Steinbachtal and Hirschhagener ponds
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Steinbachtal and Hirschhagener ponds
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.jpg) View of the lower of the two ponds. |
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| location | Hessisch Lichtenau in the Werra-Meißner district in Hesse . | |
| surface | 26 hectares | |
| Identifier | 1636032 | |
| WDPA ID | 319141 | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 13 ' N , 9 ° 43' E | |
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| Setup date | 1997 | |
| particularities | Special protection as a nature reserve . | |
Steinbachtal and Hirschhagener Teiche is the name of a nature reserve in the Werra-Meißner district in North Hesse . The protected area is in a Waldbach valley in the southern part of the Kaufunger Forest . Its forest and meadow areas have become a habitat for numerous endangered bird species and rare plants.
The Hirschhagen industrial area borders the protected area , which was created from the relics of an explosives factory from the time of the Nazi regime . When planning and building the facility, the protection of the environment was neglected. The wastewater from the explosives factory and production waste caused a great deal of natural disruption and health threats. With a decade-long, extremely cost-intensive renovation, work was carried out on the neutralization and removal of the old armaments.
location
The nature reserve is located in the northern part of the Hessisch Lichtenau district, between the districts of Hirschhagen in the west and Friedrichsbrück in the east. It belongs to the " Geo-Nature Park Frau-Holle-Land ". In terms of natural space , it is assigned to the low mountain range of the “ Söhre ” in the Kaufunger Forest, a sub-unit of the “ Fulda-Werra-Bergland ” in the “ East Hessian Bergland ”.
Geologically, the protected area is located in the area of a red sandstone block , which is delimited in the south-east by a fault at the edge of the Altmorschen-Lichtenau trench . The surrounding rocks belong to the middle red sandstone . This regionally forms an approximately 370 m thick sandstone sequence, which is partially broken through by silt and clay stones .
Protected position
With an ordinance of January 29, 1997 of the Upper Nature Conservation Authority of the Regional Council in Kassel , the meadows and forest areas along the Steinbach and the Hirschhagen ponds were declared a nature reserve. With the protection, the forest meadow valley, which is rich in rare animal and plant species, as well as the two ponds with their adjoining areas were to be preserved, protected and further developed through suitable care measures. The nature reserve has a size of 26 hectares, has the national identification 1636032 and the WDPA code 319141.
The sanctuary
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The Steinbach is a small flowing body of water that arises from the confluence of two source streams that unite in the southern part of the nature reserve. The Steinbach flows into the Losse between Hessisch Lichtenau and Fürstenhagen as a tributary on the right . There are three ponds in the valley of the Steinbach. The largest and topmost pond is outside the protected area. The former cooling pond of the explosives factory is used by the fishing club Eschenstruth as club water. The two ponds in the reserve were created earlier as fish ponds.
The meadow and forest areas of the Waldbachtal harbor valuable habitats from a nature conservation point of view. The authors Sieglinde and Lothar Nitsche name in the book "Nature reserves in Hesse, protect-experience-care" here small and large sedge areas , wet grass lawns and boggy black alder - alluvial forests . The two ponds are assigned to the small ecosystem of the "mesotrophic still waters " and trees of the habitat type "Hainsimsen Buchenwald" grow on the slopes on acidic sites , with the common beech as the dominant species.
Fever clover , narrow-leaved cottongrass , beak sedge and gray sedge are found in the vegetation of the more humid areas of the protected area . Peat moss grows on marshy areas and the streams line meadowsweet and butterbur meadows .
The tufted duck , pond rail and common raven are rarer bird species that the area offers breeding grounds and feeding habitats . Among the year birds is believed by those that they also breed in this area include little grebe and kingfisher and nutcracker , crossbill and woodcock . Stock pigeons , black and gray woodpeckers have been observed in the old wood area in the central part of the nature reserve . The black stork occasionally visits the valley as a food visitor .
The two ponds are a suitable habitat for many dragonflies. Among the twenty or so identified species, the winter dragonfly and peat mosaic maiden belong to the Red List species , the numbers of which have declined noticeably and which are threatened by human impact. The proven Reptiles mountain lizard , slow-worm and grass snake are considered declining species and are considered by the Hessian early warning list as threatened.
Contaminated sites
One of the largest explosives factories of the “Third Reich” was built in the middle of a large forest near the Hirschhagener Teiche as part of the National Socialist armament and war preparations. Held strictly secret and carefully camouflaged, a work was created that, at the end of the war, with around four hundred buildings, some of which were fortress-like, stretched over more than 230 hectares.
Thousands of forced laborers from the occupied European countries and girls and women from the Buchenwald concentration camp had to fill bombs, grenades and mines with explosive material under inhuman conditions . It is not known how many of the people deployed were victims of the accidents and poisoning, the cruel living conditions, and malnutrition or abuse in the camps.
The production and processing of explosives had consequences for the soil and groundwater. During the operation, safety and environmental precautions were completely inadequate. The toxic substances used found their way underground during production. In the mid-1960s, nitroaromatics were detected for the first time in the drinking water of the surrounding communities . The existing wells and spring taps that were previously used for drinking water had to be shut down in the vicinity of the site.
A systematic investigation to determine the type and extent of the contamination began in the mid-1980s. A need for renovation was determined for around 45 percent of the area. Due to extensive preparatory work, the soil renovation only began in 1997 and the disposal of the polluted soil was completed towards the end of 2009. The restoration of the groundwater has been in progress since 1989 and will probably have to continue for decades.
Tourist development
Farm roads and hiking trails lead through the area, for which Hirschhagen, Friedrichsbrück and the Föhren settlement are suitable starting points.
The "Hirschhagen theme trail" is recommended to visitors who want to get to know the area of the former explosives factory. On the approximately five-kilometer circular route, 15 display boards provide information about the history of its origins and the inhumane and life-threatening conditions of the people who used to work here.
literature
- Lothar and Sieglinde Nitsche, Marcus Schmidt: Nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-maintain. Volume 3, Werra-Meißner district and Hersfeld-Rotenburg district . cognitio Verlag, Niedenstein 2005, ISBN 3-932583-13-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Classification of natural areas according to Otto Klausing in the Hessen Environmental Atlas at atlas.umwelt.hessen.de , accessed on January 12, 2020.
- ↑ The ordinance came into force on the day after it was published in the State Gazette for the State of Hesse on March 10, 1997.
- ^ Ordinance on the nature reserve "Steinbachtal and Hirschhagener Teiche" of January 29, 1997 in the State Gazette for the State of Hesse, edition 10/97 of March 10, 1997, p. 842 f.
- ↑ "Steinbachtal and Hirschhagener Teiche" in the world database on protected areas; accessed on January 12, 2020.
- ↑ a b c d Sieglinde and Lothar Nitsche: Nature reserves in the Werra-Meißner district and Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in nature reserves in Hesse, protect-experience-maintain. Volume 3. P. 151 f.
- ^ Explosives factory Hirschhagen , student project at the University of Kassel; accessed on January 12, 2020.
- ^ "Sprengstoff im Kaffee" , on the ZEIT ONLINE website; accessed on January 12, 2020.
- ↑ Flyer on the "Hirschhagen Theme Trail" ; accessed on January 12, 2020.
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