Nail stone from Ermsleben
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The approximately 2.3 m high nail stone from Ermsleben stands on the market square of Ermsleben , a district of Falkenstein / Harz in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt on the west side of the town hall. It broke in the lower third and was probably once larger. Countless nails have been hammered into its sides and top flat area over time .
Various, partly contradicting legends and stories entwine around the nail stone and the metal pins in it. Allegedly, when it rains, especially when there is a thunderstorm, the stone becomes so soft that you can easily drive a nail into it. Tradition possibly establishes a reference to a pre-Christian deity.
As a secular explanation in historical writings it is mentioned that the stone has cavities which are filled with clay. This tone becomes soft when it rains and allows the nails to be hammered in at these points. It is relatively certain that the nail stone was used for cultic activities in prehistoric times. According to the shape it should originally be a menhir .
In the Middle Ages, the stone served as an aid for divine judgments. The accused had to drive a nail into the stone. If he succeeded in this, he was considered innocent. Later a court was held at the Nagelstein. The last trial took place in March 1715, with several people sentenced to death for murder. At the beginning of the 20th century, the nail stone was rededicated as a Bismarck monument . The contours of the bronze plate and its attachment can still be seen. After the end of the Second World War the tablet was lost.
The rulers in the GDR used the stone for ideological purposes, as a " five-year plan memorial ".
Nail stones can be found in Saxony (11), Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia (in Schnellmannshausen ), as well as in Bavaria (6).
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Coordinates: 51 ° 43 ′ 54.8 " N , 11 ° 20 ′ 39.5" E