Gailenberg (Mühlheim am Main)
The Gailenberg is the highest elevation (130 m above sea level ) in the Hessian city of Mühlheim am Main, east of the Lämmerspiel district and southeast of the Dietesheim district . It is an area of approx. 1.5 km² that is mostly overgrown with fruit trees - primarily apple trees. A small amount of arable farming is also practiced. For a number of years now, an interest group has been operating a vineyard with 99 vines of the " Weißer Burgunder " grape variety .
history
In terms of geological history, the Gailenberg was created "through the rising up of glowing basalt masses " from the interior of the earth about 15 million years ago. Others also say that the predominant basalt there comes from the lava flows of the exploded Vogelsberg volcano from the same period (15-17 million years). Geologically, the Gailenberg consists of a basalt layer that is up to 18 m thick. Layers of sand (drifting sand dunes) lie above that originate from violent storms from western directions around 20,000 years ago. Above this there is only a thin layer of humus, which only allows for poor or drought-loving vegetation. The first human traces can be found here about 40,000 years ago, as evidenced by Paleolithic finds (chippings from chalcedony).
use
Anyone who knows about the volcanic origin of the basalt subsoil of the Gailenberg is in no way surprised by this name that a favorable climate, almost Mediterranean in summer, has developed here. One of the reasons why in the late Middle Ages and up to the Thirty Years War there were vineyards owned by farmers from Dietesheim and Lammerspiel.
It was not until the massive destruction of the vineyards during the Thirty Years' War and the subsequent cold summer years that cider making became necessary to a greater extent. After the grapes were often frozen one after the other, the farmers had to switch to growing apples on instructions, which is still practiced to this day. The already mentioned "vineyard" of the viticulture interest group of citizens from Mühlheim is therefore unique. Otherwise, the Gailenberg is now one of the protected orchards that are cultivated with the help of financial resources from the State of Hesse and the city of Mühlheim - for example by constantly removing bushes and planting tall old fruit tree varieties in an annual planting campaign.
Directions
The Gailenberg can be reached via a junction at the boundary of the city of Mühlheim at the connection between Lämmerspiel and Steinheim (Steinheimer Straße) and via an access in the area of the Vogelsberg lakes.
literature
- Hartmut Gries: Early traces: the Stone Age in the landscape around Mühlheim am Main . Mühlheim am Main 1990, DNB 910336873 .
Web links
- Agenda report of the Offenbach district 2005/2006 (PDF; 1.1 MB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ From foreword v. R.Krug on "Early Traces" by H. Gries
- ↑ “Early Traces” ... p. 23
- ↑ “Early Traces” ... p. 30
- ↑ Records for quantity and quality on op-online.de; Retrieved May 23, 2011
Coordinates: 50 ° 6 '20.98 " N , 8 ° 52' 25.91" O