Gehrdener Berg

Slope of the mountain Gehrdener in late summer, 2009

The mountain is a wooded mountain range Gehrdener, on whose slopes the city Gehrden in Calenberger country in the region Hannover is located. The mountain is about 2.7 miles long and the sister mountain of Benther mountain in the southwest of Hanover. The highest point is the castle hill 155 m above sea level.

Geology

The Gehrdener mountain consists of different layers in which is reflected the geological development of the Calenberger country. Again and again the country was covered by seas. The best known evidence comes from the Zechstein, a phase of the Permian. The former shallow sea dried up, leaving behind several salt deposits which were mined in the immediate area at Benthe and Ronnenberg in the 20th century.

In the following era, the Mesozoic, the Calenberger country was marked by constant change between land and water. Again and again covered seas of the countryside, then fell dry, leaving sediments. In the Triassic, it was mainly red sandstone, of which the whole Benther Berg. In the Jurassic and Cretaceous clay, lime, limestone and marl layers were deposited, which determine the geology of the mountain Gehrdener today.

Parts of the large clay Gehrdener the mountain were mined from the brickworks at the northern edge of the mountain and burned mainly bricks. In the clay layer there is an abundance of fossils, particularly well-preserved ammonites. In one locality report of the Working Group Hanover paleontology puts it:

" The Gehrdener Mountain is a classic area of fossil sites, which is as type locality for the Paleontological Research of interest. The special significance of Gehrdener mountain whose fossils wealth was recognized over 100 years ago by paleontologists, is the large number of new species that have been there from the first time known, named, described and illustrated. "

The limestone of the mountain Gehrdener originated from a reef from bryozoans in the Cretaceous sea. The porous rock was called " Luffen ", already in 1250, this was in the quarry at Castle Hill degraded ( at today's migrant bird home ) and used for the construction of the Margaret Church in Gehrden. The Church in Leveste and the mill at the mountain Gehrdener based their stones from this quarry. In the limestones Gehrdener mountain to find time and again shell radicals, especially the oyster Ostrea and a Kammmuschelart.

Also be found in the marl layer of the Gehrdener mountain fossils, especially belemnites, also called thunderbolts. Referred to in a " marl Kuhle " area, particularly on the western slope of the mountain, are found the fossilized remains of these cephalopods.

During the Quaternary, the Ice Age, the glaciers transported to the area of Gehrdener mountain rocks that were not originally be found here. This foreign debris called till. Thus we find in parts of the marl layer of granite, sometimes boulders from this period. Also from this period dates the loess to the Gehrdener mountain which is in the range of Calenberger Lössbörde. Katabatic winds over the glaciers to the north, transported fine dust which was deposited and today forms the basis for the fertile fields of the surrounding area.

History

First traces of settlement

From the Stone Age, isolated objects such as axes, vessels and stone tools were found in the area of ​​Gehrdener mountain. Since it is single finds, is not sure if already in the Stone Age was a permanent settlement in the area. In 1902 there were on the mountain Gehrdener a major find. A mason from Gehrden found at Roden Stuck in a convenient after Degersen spruce plot 30 Roman denarius coins. The oldest date (v 100-44. Chr ) from the time of Gaius Julius Caesar.

Ringwallanlage

On the northern tip of the Gehrdener mountain, the castle hill is an oval ring wall with dimensions of 140x75 meters. Archaeological excavations in 1931, 1933 and 2013 were not able to clarify the time of origin of the plant. It is conservatively estimated in the period between Christ's birth and the early Middle Ages. Wall and the upstream trench are clearly visible in the densely wooded grounds today.

Within the ramparts 1897/98 the castle hill tower was built, which was a picnic area in the early 20th century for those seeking relaxation residents from the nearby city of Hannover a popular destination.

Medieval and modern times

In the medieval land clearing and settlement phase of the 9th to the 12th century originated around the mountain Gehrdener four localities: Gehrden, Spehr, Stehr and Südersen. During three places were deserted, Gehrden still exists today; the place was given the charter of freedom of Count Adolf VI in 1298. of Schaumburg.

End of the 19th century, the Gehrdener Mountain became a popular destination, especially for residents of the nearby Hanover. Visitor numbers rose even further in 1898, reached as an overland route of the tram Hanover Gehrden. A branch line leading from the depot in Gehrden even directly on the Gehrdener mountain to tram own mountain inn Lower Saxony, which had been built in 1898 by Emil Werner Baule. This branch line was closed in 1917.