
Hermann's Cave (), together with
Baumann's Cave
Baumann's Cave (), located nearby Hermann's Cave, is a show cave in Rübeland in the district of Harz and is Germany's oldest show cave.
The grotto was formed in the Devonian limestone of the Elbingerode Complex at least since the Bode Vall ...
, is one of two
show caves
A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.
Definition
A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...
in the village of
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 ...
near the town of
Wernigerode
Wernigerode () is a town in the Harz (district), district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the Wernigerode (district), district of Wernigerode. Its population was 32,181 in 2020.
Wernigerode is located southwes ...
, in the
district of Harz,
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
''Hermann's Cave'' at www.showcaves.com. Retrieved on 23 Oct 09.
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The cave was formed out of the Devonian
The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
of the Elbingerode (Harz) complex during the shaping of the Bode Valley. It was discovered in 1866 during road works and was soon opened up to visitors. As a result of being protected early on its rich dripstone stalactites and stalagmites have been largely preserved.
The cave is well known for, amongst other things, the discovery of 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, cave wolves and cave hyenas.[ The cave was comprehensively surveyed by J. H. Klooß, Robert Nehring (1888) and Dr. Ing. Friedrich Stolberg (1932). Progressive exploration since 1970 has uncovered and surveyed previously unknown chambers.
]
See also
* Olm
The olm () or proteus (''Proteus anguinus'') is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus ''Proteus'' of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant g ...
- a species of cave salamander
* List of show caves in Germany
The list of show caves in Germany contains all 51 show caves in Germany which are hosted by the German Speleological Federation. ()
Background
As of 2008, there have been 51 show caves in Germany, which are hosted by the German Speleological Fe ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Hermannshohle (Harz)
Caves of the Harz
Landforms of Saxony-Anhalt
Tourist attractions in Saxony-Anhalt
Caves of Germany