Goethefelsen (Bodetal)

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Goethefelsen, view from the Goethestein

The Goethefelsen , also known as the Siebenbrüderfelsen , is a striking rock formation in the Bodetal in the Harz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt .

location

It is towering on the left bank of the Bode in the area of ​​the city of Thale . The hiking trail between Königsruhe and Thale runs directly below the granite rock . The Goethestein is located in the immediate vicinity, a little further upstream .

The Cäsarfelsen and the flag of the Hannsteinhöhe adjoin the Siebenbrüderfelsen .

Say

The striking rock formation is the subject of several legends .

A legend tells of seven princes who coveted the treasures of the king's daughter Brunhilde and were therefore killed by seven giants guarding the treasures in the Bode valley. As a result, seven princesses traveled to the tombs of the princes, who mourned the death of their loved ones. From the tears the rock then called the Siebenbrüderfels grew. Seven trees planted on the grave site by the princesses were called seven leaps .

Another legend tells of seven brothers who sought Brunhilde's favor, but were turned away by her. The seven brothers then kidnapped Brunhilde von der Winzenburg . Brunhilde then called the mountain spirits of the Bode Valley for help, who turned the kidnappers into a rock, the Seven Brothers Rock, as punishment. According to legend, the brothers are still waiting for redemption today.

According to a third legend, seven brothers from the Bohemian Forest , who, however, were decried as robbers, asked for the hand of a beautiful girl. After they were rejected, they harassed the girl. She tried in vain to escape with her fast and brave horse over a narrow path along the rock face. Then the sky darkened and it thundered and crashed. When the girl turned around, she saw that her pursuers had been transformed into seven stone structures, including an owl, a cat, and an elephant. Since then the rock has been called the Siebenbrüderfelsen.

Due to the distinctive shapes, the most diverse shapes were recognized in the rock formation. Publications also describe a seated pug, a lying sheep, the bust of a bishop with a cap, a seated eagle, two dogs or wolves biting each other, the upper body of a cunningly turning fox with pointed ears, and the bust of a grandfather.

history

On September 8, 1784, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stayed on the rock. His companion the painter Georg Melchior Kraus made a drawing of the Siebenbrüderfelsen on this occasion. A year earlier, on September 11, 1783, Goethe had stayed here and rested on the Goethestein.

On the occasion of Goethe's 200th birthday on August 28, 1949, the rock was given the name Goethefelsen. The name Siebenbrüderfelsen, however, also remained in use.

Individual evidence

  1. Theodor Nolte , Die Roßtrappe, the Hexentanzplatz and the Bodetal , Thale am Harz 1928, page 51
  2. Carsten Kiehne, Myths, Sagen und Märchen um and about Thale , docupoint Verlag Barleben 2014, ISBN 978-3-86912-089-8 , page 57
  3. Carsten Kiehne, Myths, Sagen und Märchen um and about Thale , docupoint Verlag Barleben 2014, ISBN 978-3-86912-089-8 , page 57
  4. Carsten Kiehne, Myths, Sagen und Märchen um and about Thale , docupoint Verlag Barleben 2014, ISBN 978-3-86912-089-8 , page 57
  5. Theodor Nolte, The Roßtrappe, the Hexentanzplatz and the Bodetal , Thale am Harz 1928, page 50 f.
  6. ^ Karl Schön, Goethe on trips: About Goethes Reisen , BookRix, 2012, ISBN 9783864791796
  7. Information on the Goethefelsen at www.harzlandhexe.de

Coordinates: 51 ° 44 ′ 8.1 "  N , 11 ° 1 ′ 22.3"  E