Mine forest

The Bergwerkswald is a 86.47 hectare forest area between Gießen and Linden , 20 percent of which is in the city of Gießen, 80 percent belongs to Linden. The site was placed under nature protection for the first time in 1955 , and for the second time in 1972. The Bergwerkswald has been a Fauna-Flora-Habitat (FFH) , Natura 2000 and nature reserve since 2001 .

Fernie mine, former open-cast mine on the southern edge of the mine forest

The name comes from the formerly numerous mines in this area, the iron and manganese ore deposits were among the largest in Germany. In addition there was limestone and Manganton dismantled. The cavities resulting from the exploitation between 1843 and 1952 in the opencast mine and in the tunnel mining still lead to sudden subsidence from time to time. Large parts of the forest are a nature reserve with many lakes, plants and animals. The lakes were partly created by the fact that Allied bomber groups missed their targets during the air raid on Gießen on December 6, 1944 and dropped the bomb load over the forest. Small ponds and ponds have emerged from the bomb craters, which are particularly good habitat for midwife toads and a very large crested newt population. There are also water bats .

Fernie Pit, spherical image.

Some rock formations in the forest are also interesting: a 15 m high rock rises out of the middle of the forest above a lake, from the top of which you have a good view over the tops of the trees. The ascent is actually not permitted by the forestry authorities, as there is an increased risk of falling. There are also barrows from the late Iron Age near the Linden district of Forst .

The mine forest is now cut through by several traffic arteries . On the one hand, there is the federal motorway 485 , which also has the triangle Bergwerkswald junction in this area as a junction to federal highway 49 . In addition, the Main-Weser Railway runs from Gießen to Frankfurt am Main through the mine forest. The Linden district of Oberhof, a hamlet and former mining settlement, is located on the motorway (A 485) .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ina: A limestone mountain full of ore and manganese . In: Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung, August 16, 2010, page 5
2. ↑ elo: "Moon landscape" became a natural paradise . In: Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung , August 6, 2008, p. 29

Web links

• Gießener Bergwerkswald in the list of Natura 2000 areas in Hesse of the Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection

Coordinates: 50 ° 33 ′ 40 "  N , 8 ° 40 ′ 17.2"  E