The Domfelsen is a

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock (geology), rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock Geological formation, formation ...

near

Magdeburg Cathedral Magdeburg Cathedral (), officially called the Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine (), is a Protestant Church in Germany, Lutheran cathedral in Germany and the oldest Gothic architecture, Gothic cathedral in the country. It is the proto-cat ...

, part of which juts out into the

River Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

in Germany. The name means "Cathedral Rocks"

Geology

The Domfelsen consists mainly of

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

with a small proportion of

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility. Although its permeabil ...

. The rock is part of the

rotliegendes The Rotliegend, Rotliegend Group or Rotliegendes () is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) of latest Carboniferous to Guadalupian (middle Permian) age that is found in the subsurface of large areas in western and central Europe. T ...

formation and thus dates to the Lower

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

period. This outcrop of bedrock may be viewed as a continuation of the

Flechtingen Hills The Flechtingen Hills () are a wooded, hilly Highland (geography), upland area up to 179 m high in the northwestern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, named after the town of Flechtingen. Location The Flechtingen Hills are bordered by t ...

that, in the urban area of Magdeburg, is mostly covered by a thin layer of

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...

depositions.

Significance

The rocks are of particular significance for

river navigation Inland navigation, inland barge transport or inland waterway transport (IWT) is a transport system allowing ships and barges to use inland waterways (such as canals, rivers and lakes). These waterways have inland ports, marinas, quays, and wharfs. ...

on the Elbe and also for the river's

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

. The rocks, which are clearly visible on the west bank below the cathedral when water levels are low, affect local current conditions. Even during high water, ships can only pass down the river by sailing close to the eastern bank. Commercial shipping is not allowed to cross at this point; traffic is regulated remotely by a light system. The speed of the current in the Elbe is considerably higher at this point due to the narrowing of the river. Low-powered, motorised barges can therefore only make their way upstream here with the aid of a

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

. Historically the rocks were important because it was likely that a

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

had been created here by the Elbe which could eventually have resulted in the settlement that led to the city of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

growing up on its present site. The Domfelsen were chosen as the site of the cathedral because they made a firmer foundation than the surrounding land. Because the rocks in the river are only exposed at low water levels, which are associated with drought and poor harvest, they were also nicknamed the ''Hungerfelsen'' by the local population.'Der Magdeburger Dom und der Hungerfelsen'
in ''So weit die Flüsse tragen'' by Richard Deiss, 2011. Retrieved 10 Jan 2015. The Domfelsen is accessible on foot from the west bank at low water. A staircase built in summer 2007 improves access to the rocks considerably. On the landward side the remains of the Southern Railway Fortress Gate (''Südliches Eisenbahnfestungstor'') rise over the Domfelsen.

Removal plans

The authorities responsible for river navigation repeatedly put forward proposals to remove the rocks from the river in order to improve navigation for shipping. A citizens' initiative, ''Pro Elbe'', is opposed to such attempts. Apart from fears of the impact on water levels in the floodplains, especially upriver, opponents criticize the removal of the rock which is seen as the first step of the ecologically controversial and unapproved expansion of the River

Saale The Saale (), also known as the Saxon Saale ( ) and Thuringian Saale (), is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Fränkische Saale, Franconian Saale, a right-bank tributary of the M ...

. Fears that work on Domfelsen could affect the stability of the Magdeburg Cathedral, have not been confirmed by recent work.

References

{{Coord, 52.12265, N, 11.63668, E, type:landmark_region:DE-ST, display=title, format=dms Magdeburg Elbe