Wildenmannlisloch

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Location of the cave

The Wildenmannlisloch (also Wildmannlisloch in the dialect ) is an alpine karst cave in Toggenburg (Canton St. Gallen ) in Switzerland.

location

The cave is situated at an altitude of 1,635 meters in the Seewerkalk on the northern slope of the Seluns (one of the seven Churfirsten ), on the territory of the former municipality of Alt St. Johann (today municipality Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann ). It has a measured length of 150 meters and a height difference of 2.4 m. Your entrance is directed to the northeast.

History and excavations

The oldest mention of the cave can be found in the description of the Toggenburg mountains by pastor Johann Heinrich Scherrer. It states: ... on this basis (Se) Lunerruck found a hole through which you wenigst with a Lantern goeth half quarter of an hour in the mountain " . Wildenmannlisloch" appears for the first time in 1819 in the book "The name" Zwingli birthplace "of Rev. J. Fr. Franz: At the foot of the Selunerrücken between the Alps Selun and Breitenalp there is a large cave, called the Wildenmännlis-Loch, which is initially very wide and high, so that one could drive in with horses and wagons, but then later constricted and expanded again, then constricted again and in such alternations and different curvatures dragging on for a quarter of an hour until you reach its end. When the weather is rough, the cattle look for protection and shelter at their entrance. "

On July 15, 1906, Emil Bächler undertook the first examination of the cave. An experimental excavation unearthed teeth and fragments of bones from cave bears . A more detailed exploration of the cave did not take place until 1923. On October 1st, Emil Bächler, together with Alfred Ziegler from Unterwasser and some helpers, set up in the cave and began a work that - each autumn - was to last until 1927; a total of 218 days. The venture was supported with financial support from the Natural History Museum and the Citizens' Council of St. Gallen as well as the Toggenburg section of the Swiss Alpine Club .

The remains of around 50 one to eight-year-old cave bears were found at the main site, Cave Chamber II. Skulls were found in the back of the cave. Bones of a cave lion, chamois, marmot, mountain hare, wolf, fox, ermine and red deer were also excavated. Greenish-gray, worked oil quartzite was apparently brought up from the valley, as this does not occur in the Seluner area.

Based on the results of his previous excavations in the Wildkirchli and the Drachenloch near Vättis , Emil Bächler concluded that it was a cave that had been visited since the Mesolithic, in which hunters and gatherers specialized in bear hunting would have kept their prey, tools and cult objects made from the bones and pursued a bear cult. For example, the skulls of the bears in the rearmost part of the cave are said to have been offered as a sacrifice of gratitude and atonement. On the basis of his considerations, he named the hunter-gatherer cultures occurring in the Alps as the "Alpine Paleolithic".

Emil Bächler's findings were checked by Elisabeth Schmidt in 1955 . Recent research has come to the conclusion that the Wildenmannlisloch has been visited again and again by cave bears, who hibernated there around 90,000 years ago. Weak animals perished during the long and harsh winter time. This explains the majority of the bones found from old and young cave bears. The cave has also been visited by hunters and gatherers in summer since around 40,000 - 30,000 years ago. However, the hunting of the Neanderthals was not geared towards cave bears. According to the current state of research, one can no longer speak of a bear hunter culture or a bear hunter cult, as was assumed by Emil Bächler and his son Heinz Bächler . The (also ritual) processing of the bear bones assumed by them is more likely to be interpreted as removal by water. There was likely to have been an alternating temporary settlement by cave bears and Neanderthals.

photos

  • plan

  • In front of the entrance to the Wildenmannlisloch

  • Entrance section

  • Water level inside

Legends and stories

Around the Wildenmannlisloch there are numerous legends and stories that are still widespread today, for example on the legendary trail between Alp Sellamatt and the Wildenmannlisloch, which has been prepared for tourists. These are legends that revolve around the "Wilden Männli" or "Wilden Wibli", who are said to have stayed in and near the "Wildenmannlisloch". Jakob Kuoni has included these stories in his collection of legends. The small figures were well-disposed towards the people, but were driven away by their curiosity. It could be a collective memory and reinterpretation of the appearance of the so-called whales (Venediger). They had been ore and mineral collectors on behalf of Venice in the Alps since the 14th century.

The Wildenmannlisloch is also closely linked to the story of Johannes Seluner , who is said to have spent some time in the cave. The traits of a Neanderthal man were also attributed to him, which could be closely related to the finds in the Wildenmannlisloch, but turned out to be a racist assumption.

reachability

The Starkenbach crate railway

The easiest way to get to the Wildenmannlisloch is with the Selunbahn ("Kistenbahn") from Starkenbach and after a walk of around ten minutes. A hiking trail leads across Alp Sellamatt to the cave.

Web links

Commons : Wildenmannlisloch  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wildmannlisloch on map.geo.admin.ch
  2. ^ Johann Heinrich Scherer: Description of the Toggenburg Mountains. In: Helvetiae Stoichcheiographia. Orographia and Oreographia. Or a description of the elements, borders and mountains of the Schweitzerland. tape 1 . Zurich 1716.
  3. ^ Johann Franz Friedrich: Zwingli's place of birth. A contribution to the Reformation jubilation in 1819. Zurich 1819.
  4. ^ Archeology Switzerland: Paleolithic. Retrieved June 16, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Jakob Kuoni: Legends of the Canton of St. Gallen. Retrieved June 26, 2017 .

Coordinates: 47 ° 10 ′ 4 "  N , 9 ° 15 ′ 19"  E ; CH1903:  737,724  /  two hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred eighty-four