Brennender Berg
Encyclopedia
The Brennender Berg is a natural monument located in a deep and narrow gorge between Dudweiler
and Sulzbach-Neuweiler in Saarland
, Germany
. It is a smouldering coal seam fire that ignited in 1688 and continues to burn today.
caused by pressure and decomposition as a result of unplanned coal mining. According to tradition, a shepherd lit a fire at a tree stump which propagated down through the roots to the coal seam. An unsuccessful attempt was made to fight the fire with water. It does not burn with an open flame but instead glows. Originally this glow could be seen through cracks in the rock and there was a considerable build-up of smoke. The fire began to weaken already at the end of the 18th century. Depending on the weather, smoke is visible and in at least one of the rock crevices an outflow of warm air can be detected.
also visited the Brennender Berg in 1770 and a commemorative plaque records the event. He later reminisced about this visit as follows:
. Zweiter Teil. Zehntes Buch. 1812. (Internetfundstelle) Martin Schuto: Neue Wirtschaftszweige — Alaunhütten, Kokserzeugung, Sudhaus. In: 1000 Jahre Dudweiler 977–1977. Saarbrücker Zeitung Verlag. Saarbrücken 1977. S. 228–233. Karl Heinz Ruth: Die Alaungewinnung am Brennenden Berg. In: Historische Beiträge aus der Arbeit der Dudweiler Geschichtswerkstatt. Band 5. Saarbrücken 1988, S. 1–17.
Dudweiler
Dudweiler is a borough of Saarbrücken, on the Sulzbach creek. In 977, Dudweiler was first mentioned in official documents of German Emperor Otto II as the location of a chapel .Dudweiler received town privileges on 12 September 1962....
and Sulzbach-Neuweiler in Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is a smouldering coal seam fire that ignited in 1688 and continues to burn today.
History
The exact cause of the fire is unknown today but it was probably a case of spontaneous combustionSpontaneous combustion
Spontaneous combustion is the self-ignition of a mass, for example, a pile of oily rags. Allegedly, humans can also ignite and burn without an obvious cause; this phenomenon is known as spontaneous human combustion....
caused by pressure and decomposition as a result of unplanned coal mining. According to tradition, a shepherd lit a fire at a tree stump which propagated down through the roots to the coal seam. An unsuccessful attempt was made to fight the fire with water. It does not burn with an open flame but instead glows. Originally this glow could be seen through cracks in the rock and there was a considerable build-up of smoke. The fire began to weaken already at the end of the 18th century. Depending on the weather, smoke is visible and in at least one of the rock crevices an outflow of warm air can be detected.
Tourism
The Brennender Berg is one of the region’s places of interest. It is a popular goal for excursions and school trips. A convenient starting point is the parking lot of the Dudweiler cemetery at the end of Neuweiler Straße. Johann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
also visited the Brennender Berg in 1770 and a commemorative plaque records the event. He later reminisced about this visit as follows:
We heard about the abundant Dutweiler coal mines, the iron and alum plants, and even about a burning mountain, and made preparations to see this nearby wonder….We entered a gorge and found ourselves in the vicinity of the burning mountain. We were enveloped by a strong sulphur smell; one side of the cave was almost glowing, and covered with reddish, white-roasted rock. Dense steam arose from the crevices and we could feel the hot ground even through the thick soles of our shoes. (Lit.: Goethe)
Literature
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Dichtung und WahrheitDichtung und Wahrheit
Aus meinem Leben: Dichtung und Wahrheit is an autobiography by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that comprises the time from the poet's childhood to the days in 1775, when he was about to leave for Weimar....
. Zweiter Teil. Zehntes Buch. 1812. (Internetfundstelle) Martin Schuto: Neue Wirtschaftszweige — Alaunhütten, Kokserzeugung, Sudhaus. In: 1000 Jahre Dudweiler 977–1977. Saarbrücker Zeitung Verlag. Saarbrücken 1977. S. 228–233. Karl Heinz Ruth: Die Alaungewinnung am Brennenden Berg. In: Historische Beiträge aus der Arbeit der Dudweiler Geschichtswerkstatt. Band 5. Saarbrücken 1988, S. 1–17.