Riesenstein (Wolfershausen)
Riesenstein | |
HDR Image | |
Alternative name | Giant's Stone |
---|---|
Location | Wolfershausen, Hesse, Germany |
Coordinates | 51°11′33″N 09°26′39″E / 51.19250°N 9.44417°E |
Type | megalith |
Length | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
History | |
Material | Tertiary quartzite |
Founded | earlier than 3000 B.C. |
Site notes | |
Public access | yes |
The Riesenstein (English: giant's stone) is a megalith or menhir, which is situated close to the village of Wolfershausen. It is the largest megalith in the district of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse, Germany.
Location
The Riesenstein is located 1.14 km (0.71 mi) directly north of the village of Wolfershausen. It can be reached from a tarmacked road north of the railway bridge, where it is signposted. It is located on the south-eastern corner of a small woodland. The megalith is also close to the eastern bank of the Eder River, which is just 180 m (590 ft) away (over the railway).
Composition, Dimensions, and Geometry
Riesenstein is composed of
The megalith has an oblate
The weak, originally-horizontal
History
Archeological digs found
In 1615 the megalith was first referred to in documents as "Großer Stein" (English: large stone).
In 1986 Riesenstein became a German natural monument.
Legends
Two legends are connected with the Riesenstein.[5][6]
In the wide floodplain [of the Eder River], monks and men from the neighbouring villages built a large monastery. The building took a long time. Finally the Breitenau Monastery was finished and pious monks' song could be heard mixed with the first chimes of the monastery bells. For a long time a malicious
In a different story, two male
Literature
- ^ "Gestein des Jahres" [rock of the year] (in German). Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften e.V. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 8 Sep 2013.
- ^ "Tertiaerquarzit" [Tertiary Quartzite] (PDF) (in German). Gotthelf Schwidurski. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 8 Sep 2013.
- doi:10.1002/esp.1136.
- ^
Groht, Johannes (2013). Menhire in Deutschland [Menhir in Germany] (in German). Halle (Saale): Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. p. 155. ISBN 978-3-943904-18-5.
- ^ "Stadt Felsberg - Riesenstein" [The Town of Felsberg - Riesenstein] (in German). Stadt Felsberg. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 8 Sep 2013.
- ^ Demandt, Karl E. (1980). Geschichte des Landes Hessen [History of Hesse] (in German). Kassel: Johannes Stauda Verlag. p. 45.