Baumann's Cave (german: Baumannshöhle), located nearby Hermann's Cave, is a show cave in

Rübeland Rübeland is a village in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 2004, it has been given the additional description of ''Höhlenort'' ("cave site"). The sub-districts of Rübeland are Susenburg, Kaltes Tal, Kreuztal and ...

in the district of

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

and is

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

's oldest show cave. The grotto was formed in the Devonian

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

of the

Elbingerode Elbingerode is an ''Ortsteil'' of Oberharz am Brocken in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The former town was incorporated into the newly established municipality on 1 January 2010. Geography It is situated in the easter ...

Complex at least since the

Bode Valley The Bode Gorge (german: Bodetal) is a long ravine that forms part of the Bode valley between Treseburg and Thale in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The German term, ''Bodetal'' (literally "Bode Valley"), is also used in a wider sense to r ...

was being shaped. The cave has been visited by man since the Stone Age and not first discovered in 1536 as many written accounts suggest. The year of discovery in 1536 in combination with the tale of the miner, Baumann, who is supposed to have discovered the cave, are part of a false story dating back to Nazi times when a politically suitable jubilee date was being sought. The cave is frequently mentioned in the early scientific and travel literature as it has been open to the public with guided tours since 1649 when Valentin Wagner was installed as first cave guide. Baumann's Cave is probably the oldest regularly frequented and guided show cave, at least in Germany. Amongst its most famous visitors was

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

. The cave's biggest chamber, the ''Goethesaal'', is named after him and is fitted with seats and a stage for concerts and plays.''Baumann's Cave'' at www.showcaves.com. Retrieved on 22 Oct 09.
/ref> The cave was sealed off from an early date so that its rich display of stalactites and

stalagmites A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically co ...

has been largely preserved. The cave is particularly famous for, amongst other things, the numerous bones of

cave bear The cave bear (''Ursus spelaeus'') is a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum. Both the word "cave" and the scientific name ' ...

s that have been found there.

References

External links

Official website
(in German)
Baumannshöhle - Stephan Kempe
(pdf file; 1.02 MB) File:Conrad Buno03.jpg, Baumann's Cave by Conrad Buno File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006126 024 Säulenhalle in der Baumannshöhle.jpg, Gallery in Baumann's Cave (1951) File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006126 010 Bärenskelett im Eingangsbereich zur Baumannshöhle.jpg, Skeleton of a bear in the entrance to Baumann's Cave File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006126 029 Lebensbaum in der Baumannshöhle.jpg, The "Tree of Life" File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006126 033 Palmengrotte in der Baumannshöhle.jpg, "Palm Grotto" {{Navbox prehistoric caves Caves of the Harz Landforms of Saxony-Anhalt Limestone caves Karst formations of Germany Show caves in Germany Archaeological sites in Germany Tourist attractions in Saxony-Anhalt Caves of Germany

See also

References

External links