Black stone (barges)

View from the south

The Black Stone is the northernmost landmark of Switzerland . It stands in the area of the municipality of Bargen in the canton of Schaffhausen at an altitude of 821 m above sea level. M. and bears the number 593. In the local dialect he is called the Black Staa .

location

Black stone

Schaffhausen

The boundary stone at the northernmost point of Switzerland

The black stone stands in a forest cover about one kilometer northwest above the Neuhaus customs office, where the B27 passes. The elevated location offers a wide view to the southeast over the border area between Germany and Switzerland. Hiking trail no. 593 from Wanderland Schweiz leads past it .

The Way of St. James touches Switzerland on the section Blumberg – Schaffhausen – Rapperswil near the Schwarzen Stein. Next to the stone is a picnic area with a table and fireplace.

Location of the northernmost border point. The circular hiking trail from and to Bargen is shown in red.
At the edge of the forest in the center of the picture: Switzerland's northernmost point
View to the southeast. To the left of the information board is the black stone

Surname

The name "Black Stone" could allude to the earlier practice of the Schaffhausen authorities of deporting convicts or exiles to Germany here, at the northernmost point of their sovereign territory. The stone itself is not black, but gray.

Another name of the stone is Gatterstein . In the Swiss dialect, a gate refers to a lattice door made of slats that opens from the outside in and closes by itself. This is to prevent grazing animals from pushing open the gate.

description

The stone has a square footprint of 30 centimeters and is made of lime. It is 150 centimeters high and about 70 centimeters above the ground. It was built in 1839 when the Baden- Swiss border was being surveyed. He is number 593.

The stone bears inscriptions carved on all four sides: