Dwarf Cave (Bielefeld)
| Dwarf cave
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| Location: | Bielefeld , North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Height : | 230 m above sea level NN | |
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Geographic location: |
51 ° 58 '23.4 " N , 8 ° 34' 58.3" E | |
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| Geology: | Upper Cretaceous ( lower turonium ), Larmarki layers | |
| Type: | Karst cave | |
| Discovery: | circa 1887 | |
| Lighting: | no | |
| Overall length: | 11 m | |
| Level difference: | −5 m | |
The dwarf cave is a karst cave located on the southern ridge of the Teutoburg Forest in the Bielefeld district of Senne ( district Lämershagen / Gräfinghagen). The natural monument is part of the "Eastern Teutoburg Forest" nature reserve and is the only natural cave in the city of Bielefeld.
Exploration history and current state
The first scientific exploration of the cave took place shortly after it was cleared out around 1887 by Julius Wilbrand. This first measurement showed a length of 20.80 meters. In the following years the cave was largely filled up again by falling material. At the end of the 20th century the cave was again excavated and measured. The current length of the cave is given as 11 meters. In order to protect the bats that winter in the cave, a protective grille was first attached to the cave in 2011, which has since been stolen. The gate is closed from September to May. The cave is off the designated hiking trails and is not easy to find due to the lack of signage. From the hiking trail to the southwest of the cave, a distance of around 120 meters must be covered uphill. The cave is located on a ridge , about 50 meters below the summit of Jostmeier Mountain 260.5 m , from which a good view of the Bielefeld district of Sennestadt opens up.
geology
The dwarf cave is located in the chalk limestones of the lower Turonium ( Lamarcki layers of the Oerlinghausen formation) in the southern ridge of the Teutoburg Forest, the geologically youngest part of this low mountain range, on the Jostmeier mountain . In contrast to the first assumptions made by Julius Wilbrand in 1887, recent geological investigations indicate that the formation of the dwarf cave is not due to the "roof-like" juxtaposition of two rock layers. Rather, the formation of the cave is the result of the decomposition of the limestone by carbonated water ( karstification ). Unlike today, the cave was not on a ridge at the time of its creation, but below the original, significantly higher mountain ridge of the Teutoburg Forest, which was not yet divided by longitudinal valleys. So the water flowed from the ridge directly into the valley. It can be assumed that the cave was completely under water at the beginning, was at least partially filled with water as it grew in size and only fell completely dry at the time when the long valleys of the Teutoburg Forest formed due to increasing erosion.
literature
- Hans Sibbert: Geology and origin of the dwarf cave . In: Natural science association for Bielefeld and the surrounding area (Hrsg.): Reports of the natural science association Bielefeld and surrounding area . tape 50 , 2011, p. 256-258 .
- Julius Wilbrand: The so-called dwarf cave near Bielefeld . In: Historical Association for the County of Ravensberg zu Bielefeld (ed.): Annual report of the Historical Association for the County of Ravensberg zu Bielefeld . tape 11 , 1887, p. 107-109 .
Web links
- Description of the cave Description of the cave with photos
Individual evidence
- ^ Environment Agency City of Bielefeld (2006): Landschaftsplan Bielefeld-Senne , p. 117
- ↑ a b c d Sibbert, Hans (2011): Geology and origin of the dwarf cave in Bielefeld / Lämershagen In: Reports of the Natural Science Association Bielefeld and the surrounding area . Volume 50, pp. 256-260.
- ↑ Phil B .: Dwarf Cave. January 2013, accessed January 6, 2014 .
- ^ NW: Protective fence at Bielefeld's only natural cave torn out. nw-news.de, November 13, 2011, accessed on January 6, 2014 .