Neuerburger head
| Neuerburger head | ||
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 West view of the Neuerburger Kopf |
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| height | 286 m above sea level NHN | |
| location | Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany | |
| Mountains | South Eifel | |
| Coordinates | 49 ° 59 '48 " N , 6 ° 56' 42" E | |
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| Type | Volcanic vent | |
| rock | Sandstone and basalt | |
| Age of the rock | 350–400 million years | |
The Neuerburger Kopf is an extinct volcanic cone 286 m high, which is located in the Wittlich valley ( Rhineland-Palatinate ).
Location and surroundings
The Neuerburger Kopf is located in the Wittlich depression on the southern edge of the Eifel , where it forms the only peak within the depression alongside the smaller Lüxeberg and therefore enables a view of the entire valley from its summit. It is located in the district of Neuerburg , a district of Wittlich .
geology
108 million years ago, magma penetrated the Devonian sandstone strata and solidified below the surface of the earth. This duct or chimney made of hard basalt also protected the surrounding sandstone from erosion, so that the current conical shape remained. With the classification in the Cretaceous period , the Neuerburger Kopf and the neighboring Lüxeberg are the oldest volcanic phenomena in the Eifel.
history
Origin of the name
The Neuerburger head was formerly called Merkuriusberg, this name can be explained by the Roman trade and military roads crossing next to it ( Mercurius , Roman god of trade). The current name is based on one of the castles built on it, which found their place there because of the good view of the Wittlich valley.
The castles
Bumaga Castle
The first castle on Neuerburger Kopf, then still called Merkuriusberg, is said to have been built by the Frankish king Childerich I (501-588) under the name of "Burg Bumaga" (after the closest place, today Bombogen ). The first document about this castle dates from 1128 , the year it was destroyed by Archbishop Meginher von Trier .
Novum Castrum
His successor Archbishop Albero (1131–1152) had a “novum castrum” (= new castle) built, which was completed in 1168 by Archbishop Hillin and expanded by Archbishop Heinrich II (1260–1286). The castle was mainly used to collect customs duties on the neighboring trade route and was one of the seven electoral Trier castles, as well as Manderscheid , Arras , Saarburg , Grimburg , Welschbillig and Ehrenbreitstein . The last inhabitants of the town of Hatzdorf , which was ravaged by the plague and therefore abandoned, settled under the protection of the castle and founded the village of Neuerburg (now part of Wittlich).
In all probability, Neuerburg Castle was destroyed in 1689 by the French Marshal François de Créquy , who also had Wittlich destroyed from Mont Royal . Today only a few remains of the castle walls can be found.
Viticulture
In the years from 1959 to 1961, a vineyard was laid out on the southwest slope of the Neuerburger Kopf , but it was cleared again in 1985. Today this side of the mountain is growing more and more, but you can still see where the former vineyard was (see picture).
legend
The treasure from the Neuerburger Kopf
After the mighty castle fell into decline in the 17th century, more and more people from Neuerburg believed that ghosts and ghosts lived in the walls. Some have known about a huge, dangerous dog that watches over a treasure chest buried deep under the rubble day and night. However, only a young, courageous lad who dares to venture up the mountain at midnight on Easter vigil can gain access to this treasure. Then, it was said in Neuerburg, the gold pieces shone like glowing coals and the underground passages were also wide open. However, the treasure hunter had to meet two other conditions: He had to be a good person and a handsome one at that.
One day, a good 250 years ago, so the story goes, an equally handsome, good, courageous young man ventured into the castle on Easter vigil at witching hour. He found an open door from which dogs barked from a distance. The young man entered the door and, after a long walk through corridors leading down, reached a brightly lit, magnificent hall, in the middle of which was a huge treasure chest on which the dog lay growling. When the young man bravely approached the box, the dog jumped down and disappeared. The lad found the chest as if opened by magic and filled to the brim with precious stones, gold and silver, and stuffed as much of it into his pockets as he could. Finally he hurried away. Since he could not keep his achievement to himself, they said to themselves in Neuerburg, young boys tried again and again, but never again did one of them fulfill all the conditions equally, and so the secret passage has remained closed to this day.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Wilhelm Meyer: Geology of the Eifel. 3rd edition, Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1994. ISBN 3-510-65161-8 , p. 244