Hainich National Park
Encyclopedia
Hainich National Park founded on December 31, 1997, is the 13th national park in Germany
and the only one in Thuringia
. One of the main objectives of the park is the protection of native beech forest.
, and is part of the greater Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park. It occupies much of the triangular area between the cities of Eisenach
, Mühlhausen
, and Bad Langensalza
. The national park forms the southern part of the roughly 160 km² Hainich, the largest contiguous deciduous forest
in 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...
and the only one in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. One of the main objectives of the park is the protection of native beech forest.
Geography
The 75 km² park lies in the western part of the German state of Thuringia, east of the Werra RiverWerra
The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....
, and is part of the greater Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park. It occupies much of the triangular area between the cities of Eisenach
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
, Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
, and Bad Langensalza
Bad Langensalza
Bad Langensalza is a city in the County of Unstrut-Hainich, Thuringia, Germany, with a population of c. 18,500 .-History:...
. The national park forms the southern part of the roughly 160 km² Hainich, the largest contiguous deciduous forest
Temperate deciduous forest
A temperate deciduous forest, more precisely termed temperate broadleaf forest or temperate broadleaved forest, is a biome found in North America, southern South America, Europe, and Asia. A temperate deciduous forest consists of trees that lose their leaves every year...
in Germany.
Flora and Fauna
The Hainich Forest features a wide range of beech forest communities, with populations of ash trees, maples, lindens, and occasional checker trees. Many fungi can be found there, along with stands of flowers such as summer snowflakes and anemones. Animals in the park include wildcats, 15 species of bats, 7 species of woodpeckers, and over 500 types of wood beetles.Protection of the ecosystem
The goal of Hainich National Park is to restore a large section of central European forest to its primordial state. The park covers an area formerly used for military training, with about 50 km² of deciduous forest. In the future, the beech forest should grow to cover most of the park's area.Literature
- Hainich Artenbuch – Tiere, Pflanzen und Pilze im Nationalpark Hainich, Verlag Rockstuhl, Bad Langensalza, 2005, ISBN 978-3-937135-37-3
Films
- Nationalpark Hainich: ein Urwald in der Mitte Deutschlands. Documentary, 30 Min., Germany, 1999, by Peter and Stefan Simank, Production: Simank-Filmproduktion, Dresden. Summary by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk