Barbarossa Cave

Flaking Plaster (2005)

The Barbarossa Cave is a Anhydrithöhle (gypsum cave ) in Kyffhaeuser at Rottleben ( Thuringia). There is a cave with wide cavities, caves and lakes. The anhydrite is converted by the humidity in the cave superficial to gypsum and thereby increases its volume. The resulting gypsum layers dissolve gradually from the background and then hang like falling wallpaper on the ceiling and walls of underground cavities.

It was discovered in 1865 during excavation of a tunnel for the copper mining in 1866 and developed as a show cave with the name Falkenburger cave and opened. It has a floor area of about 25,000 m². For visitors interesting are the shimmering green by the gypsum content underground lakes, as well as the so-called table and chair of Barbarossa.

Its location in the mountains Kyffhaeuser reasons for its connection to the Barbarossa legend and proximity to Kyffhäuserdenkmal led to the renaming in Barbarossahöhle end of the 19th century. According to legend, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa asleep in an underground castle until Germany is unified. His beard grows at a round table. Until now he goes around twice, but if he has completed the third round, the end of the world or Barbarossa begins wakes up and begins his rule again. And it is, until then, not a good emperor more will come.

The Barbarossa Cave is located on Karstwanderweg.

The Board Game Barbarossa and the Riddler uses the Sage on the cave as a game theme.