Maiburg (forest area)
The Maiburg is a forest area south of the village of Bippen in the district of Osnabrück and of traditional and mystical importance.
Numerous testimonies from pagan times have been preserved in Bippen. There is certainly a connection between early settlements and the numerous springs that arise in this area.
There are several monoliths in the vicinity that are considered pagan places of worship. On the main road from Bippen to Schwagstorf, the " Vosspädgen " educational forest trail begins on the left . From there you follow the hiking trail marked by carved foxes. You pass the so-called " Hexentreppe ", the " Sacrificial Stone " and the " Devil's Stone " or " Düvels Brotschapp ". As the names make clear, these pagan places were demonized in Christian times. It is believed that May festivities once took place here. The entire area is also an area under the spell of the " Holenkerl " who is said to haunt here. Older people in this region in particular still tell the story of the Holenkerl . This evil creature is said to have jumped on the back of unsuspecting hikers at night and rode them to death. This is said to have happened the last time 150 years ago. Another legend tells of a farmer who jumped around at night in the shape of a goat and was shot, whereupon he returned to his human form. In the area of the Maiburg there are also some large stone graves. These are easy to find thanks to the signs " Straße der Monolithkultur ".
Others
The Maiburg property in the Harpke district , about five kilometers south of Bippen, is the home of an artist.
Extensions:
A cult sites hiking trail, the so-called “Vosspäddken” (fox trail), leads through the “Maiburg”, which is very close to the village of Bippen. In addition, the forest area is traversed by the "Napoleondamm", on which the troops of Emperor Napoleon are said to have once moved eastwards and the "Holland walkers" headed west. In the Maiburg there are countless references to Germanic cult sites such as the Wickersberg (Weissageberg), the Hünenboll or the Hünennest. Many large stone graves from the Bronze Age were and were here. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, many of these graves were cleared away; H. partly removed and used for road construction. So the Maiburg was robbed of many of its mythical riches. Nevertheless, many contemporary testimonies are still preserved and are now protected from destruction. With a length of over 100 meters, the Hekes stone grave is one of the largest in Germany and, with its orientation towards the sunset on June 21, it is also a kind of observatory to save calendar data. If you follow the Kultstättenweg into the forest, you will come to the "Teufelsstein", a legendary, obelisk-like cult stone. This point marks the eastern border of the “Holenkerl” ban area. The southern border of the ban area is "Deuvels Brotschapp", a huge boulder that is mistaken for a sacrificial stone. From here, after a few hundred meters, you come to another Teufelsstein, which forms the keystone of a former large stone grave, directly on the "Qualenberg". According to legend, in the presence of the devil on the last day in April the witches' Sabbath was once played here on Walpurgis Night. The entire forest area of the Maiburg still has a rich flora and fauna, with many rare animals and plants.
Sources and individual references
- Claudia Liebers: The Black Leaders, Northwest Germany. Owls Publishing House; 2nd edition 1996. ISBN 3891021224
Coordinates: 52 ° 33 ′ 55 ″ N , 7 ° 45 ′ 0 ″ E