Sonnenhübel

Sun Karpacz with the covering Kingwood

The sun Karpacz is a 469 meter high mountain in eastern Lusatian mountains in Saxony. But known than the mountain name is the king of wood, the forest area that the sun Hubel almost completely covered. Mountain and forest located in the district of the municipality or joke in Upper Lusatia and are still surrounded by the places Ruppersdorf, Großhennersdorf and Oberseifersdorf.

Origin of the name

According to legend, the young Bohemian prince Wenceslaus was deposed after the death of his father by his jealous uncle and grew up in a shoemaker in Zittau. When he had grown into a man, he revealed himself to be the rightful king. The forest in which this happened, thus received the name of king wood.

In contrast, records the names Konigiz are violence and silva nostra regalis occupied. This suggests that the forest before the Bohemian kings served as a ground for hunting and Vogelstellerei and so got its name.

History

Until the mid-14th century, the king of wood was a royal domain. In 1345 the town of Zittau of King John of Bohemia was given the authority to propose for bridge construction and reconstruction of houses burnt wood, the ownership and forest law but was denied her. Had received Duke Henry of Jawor, the city and environs of King John as a dowry, this bank owned for 50 marks to a Mr. Ried castle. This led to differences between the city and the Duke. 1357 Heinrich, Johann brothers and Ramvold of Riedenburg transferred the rights to the forest for the old sum to the town of Zittau.

The son of John of Bohemia, Charles IV, King pulled the wood in 1359 but degenerate Kammergut again. It was not until 1365 the town was granted the opportunity to buy the estate for the amount of 600 Prague groschen shock and Mark Gold. At this time, the brothers of Riedenburg reported again claim to the king of wood and tried this requirement by robbery and murder to give emphasis. In the Pentecost weekend 1368 therefore moved from the Zittau team to take the robbers. These were hanged shortly thereafter in Zittau on the gallows.

After Oberlausitzer Pönfall the good of the town of Zittau of Ferdinand I. was withdrawn and had to be re-purchased. As of 1952, the State Forest Enterprise Lobau farmed the area or joke, and thus the king wood.

Geology

On the northern slope of the sun Hübels project through Phonolithplatten the ground, which is called Steinklunsen, Steinklunsten or just Klunsen, similar to Steinklunsen at Beiersdorf. Together with the Birkberg and the Geiersberg form these rock formations on the sun Karpacz a Deckenerguss and the eastern edge of Oderwitz basin. Coarse debris weathering of these plates covered with nutrient-poor Ranker - brown soils the upper slopes of the mountain. On the lower slopes there is even sporadically Phonolithgeröll, by a Lösslehmschicht and stagnating water but can also be brown soils with moderate nutrient content such as Pseudogley.

Flora and Fauna

The king wood covers an area of ​​about 450 hectares and covers the sun Hubel almost complete, but also has a northern foothills. Mainly semi-natural mixed deciduous forest is represented. Nevertheless, there are by local climatic and edaphic differences deviations in the vegetation. So on the southwest slope mainly a Buchenwald, are mixed with the ash and sycamore. In the damp northern foothills of the forest are areas of mixed stands found in birch, aspen and oak.

Due to the nutrient-poor soils, the ground flora is species-poor accordingly. So there are only a widespread deciduous forest plants such as yellow archangel, wood sorrel, small-reed or purple moor grass. Less frequently occur Einblütiges Melick, Hasenlattich or forest fescue.

Reserves

On 14 January 2009 the area around the Steinklunsen to Horst protection zone Steinklunsen was declared in Kingwood. This is to the breeding places of specially protected and endangered species of birds eagle owl, peregrine falcon, Stonechat and others are protected.

The area around the summit is being protected area as part of the FFH area basalt and Phonolithkuppen the eastern Upper Lusatia with the country 's internal message number 030E.

Current usage

Today, the King wood is mainly used for forestry as a timber harvest area and a hunting area. Furthermore, the forest is often used as a recreational area and is popular with runners and cyclists because of its ring roads.