Sun sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia

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Felsentor potter sun passage summer solstice sunset around 8 p.m.

The sun sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia are distinctive, mostly legendary rocks and stone formations in the Upper Lusatian highlands and neighboring regions, which are believed to have been used for calendar solar observations in prehistoric times . Mostly they have conspicuous viewing openings through which the sun shines on the calendar dates of the solstices and equinoxes . The solar observation phenomenon was first measured in 2007 by Ralf Herold and Hilmar Hensel. In 2008 the “Bruno-H.-Bürgel” observatory in Sohland / Spree founded an archaeoastronomy specialist group to research the phenomenon . The research project was named “Project Gods Hand”, based on a hand-shaped weathering on the first measured rock object, the Devil's Pulpit in Sora near Wilthen .

Research tradition in Upper Lusatia

The sacrificial or large stone or Heidenstein near Weigsdorf, drawing by Karl Benjamin Preusker in 1844

A report by Pastor Martin Niger dates from 1614 . At that time he lived in Weigsdorf, part of Upper Lusatia, which is now part of the Czech Republic and is called Višňová . On his morning walks he occasionally met an old woman who was coming from the direction of the Heidenstein rock not far from the church (today Pohanské Kameny ). One day he found her on her knees by the rock, praying. When he confronted her, she told him that her grandmother and other residents of the surrounding area had already prayed here at sunrise and sunset because there was once a “ temple of God ” here.

In 1690, Magister Martin Grünewald at the Bautzen secondary school dictated his students a description of Upper Lusatia, in which he spoke of altars on the surrounding mountains and thus aroused general interest in mythological antiquities in Upper Lusatia.

In Königshain near Görlitz , the pastor's son Samuel Friedrich Bucher reported in 1708 about urns that he himself had excavated on the Totenstein rock there. Bucher described the site as a “cave”, which was “worked” into the rock so that “worshipers at sunrise according to an old custom ... could fall on their knees and so to the east ... worship the sun”.

Abraham Frencel , a Sorbian priest, 1712 translated the corridor designation "Prašchwiza" when "question mark or Orakelort " and drew attention to research on a mountain that later Czorneboh (Black God) was called, and where one next to the Devil also suspected a sun god of the dark day or season.

Pastor Ehregott Friedrich Pannach from Malschwitz in 1797 called the Teufelssteinfelsen near the church in the village of Kleinbautzen an “altar of idolatry ” and noted “deliberate” changes in the natural position of the boulders. Archaeological excavations by the Society for Anthropology and Prehistory of Upper Lusatia brought numerous finds and confirmation of human influence on the rock in 1903.

Karl Benjamin Preusker called in his works "Oberlausitzische Antiquities" from 1828 and "Views in die Vaterlandische Vorzeit" from 1841 a whole series of rocks of Oberlausitz as "pagan sacrificial altars" and "god temples" for a " sun cult " on which on certain days the sun was worshiped at sunrise and sunset. He suspected a meaning similar to Stonehenge in England .

The doctor Johann Gottfried Bönisch connected the “rock altars” of Upper Lusatia in 1830 not only to the sun but also to the moon .

In 1885 Alfred Moschkau , like Preusker before, drew a mental arc from the "rock altars" of the Upper Lusatian low mountain range over the megaliths of northern Germany and Scandinavia to Stonehenge in England.

In 1937, the astronomer and head of the Leipzig University Observatory Josef Hopmann suspected constellations in pod-like depressions on the dead stone and on numerous other so-called cup stones in Upper Lusatia . Lutz Pannier from the Scultetus observatory in Görlitz analyzed the measurements of the pans carried out on the Totenstein in 1937 and Prof. Hopmann's sketches of interpretation. He couldn't see any constellations. A specialist article announced by Prof. J. Hopmann never appeared. After 1945, Prof. Hopmann did not publicly comment on this issue again.

Since 2007 local researchers and the archaeoastronomy group at the “Bruno-H.-Bürgel” observatory in Sohland / Spree have been following up on these old research traditions with a new research approach. The subject of research are regulated-looking rock openings that allow calendar solar observations. The rock objects that show this phenomenon are referred to as the "sun sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia".

  • The cuckoo stone near Königshain, copper engraving 1780 by Carl Adolph Gottlob von Schachmann

  • The cuckoo stone at the winter solstice 2007, 1:15 p.m.

  • The Teufelsstein von Pließkowitz / Kleinbautzen, drawn by Karl Benjamin Preusker in 1844

  • The Teufelsstein at the equinox (spring / autumn) sunrise 2007

  • The Devil's Pulpit in Rachlau, drawing by Karl Benjamin Preusker 1841

  • The Teufelskanzel during the passage of the sun at the winter solstice around noon in 2007

Objects

Some properties in Upper Lusatia and neighboring regions:

controversy

Kuckuckstein Königshain, observation scheme of the sun in the viewing window of the rock

In July 2012, the archaeologist and director of the cultural history museum in Görlitz , Jasper von Richthofen, took a negative stance in the Sächsische Zeitung under the heading “No magic in the sun in Upper Lusatia”. He justified this with the naturalness of the objects and the lack of archaeological evidence of a corresponding megalithic culture in Upper Lusatia. In January 2015, a panel discussion about the solar sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia took place in the Görlitz Planetarium under the heading "Archaeoastronomy in Upper Lusatia". Jasper von Richthofen defended his view that these are "nature games". The geologist Olaf Tietz from the Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz confirmed targeted human impact at least on the viewing window of the cuckoo stone that he examined . He did not see an astronomical intention as compelling, but did not want to rule it out either. Lutz Pannier from the Scultetus Observatory in Görlitz pointed out that the cuckoo stone lacks the compelling calendar astronomical significance, the opening in the stone and its alignment allow a variety of visures and light effects over very large time windows. Ralf Herold from the Sohland observatory assured that the research would definitely be continued, because the solar phenomena would have proven to be very worth seeing, would impressively illustrate calendar astronomical processes and would at least have “the charm of Stonehenge”.

International networking of prehistoric solar sanctuaries

In 2012, the Archaeoastronomy Section of the Sohland Observatory initiated the “1. International networking of prehistoric solar sanctuaries ”. The sunset of the summer solstice of various presumed calendar monuments in Europe was exchanged live for the respective visitors on site via mobile internet technology and could be followed almost at the same time. The location of the network in Upper Lusatia was the object “Thor's anvil - the stone sky disc of Neusalza-Spremberg”.

"Thor's anvil - the stone sky disc of Neusalza-Spremberg" Summer solstice sunset 2009

International Archaeoastronomy Day

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Sohland Observatory, the Archaeoastronomy Section launched the “International Day of Archaeoastronomy” in 2013. Until 2015, researchers from 10 countries participated with 30 archaeoastronomical objects.

tourism

The Upper Lusatian Bergland tourist community took up the archaeoastronomical research of the Sohland observatory as a tourist theme. The Kälberstein between Schirgiswalde , Crostau , Oppach and Sohland was the first property to be equipped with hiking information and information boards in 2014. In 2015, the Sohland observatory published a brochure with information and hiking tips on 38 objects in Upper Lusatia and the Czech Republic.

In 2018, the cuckoo stone at the Sohland observatory was made from Oberlausitz granite with a size of approx. 2 m. It is part of the " Sun Paths " tourism project . A joint project of the community of Sohland and the association of the public and school observatory "Bruno-H.-Bürgel" Sohland / Spree eV as part of the archaeoastronomical research project Götterhand. Funded by the Leader Region “Bautzener Oberland” with funds from the European Agricultural Fund for the development of rural areas. The replica of the cuckoo stone at the observatory in Sohland is the starting point of a hiking route to various calendar astronomical stone formations in Upper Lusatia and the Czech Republic.

Replica of the Königshain cuckoo stone at the Sohland / Spree observatory

Objects outside of Upper Lusatia

There are also rocks and stone formations in other regions that are suspected to have been used for calendar solar observations:

  • Germany: Devil's butter barrel near Leuchtenberg in the Upper Palatinate
  • Austria: Kogelsteine near Eggenburg
  • Bulgaria: Megalith of Buzovgrad
  • Italy: The Quadrilithon on Mount Caprione near San Lorenzo
  • Switzerland: Erdmannlistein near Wohlen ; Martinsloch near Elm
  • Japan: Kanayama megaliths
  • France: the altar of the Valee des Merveilles
  • Portugal: Templos do Sol at Foz Coa
  • Ukraine: Bakhchisarai Menhir (Бахчисарайский менгир) in the Crimea
  • Spain: Penas de Rodas
  • Norway: Torghatten

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Brochures "Archaeoastronomy" and "Sun Paths - Jäger des Lichts" (Czech-German), Sohland / Spree Observatory, 2015 and 2018; Ralf Herold, "Sun Sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia - The money cellar on the Löbauer Berg and its real treasure", 2012; Ralf Herold, "The track of light - Project of the Gods - Sun Sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia", 2020
  2. ↑ Karl Benjamin Preusker "Views into the Fatherland Prehistory" Volume 1 from 1841, p. 14
  3. ↑ Letopis - annual publication of the Institute for the Sorbian Nation. Series C - Folklore, No. 6/7, 1963/64, p. 15
  4. ↑ Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the Society for Anthropology, Prehistory and Folklore, Volume V, Issues 1 and 2 of the annual issues, Görlitz 1938, p. 48
  5. ^ Abraham Frencel, "Commentarius philologico-historicus de Diis Soraborum Aliorumque Slavorum", 1712, Volume II. P. 229
  6. ^ Lusatian monthly journals, 1797, part II., Pastor Pannach, "Oerter where idolatry was probably once done", pp. 413-414
  7. ^ Annual notebooks of the Society for Anthropology and Prehistory of Upper Lusatia, Volume II., 1903–1913, Karl Richard Needon, “Der Teufelsstein von Pließkowitz”, pp. 21–24
  8. ↑ Karl Benjamin Preusker “Views into the Fatherland Prehistory”, Volume 1 from 1841, pp. 14/23
  9. ↑ Johann Gottfried Boenisch, "The old gods of Germany: especially Saxony and Lusatia", 1830
  10. ↑ A. Moschkau, The prehistoric antiquities of Upper Lusatia and their sites, in: New Lusatia. Magazine 61, 1885, p. 81
  11. ↑ Görlitzer Nachrichten December 13, 1937, "Prehistoric constellations in Upper Lusatia", by Prof. Dr. J. Hopmann, University Observatory, Leipzig
  12. ↑ Lutz Pannier, The alleged constellations on the Totenstein, in: Görlitzer Magazin 9, 1995, p. 41
  13. ^ Sächsische Zeitung, Bautzen / Löbau / Görlitz, September 16, 2009, “On the trail of the devil's pulpit riddle”; Dresdner Morgenpost, Saxony, June 10th, 2010, “Lusatia is teeming with ancient sun rocks”; Bild-Zeitung, Dresden, October 11th, 2011, "We are the hunters of the sunstones - In Upper Lusatia the" Project of the Gods "is running"
  14. ^ Sächsische Zeitung, Lausitzer Leben, from 14./15. July 2012, p. 9
  15. ^ Sächsische Zeitung, Löbauer Zeitung, "The search for the Löbauer Stone Age people", March 20, 2015, p. 7
  16. ↑ Sächsische Zeitung, Lausitz, June 12, 2012, "The Sun Seekers"
  17. ^ Bild-Zeitung, Dresden, June 21, 2014 "Stone Age experiment in Upper Lusatia"
  18. ↑ Holiday map "Tourist Regional Community Holiday Area Oberlausitzer Bergland", 2014; “Hikes to the calf stones in the Oberlausitzer Bergland”, 2014; Brochure “Archaeoastronomy” Sohland Observatory, 2015
  19. ^ BILD newspaper, Dresden and Saxony, June 16, 2018; Sächsische Zeitung, Bautzen district of June 21, 2018; Dresdner Morgenpost from June 22, 2018
  20. ↑ Oberpfälzer Wochenzeitung, "Frühgeschichtliches Sonnenobservatorium discovered?", July 1, 2009
  21. ↑ Dr. Alfred Kapl, "The Secret of the Fairy Hood", 2001
  22. ↑ Georgi Velev, "НЕПРОЧЕТЕНАТА ИАЛИАДА", 2010
  23. ^ Enrico Calzolari, "La preistoria del Caprione", 2006
  24. ↑ Georg Brunner, Helvetia Archäologica, Volume 44, 2013, No. 173/174, pp. 43–61
  25. ↑ M. Besson, “Discours Sur l'Histoire Naturelle de la Suisse”, 1780
  26. ^ Catalog for the exhibition of the Reiss-Engelhorn museums. Publications of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums Vol. 10, Dr. Stefan Mäder, “A visit to the Kanayama megaliths, Gero district, Gifu prefecture On the question of prehistoric sky observation in Japan”, 2004
  27. ↑ Documentation “The Astronomers of Lascaux” from 2007, ARD, November 13, 2010, 9:00 pm
  28. ↑ DN Cartaz, “Solstício do Verão em Foz Côa e Aldeia de Chãs”, June 17, 2011
  29. ↑ Russian news agency "Свежий Ветер", "Главные загадки Крыма" (Important Secrets of Crimea), July 24, 2015
  30. ↑ EL-MUNDO, "Penas de Rodas, el misterio del solsticio", June 23, 2011
  31. ↑ Christian Wilhelm Ritter, “Description of Strange Mountains, Rocks and Volcanoes: A Contribution to the Physical History of the Earth. Berge und Felsen, Volume 1 ”, 1806, pp. 335–336

literature

  • “Bruno-H.-Bürgel” observatory: Brochure “Archaeoastronomy”, Sohland / Spree 2015
  • “Bruno-H.-Bürgel” observatory: Brochure “Sun Paths - Hunters of Light”, Sohland / Spree 2018
  • Ralf Herold: Sun Shrines of Upper Lusatia. The money cellar on the Löbauer Berg and its real treasure . Spitzkunnersdorf: Oberlausitzer Verlag Frank Nürnberger 2012
  • Ralf Herold: The track of light - project of the gods - sun sanctuaries of Upper Lusatia. Sohland / Spree observatory, Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2020, ISBN 978-3-7519-5892-9
  • Dr. Reinhard Mussik: WHY DO PEOPLE CONNECT PRESUMED PREHISTORIC SACRED PLACES AND CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE IN VIRTUAL SPACE VIA THE INTERNET TODAY ?, MASTER IN CULTURAL ASTRONOMY AND AS-TROLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID, 2015
  • Gudrun Wolfschmidt (editor / author): Architectural monuments of the sky - Astronomy in built space and designed landscape: Proceedings of the conference of the Society for Archaeoastronomy ... on the History of Natural Sciences, Hamburg 2018

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