Iron Man (Kottenforst)

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Iron stele referred to as the "Iron Man"

The iron man is about 1.20 m protruding from the floor and 15 × 15 cm measured stele of iron , which in Kottenforst to a path node north of Buschhoven and east of Dünstekoven in the district Heimerzheim (municipality Swisttal ) in North Rhine-Westphalia protrudes from the ground.

More detailed description

It is 2.18 m long in total, the buried end is T-shaped and thus serves for better anchoring in the ground. It is assumed that it is a survey point , a boundary marking or a memorial . The stele was first mentioned in 1625, and for a long time it served as a landmark for the border between the communities of Heimerzheim and Alfter . An investigation from 1978 indicates that it is charcoal pig iron that was poured into an open gutter in the form of bars. This is a technique that was used in the late Middle Ages and early modern times , but not yet in Roman times .

New Eiserner Mann refuge (2015)

The exact alignment of the visual axis from Augustusburg Castle in Brühl and its baroque garden to the Iron Man is remarkable . It is possible that the Iron Man was relocated in this context in 1727, when a new system of paths for par force hunting was laid in the Kottenforst .

Several forest and hiking trails intersect at the Iron Man. The Roman Eifel aqueduct to Cologne is also in the immediate vicinity. It is a popular meeting place and resting place. In its immediate vicinity there is seating and a shelter. Much was destroyed by vandalism in early 2015. Extensive restoration work began in July 2015.

There are numerous legends about the not completely clarified history of the iron stele; in this context there are also several customs in the surrounding villages.

literature

Web links

Commons : Iron Man  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans-Peter Fuss: Vandalism in the Kottenforst. A trail of devastation. In: General-Anzeiger (Bonn). February 6, 2015, accessed August 4, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Hans-Peter Fuss: Iron man in the Kottenforst. Stand up to the destroyers. In: General-Anzeiger (Bonn). July 13, 2015, accessed August 4, 2015 .

Coordinates: 50 ° 42 ′ 27 "  N , 6 ° 57 ′ 40"  E