spoil that resulted from the construction of the Braunlage ring road (1st construction section). About halfway up the southern slope of

8550-437: Was entrusted to oversee the natural monument . Until the issue of this conservation order, there had only been an order for the protection of the forest, which had been issued by the ruling princes for real, practical considerations. But for the first time the 1668 cave order took ethical-aesthetic considerations into account. The year 1668 was the birth of classic nature conservation in the Harz. The order had been precipitated by

8645-486: Was first mentioned as Hartingowe in an 814 deed by the Carolingian King Louis the Pious . Settlement within the mountains began only 1000 years ago, as in ancient times dense forests made the region almost inaccessible. The suffix -rode (from German : roden , to stub) denotes a place where woodland had been cleared to develop a settlement. The year 968 saw the discovery of silver deposits near

8740-414: Was found. In 2006, another, larger rampart was found on the western edge of the summit plateau. Nowothnig found no clues as to the age of the site, which is why it was referred to henceforth as a prehistoric site of worship of unknown period . Unscientific speculation quickly claimed that the stone structures were a Celtic place of worship. The square building inside the rampart was quickly made out to be

8835-453: Was originally a severely eroded, natural, geological formation that had later been artificially reworked. Nowothnig appears to have been so blinded by his 'legendary' discovery that he did not include in his investigations either the survey tower, that had been demolished twenty years before his excavations, or the trig post, that would have been known to him from Pröhle's report. Forester Daubert and his daughter were known for their 'feasts' on

8930-522: Was replaced in 1890 by a wooden tower, also used for trigonometric measurements, that stood until 1930. In 1922 the wooden ski jump was built with its 28-metre-high (92 ft) starting tower, which also acted as an observation tower (see below). Since the 1950s there has been a restaurant next to this tower. The Inner German Border that separated the West and East Germany during the Cold War , ran only

9025-525: Was sufficient food to support it (insects, small mammals and small birds) as well as standing dead wood (spruce trees with woodpecker holes). In addition to the many species of birds, there is a range of large butterflies in the various spruce woods that, outside of the Harz, are seriously endangered or simply non-existent. Two species will be mentioned here as examples. Gnophos sordarius occurs in old, open wood-reed spruce forest, sometimes in connection with stone runs or bog spruce forests; Enthephria caesiata

#333666