List of large stone graves in North Rhine-Westphalia

The megalithic graves of North Rhine-Westphalia

Nordic passage graves passage graves (preserved / destroyed)

Hessian-Westphalian gallery graves Beckum group (preserved / destroyed) Soest group (preserved / destroyed) Paderborn group (preserved / destroyed) Warburg group (preserved / converted)

Field names and finds of unknown origin

The list of large stone graves in North Rhine-Westphalia includes all known large stone graves in the area of what is now the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . The Völlinghausen complex is not included in the following list, as it is very close to the megalithic graves, but was not built from large stone slabs, but using dry stone wall technology .

List of graves

No .: Calls (if available) the number of the grave in the reference work Atlas of Megalithic Tombs in Germany by Ernst Sprockhoff

Grave : gives the name of the grave and common alternative names

Location : Names the community and, if applicable, the district in which the grave is located.

District : Name the district to which the parish belongs. BOR: District of Borken ; COE: Coesfeld district ; HF: Herford district ; HX: District of Höxter ; K: Cologne (independent city); MI: Minden-Lübbecke district ; PB: Paderborn district ; SO: Soest district ; ST: Steinfurt district ; UN: Unna district ; WAF: Warendorf district

Type : differentiation between different types of graves

Passage grave : rectangular, trapezoidal or convex grave chamber with at least three wall block pairs on the long sides and access to a long-side

Gallery grave: rectangular burial chamber sunk into the ground with access via an anteroom on one narrow side

Preserved graves

No.	dig	place	circle	Type	Coordinates	Remarks
	Gallery grave Atteln I	Lichtenau (Westphalia) , OT Atteln	PB	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	51.594831 ° N 8.814099 ° E	Discovered in 1926, excavations in 1926 and 1978, reconstructed in 1980
	Gallery grave Atteln II	Lichtenau (Westphalia) , OT Atteln	PB	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)		Discovered before 1926, excavations in 1926 and 1978, not visible above ground
	Gallery grave Beckum II	Beckum	WAF	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)	51.722597 ° N 8.03368 ° E
	Brenken gallery grave	Büren (Westphalia) , OT Brenken	PB	Gallery grave (type Züschen?)		Mentioned in 1855, rediscovered in 2008
	Great stone grave Espel I	Recke (Westphalia) , OT Espel	ST	Passage grave
	Etteln gallery grave	Borchen , OT Etteln	PB	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	51.633725 ° N. 8.744385 ° E
985	Great stone grave Heiden I ("Teufelsteine", "Düwelsteene")	Heiden (Münsterland)	BORON	Passage grave	51.833468 ° N 6.978388 ° E
	Gallery grave Henglarn II	Lichtenau (Westphalia) , OT Henglarn	PB	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck?)	51.602680 ° N 8.765511 °
	Gallery grave Hiddingsen	Soest , OT Hiddingsen	SO	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	51.532737 ° N 8.112471 ° E
	Hohenwepel gallery grave	Warburg , OT Hohenwepel	HX	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)		Discovered in 1983, excavation 1983/84, not visible above ground
	Gallery grave Kirchborchen I	Borchen , OT Kirchborchen	PB	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)	51.654039 ° N 8.719349 ° E	Individual stones visible under a lot of undergrowth
	Gallery grave Kirchborchen II	Borchen, OT Kirchborchen	PB	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	51.65334 ° N. 8.7206 ° E
	Gallery grave Neuhaus	Paderborn , Neuhaus Castle district	PB	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck?)		Only small remains have survived, not visible above ground. In Neuhaus Castle, contradicting information about the location of the place apparently led to the assumption of two graves, although only one actually exists. The Neuhaus II grave is therefore listed in the list without numbering, Neuhaus I grave must be deleted.
	Large stone grave Osterbeck	Westerkappeln , OT Osterbeck	ST	unknown
	Gallery tomb Ostönnen	Soest , OT Ostönnen	SO	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck?)		Discovered in 1904, excavation in 1929, only traces of the wall plates remain, not visible above ground
	Great stone grave Paderborn-Neuenbeken	Paderborn , OT Neuenbeken	PB	unknown	no details, state of preservation unknown
981	Great stone grave Rheine	Rheine , OT Schotthock	ST	unknown	52.300767 ° N 7.436868 ° E
	Gallery grave loach II	Erwitte , OT loach	SO	Gallery grave		Excavation 2009–2012, not visible above ground
	Gallery grave loach III	Erwitte , OT loach	SO	Gallery grave		Excavation 2009–2012, only small remains preserved, not visible above ground
	Warburg-Rimbeck gallery grave	Warburg , Rimbeck district	HX	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)	51.5349 ° N 9.06285 ° E
	Gallery tomb Wechte I	Lengerich (Westphalia) , OT Wechte	ST	Gallery grave
983	Great stone grave Wersen I ("Small Sloop Stones")	Lotte (Westphalia) , OT Wersen	ST	unknown	52.339683 ° N 7.934510 ° E
984	Great stone grave Wersen II ("Sloop stones", "Large sloop stones")	Lotte (Westphalia) , OT Wersen	ST	Passage grave	52.321228 ° N. 7.911289 ° E
982	Great stone grave Westerkappeln ("Seester Sloopsteine")	Westerkappeln , OT Seeste	ST	unknown	52.353834 ° N 7.881597 °
	Gallery grave Wewelsburg I	Büren (Westphalia) , OT Wewelsburg	PB	Gallery grave (Züschen type)		First mentioned in 1855. The grave is largely destroyed and not visible above ground. A rescue excavation took place in 1986/87.
	Gallery grave Wewelsburg II	Büren (Westphalia) , OT Wewelsburg	PB	Gallery grave		Discovered in 1985, excavation 2018, not visible above ground

Relocated graves

No.	dig	place	circle	Type	Remarks	image
	Great stone grave Werste	Bad Oeynhausen , OT Werste	MI	unknown	Excavated in 1926 and freely reconstructed near the original location

Destroyed graves

dig	place	circle	Type	Remarks
Great stone grave Altlünen	Lünen , OT Altlünen	U.N.	unknown	A capstone was found again in the 1970s
Baumberg stone grave	Nottuln	COE
Gallery grave Beckum I	Beckum	WAF	Gallery grave
Borgentreich-Großeneder gallery grave	Borgentreich , OT Großeneder	HX	Gallery grave (type Züschen?)	Discovered in 1992, excavation 1992/93
Great stone grave Coesfeld-Goxel	Coesfeld , OT Goxel	COE	unknown
Great stone grave Elte	Rheine , OT Elte	ST	unknown	discovered in World War II
Great stone grave Espel II	Recke (Westphalia) , OT Espel	ST	unknown
Large stone grave Groß Reken (large stone grave Reken-Maria Veen, large stone grave in Sandheck)	Reken , OT Groß Reken	BORON	unknown	Successively destroyed between the middle of the 19th century and 1930, stones installed in various buildings and some of them still preserved
Great stone grave Heiden II	Heiden (Münsterland)	BORON	unknown
Gallery grave Henglarn I	Lichtenau (Westphalia) , OT Henglarn	PB	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)
Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck I stone grave	Ibbenbüren , OT Laggenbeck	ST	unknown
Great stone grave Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck II	Ibbenbüren , OT Laggenbeck	ST	unknown
Great stone grave Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck III	Ibbenbüren , OT Laggenbeck	ST	unknown
Großsteingrab Kleinendorf ("Hohesteine", "Hünensteine")	Rahden , OT Kleinendorf	MI	unknown	Excavated in 1807, destroyed between 1807 and 1867
Large stone grave Ladbergen I	Ladbergen	ST	unknown
Large stone grave Ladbergen II	Ladbergen	ST	unknown
Lienen-Meckelwege large stone grave	Lienen , OT Meckelwege	ST	unknown
Gallery grave Lippborg	Lippetal , OT Lippborg	SO	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck?)	Discovered before 1800, southern half destroyed around 1800, investigation in 1860 and 1863, later completely destroyed
Large stone grave Löhne-Neuenhagen	Löhne , OT Neuenhagen	HF	unknown
Great stone grave Nottuln	Nottuln	COE	unknown
Großsteingrab Nottuln-Buxtrup (Großsteingrab Buldern)	Nottuln , OT Buxtrup	COE	unknown	Discovered in 1927
Ochtrup-Weiner stone grave	Ochtrup , OT Weiner	ST	unknown
Gallery grave Paderborn-Dahl	Paderborn , OT Dahl	PB	probably gallery grave	Registered in 1937
Great stone grave Petershagen-Maaslingen	Petershagen , OT Maaslingen	MI	unknown
Great stone grave Rahden I ("Hünenkamp")	Rahden	MI	unknown	destroyed before 1807, exact location unknown
Great stone grave Rahden II	Rahden	MI	unknown	destroyed before 1807, exact location unknown
Great stone grave Rheine-Gellendorf	Rheine , OT Gellendorf	ST	unknown
Gallery grave loach I	Erwitte , OT loach	SO	Gallery grave
Steinbeck stone grave	Recke (Westphalia) , OT Steinbeck	ST	unknown	destroyed after 1867
Great stone grave Tecklenburg-Ledde	Tecklenburg , OT Ledde	ST	unknown
Great stone grave Tecklenburg-Leeden	Tecklenburg , OT Leeden	ST	unknown
Gallery grave Uelde	Anröchte , OT Uelde	SO	Gallery grave	Discovered in 1858/59 and partially destroyed, excavations in 1865 and 1869, later completely destroyed
Great stone grave Varl	Rahden , OT Varl	MI	unknown	Excavated in 1807, destroyed between 1807 and 1867
Gallery grave Warburg I	Warburg	HX	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	destroyed after 1400, discovered in 1986, excavation 1987–89, finds in the LWL Museum for Archeology in Herne . The Warburg necropolis also includes a wooden complex called Warburg II.
Gallery grave Warburg III	Warburg	HX	Gallery grave (type Rimbeck)	destroyed after 1400, discovered in 1989, excavation 1990–91, finds in the LWL-Museum für Archäologie in Herne
Gallery grave Warburg IV	Warburg	HX	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	destroyed after 1400, discovered in 1938, excavation in 1992, finds in the LWL Museum for Archeology in Herne
Gallery grave Warburg V	Warburg	HX	Gallery grave (Züschen type)	Site discovered in 1992, excavation in 1993, finds in the LWL Museum for Archeology in Herne
Gallery grave Wechte II	Lengerich (Westphalia) , OT Wechte	ST	Gallery grave
Large stone grave Westerkappeln-Gabelin	Westerkappeln	ST	unknown
Gallery grave Wünnenberg	Bad Wünnenberg	PB	Gallery grave	destroyed after 1855, exact location unknown

Finds of unknown origin

Surname	place	circle	Remarks
"Blue stone"	Cologne	K	Artificially perforated stone that was set up in front of Cologne Cathedral and has been missing since 1829

Field name references

Surname	place	circle	Remarks
"Hünengraff"	Ahaus , OT Alstätte	MI
"To the twelve Steenen"	Petershagen , OT Eldagsen	MI

Erroneously listed as a megalithic grave

dig	place	circle	Type	Remarks
"Kirchboke Gallery Grave"	Delbrück , OT Kirchboke	PB	-	Identified as the remains of a medieval cellar during an investigation in 1977
"Gallery grave Lippstadt"	Lippstadt	SO	Gallery grave	According to Schierhold, identical to the Uelde gallery grave, mistakenly assumed by bulls as an independent grave, so adopted by other authors
"Gallery grave Neuhaus I"	Paderborn , Neuhaus Castle district	PB	Gallery grave	In Neuhaus Castle, contradicting information about the location of the place apparently led to the assumption of two graves, although only one actually exists. The Neuhaus II grave is therefore listed in the list without numbering, Neuhaus I grave must be deleted.

literature

Complete overview

Barbara Fritsch et al .: Density Centers and Local Groups - A Map of the Great Stone Graves of Central and Northern Europe. In: www.jungsteinsite.de. October 20, 2010 ( PDF; 1.6 MB , XLS; 1.4 MB ).
Kerstin Schierhold : Studies on the Hessian-Westphalian megalithic. Research status and perspectives in a European context (= Münster contributions to prehistoric and early historical archeology. Volume 6). Leidorf, Rahden / Westf. 2012, ISBN 978-3-89646-284-8 .
Waldtraut Schrickel : Western European elements in the Neolithic grave construction of Central Germany and the gallery graves of West Germany and their inventories. Bonn 1966, ISBN 978-3-7749-0575-7 .
Waldtraut Schrickel: Catalog of the Central German graves with Western European elements and the gallery graves of Western Germany. Bonn 1966.
Ernst Sprockhoff : Atlas of the megalithic tombs of Germany. Part 3: Lower Saxony - Westphalia. Rudolf-Habelt Verlag, Bonn 1975, ISBN 3-7749-1326-9 .
Renate Wiechers-Weidner: Great stone graves in Westphalia. Münster 1985.

Individual graves

Eva Cichy, Kerstin Schierhold: From collective to individual burials - the district trenches of Erwitte-Schmerlecke. In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe. 2011 (2012), pp. 52-56 ( online ).
Klaus Günther : The Neolithic stone chamber graves of Atteln, Kr. Paderborn (Westphalia). In: Germania , Volume 57, 1979, pp. 153-161.
Klaus Günther: The Neolithic stone chamber graves of Henglarn, district of Paderborn (Westphalia). In: Germania , Volume 58, 1980, pp. 147-152.
Klaus Günther: To the Neolithic stone chamber tombs of Neuhaus Castle near Paderborn. In: Excavations and finds in Westphalia-Lippe , Volume 3, 1985, pp. 1-7.
Klaus Günther: A large stone grave in the Warburger Börde near Hohenwepel, town of Warburg, district of Höxter. In: Excavations and finds in Westphalia-Lippe , Volume 4, 1986, 65-104.
Klaus Günther: To the Neolithic stone box graves Kirchborchen I and Etteln, Kr. Paderborn. In: Germania , Volume 56, 1978, pp. 230-233.
Klaus Günther u. a .: The collective grave necropolis Warburg I – V. (= Soil antiquities of Westphalia , Volume 29). Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1997, ISBN 3-8053-2451-0 .
Klaus Günther, A. Czarnetzki: To the Neolithic stone box graves of Kirchborchen, Gem. Borchen, Kr. Paderborn. In: Germania , Volume 54, 1976, pp. 184-191.
Klaus Günther, Martina Viets: The megalithic graves Henglarn I and Wewelsburg I in the Paderborn region. (= Soil antiquities of Westphalia , Volume 28). Aschendorff Verlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 978-3402051412 .
Susan Klingner, Michael Schultz: First results of the anthropological-paleopathological investigations of the buried in the gallery graves of Erwitte-Schmerlecke. In: Martin Hinz, Johannes Müller (eds.): Settlement, trench works, large stone grave. Studies on the society, economy and environment of the funnel cup groups in northern Central Europe (= early monumentality and social differentiation. Volume 2). Rudolf Habelt Verlag, Bonn 2012, ISBN 978-3-7749-3813-7 , pp. 431-441.
Heinz Knöll: The megalithic graves of Lengerich-Wechte (Steinfurt district). (= Soil antiquities of Westphalia , Volume 21). Aschendorff Verlag, Münster 1983, ISBN 3-402-05134-6 .
Walter Lange: Investigation of a newly found large Westphalian stone box near Hiddingsen, Soest district. In: Soil antiquities of Westphalia. 3, 1934, ISSN 0523-8013 , pp. 149-159.
Walter Lange: The stone box from Hiddingsen, Soest district. In: Local calendar of the Soest district. 15, 1936, ZDB ID 619151-4 , pp. 70-74.
Christian Meyer, Kerstin Schierhold : Got the dog - animal tooth jewelry from the graves of Erwitte-Schmerlecke. In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe. 2012 (2013), pp. 41-44 ( online ).
Ingo Pfeffer: A grave for a hundred people. The stone box in Soest-Hiddingsen. In: Norbert Wex (ed.): Soester show places. Recall historical places. Festschrift for the 125th anniversary of the Association for History and Homeland Care Soest. Westfälische Verlagsbuchhandlung Mocker & Jahn, Soest 2006, ISBN 3-87902-049-3 , pp. 326–331 ( Soester contributions 59).
Hans-Otto Pollmann: The gallery grave of Büren-Brenken - rediscovered? In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe. 2012 (2013), pp. 38–41 ( online ).
Kerstin Schierhold, Ralf Gleser, Michael Baales: On the genesis and structure of the Hessian-Westphalian megalithic using the example of the Soest group. In: Martin Hinz, Johannes Müller (eds.): Settlement, trench works, large stone grave. Studies on the society, economy and environment of the funnel cup groups in northern Central Europe (= early monumentality and social differentiation. Volume 2). Rudolf Habelt Verlag, Bonn 2012, ISBN 978-3-7749-3813-7 , pp. 411-430.
Kerstin Schierhold: The big Sloopsteene near Lotte-Wersen, Steinfurt district (= megalithic graves in Westphalia. Volume 1). Antiquities Commission for Westphalia, Münster 2016 ( online ).
Kerstin Schierhold: The large stone grave of Westerkappeln-Seeste, Steinfurt district (= megalithic graves in Westphalia. Volume 2). Antiquities Commission for Westphalia, Münster 2017 ( online ).
Kerstin Schierhold, Bernhard Stapel : The Düwelsteene near Heiden, Borken district (= megalithic graves in Westphalia. Volume 3). Antiquities Commission for Westphalia, Münster 2018 ( online ).
Kerstin Schierhold et al .: Houses for the dead - the late Neolithic gallery graves in Erwitte-Schmerlecke. In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe. 2010 (2011), pp. 35-38 ( online ).
Kerstin Schierhold, Ralf Gleser, Michael Baales: On the genesis and structure of the Hessian-Westphalian megalithic using the example of the Soest group. In: Martin Hinz, Johannes Müller (eds.): Settlement, trench works, large stone grave. Studies on the society, economy and environment of the funnel cup groups in northern Central Europe (= early monumentality and social differentiation. Volume 2). Rudolf Habelt Verlag, Bonn 2012, ISBN 978-3-7749-3813-7 , pp. 411-430.
Kerstin Schierhold, Norbert Reuther: Early funeral rites - conclusion of the excavations in Erwitte-Schmerlecke. In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe. 2013 (2014), pp. 59-62 ( online ).
Bernhard Stapel, Kerstin Schierhold: The large stone grave of Lengerich-Wechte, Steinfurt district (= megalithic graves in Westphalia. Volume 4). Antiquities Commission for Westphalia, Münster 2018 ( online ).
Burkard Steinücken: Examination of the gallery graves of Soest-Hiddingsen and Beckum-Dalmer for astronomical abnormalities. ( PDF; 2.0 MB ).
Martina Viets: The megalithic grave Espel I, Recke municipality, Steinfurt district (= soil antiquities of Westphalia , volume 29). Aschendorff Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-402-05148-6 .

Web links

Commons : Great stone graves in North Rhine-Westphalia - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Klaus Günther: On the Neolithic stone chamber graves of Neuhaus Castle near Paderborn.
^ Backbreaking work. Students examine large stone grave. In: lwl.org. October 15, 2018, accessed August 10, 2020.
^ Klaus Günther: On the early history of Kirchboke. In: Die Warte , Volume 19, 1978, p. 37.

[Günther-Neuhaus-1] Klaus Günther: On the Neolithic stone chamber graves of Neuhaus Castle near Paderborn.

[2] Backbreaking work. Students examine large stone grave. In: lwl.org. October 15, 2018, accessed August 10, 2020.

[3] Klaus Günther: On the early history of Kirchboke. In: Die Warte , Volume 19, 1978, p. 37.