Jasmund National Park
Jasmund National Park is located on the peninsula Jasmund in the northeast of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg -Vorpommern and operational since 12 September 1990. It is 3,003 hectares ( ha) in size and is Germany's smallest national park. Since June 25, 2011 includes a part of the Buchenwald of the park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The area of the Jasmund National Park covers the area under original beech forest ridge Stubnitz north of the port of Sassnitz with the chalk cliff coast ( 2,200 ha ) ( especially characteristic of the Stubbenkammer ), a 500 meters into the sea reaching into the water strip (603 ha) and 200 ha in the west of the national park, which is composed of the former chalk quarries Quoltitzer, meadows, marshes and grasslands. The highest point of Rügen, the 161 meter high Piekberg, is also located in the national park.
The history of the National Park
The natural chalk deposits on the Jasmund peninsula was mined in chalk quarries for a long time. As in 1926 threatened to reopen a previously disused chalk breakage, pointed to the coast north of Sassnitz as a nature reserve from. On 12 September 1990 this part of the coast has been declared under the National Park program for the National Park.
The chalk cliffs Jasmund National Park
The chalk cliffs of Rügen are exposed to constant erosion. With every storm large pieces break off the rocks and tear occasionally, trees and shrubs with the sea. Be Taken out the possibility fossils: Here are fossilized remains of sea urchins, sponges and oysters to discover. The erosion of the coast has increased since the 19th and 20th century larger boulders were taken off the coast, to use for the expansion of ports. The boulders appeared in front of the chalk cliffs as natural breakwaters; since their removal penetrates the water of the Baltic Sea with undiminished violence prior to the cliffs.
The most distinctive feature of the park is the 118 meter high chalk cliffs king chair, which was incorporated in 2004 into the grounds of the new visitor center. The platform of this outstanding from the shoreline cliffs' enter on average 300,000 people every year in order to look from there to the Baltic Sea and neighboring magnificent coastline can.
As a special appearance even the Wissower latches world have gained fame, but these were largely destroyed by a big bank crash since 24 February 2005. Erroneously, it is often assumed that these were immortalized by Caspar David Friedrich 1818 in his painting chalk cliffs on Rügen. In his time, ie about 200 years ago, but there were also other chalk rock formations on Jasmunds coast, such as the chalk columns in the Great Stubbenkammer - so the canyon just north of the King chair - and the chalk projections of the crashed Wissower latches then very similar, Small Stubbenkammer just south of the King chair. So corresponds to the view of its chalk cliffs on Rügen almost exactly the Stahlstich Small Stubbenkammer by Johann Friedrich Rosmäsler ( in the city archives Stralsund ), the 1834 created this.
The chalk cliffs Jasmund National Park are subject to a special stamp (special postage stamps), which was published by the Federal Ministry of Finance in January 2012 in the series " German national and nature parks ."
The chalk cliffs of Jasmund was included in the list of 77 excellent national geotopes 2006.
Waters
In the mires of national parks spring from multiple streams, such as ( from southwest to north) Steinbach and Lenzer Bach, Wissower Bach, Bach Leescher, Kiel and Brisnitzer Bach and Krietbach and Kollicker Bach. Several of them open on the chalk cliffs into the sea, forming one of the few waterfalls in the North German lowlands.
Fauna and Flora
Jasmund National Park provides a home because of its special geological conditions, numerous rare plants and animals. In particular, it protects the largest contiguous forest area book on the German Baltic coast.
In the forests of the Stubnitz numerous water-filled, endorheic valleys and troughs are found, which usually emerged as glacial dead ice holes. Where these bodies of water silt, arise so-called boiler Moore. Numerous black alder can be found in these valleys and kettle bogs. On drier places wild pear, wild apple, wild service tree and yew trees can be found. Among the species of orchid occurring here also includes the lady's slipper. Another special feature is the salt vegetation on the north coast of the National Park.
The wildlife in the National Park area is rich and varied. There live alone 1,000 beetle species in or from wood. In the clear streams that run through the Stubnitzwälder, is found with the Alpine Strudelwurm an unusual resident who otherwise found only in the mountains. On these streams the kingfisher can be observed.
In the cliffs of chalk cliff nesting house martins and Kreideeule, a cream-colored moths, has its only occurrence in Germany on Jasmund.
Due to the high visitor pressure, however, peregrine falcon and eagle in the national park are only rarely observed.
Visitor management
Since its creation in 1990, the Jasmund National Park annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. One of the main tasks of the National Park Authority is therefore also to direct this flow of visitors to ensure a largely undisturbed development of the diverse habitats of the National Park and to allow visitors nevertheless insights into the nature of the national park. In March 2004, the National Park Centre Koenigsstuhl was opened.