Großer Kornberg
Encyclopedia
With its 827 metres high peak the Große Kornberg is the northeast cornerstone of the Fichtelgebirge Mountains in south Germany. It forms a wooded ridge, which is recognisable from a long distance by its former military surveillance
tower It is also the local 'house' mountain of Schönwald and Schwarzenbach an der Saale
.
Geologically, granite
is the underlying rock. Its lower strata are grainy, but the upper layers contain fine-grained granite. Abandoned quarries are evidence of the ancient craft of stonemasons.
The oldest known document dates to 1317 and refers to the mountain as the Kurnberg. According to Professor Dr. Adolf Gütter, in Middle High German
Kurn means 'mill', so it meant 'mill mountain'. On its northwest slopes there was once a village called Mühlhausen but it had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.
The Kornberg itself lacks the imposing rock towers and felsenmeer
terrain typical of other mountain peaks in the Fichtelgebirge. However, its the secondary summit, the Hirschstein, has many steep, sometimes vertical, rock towers which made the location attractive to the medieval castle of the same name, of which now only a few remnants are left. Moreover, the mountain offers other attractions for the traveller: the Gypsy Rocks (Zigeunersteine) with its logan stone (Wackelstein), and the Schönburg Watchtower (Schönburgwarte) with its good views. In winter the lifts are used by skiers.
. When it fell into ruin, the Fichtelgebirge Section
of the German-Austrian Alpine Club (forerunner of the Fichtelgebirge Club
) In 1885 a 23 metre high wooden observation tower
(designed by engineer (Baurat) Winnerling of Wunsiedel; executed by master carpenter, Böhringer of Wunsiedel; cost 626 marks; opened on 2 August 1885).
The site and the wood required were donated by Princ Ernest of Schönburg-Waldenburg, which is why the structure was given the name Schönburgwarte (Schönburg Watchtower). In March 1897 this wooden tower collapsed, but before the year was out the Fichtelgebirge Club (FGV) decided to build a stone tower. In 1898 the town engineer (Stadtbaurat), Thomas, from Hof, began the planning. Donations were collected, the Alpine Club section of Asch contributing 365 marks and the Vogtländische Tourist Association, 100 marks. Master engineer Luding from Pilgramsreuth was given the contract to build the 19.2 m high structure which cost 7,800 marks.
On 24 June 1900 the circular stone structure was opened to the public in festive style. It was only a short time, however, before renovation work was needed, because the tower showed serious cracks and had to be reinforced with iron rings. In 1930 part of the battlements had fallen down and the internal staircase had to be repaired. There was not a single year when the Schönburgwarte did not incur repair costs. In 1936 a technical inspection came to the conclusion that the Kornberg tower would have to be replaced due to its dilapidation. On 4 December 1938 the circular tower was demolished for safety reasons. Several months before its demolition the Fichtelgebirge Club began planning a replacement, the Adolf Hitler Tower. However, plans for an early replacement came to nothing as a result of the Second World War.
On 30 August 1952 an Association for the Rebuilding of the Kornberg Tower (Verein zum Wiederaufbau des Kornbergturmes) was founded, the funding for the new tower amassed, so that the summit of the Kornberg could once again become a viewing tower. On 23 August 1953 work started (planning: Oberstadtbaurat i. R. Rudorf from Hof; execution: Augsten & Scheuerlein of Hof) On 10 October 1954 about 4000 walkers gathered for the ceremony and the opening of the tower to the public. The rectangular tower with a total height of 26 m and 114 stone steps, cost 62,000 DM, which was found from donations and grants.
On 31 May 1959 the Schönburgwarte was officially handed over to the Fichtelgebirge Club when the rebuilding association was disbanded. The surrounding club branches of Marktleuthen
, Niederlamitz, Rehau
, Schönwald
, Schwarzenbach an der Saale
, Selb
and Selb-Plößberg took over the care of the tower. In 1960 members of the Niederlamitz branch with the support of the firm of Reul-Granit a stone panorama pointer was added to the tower parapet. By the entrance side on the inside of the tower is a large stone tablet with the data on the tower. In 1964, on the 10th anniversary of the tower, it was given a "tower ghost". This is a small man carved in granite, which is located in the tower entrance and carries the inscription "The tower ghost thanks you for your donation" ("Der Turmgeist dankt für Deine Spende").
-Ost and the Kornberg summit lies the rock castle ('Felsburg) of Hirschstein . It is the site of a former castle of which only a few remains are still visible.
The castle is one of the oldest in the Fichtelgebirge, is believed to have belonged in 1206 to Rüdiger and Utzo von Hirzberg zen Herschenstein (of the family of Hirschberg). However it does not appear in the records until 1317. At that time Count Berthold of Henneberg
enfeoffed the hus on the Kurnberg to the five brothers, the Hirzbergers, Herr Heinrich, Fridrich, Arnolt, Eberhart and Heymann and others. Around the middle of the 14th century the castle was destroyed, because in 1361 Burgrave Frederick of Nuremberg allowed the Hirschbergs to rebuild the castle. However, it was never rebuilt. During the Thirty Years' War
the ruins and vaults of the old castle were used by the local countryfolk as a refuge. By margravial
order the vaults were filled with rubble in the 18th century because gypsies and other shady characters had squatted there.
and can be made to rock with a wooden beam. The area is believed to have offered hordes of gypsies a refuge in times gone by. During the Thirty Years' War the inhabitants of the area took shelter here.
it acted as a listening post, picking up military radio traffic by the land forces of the Warsaw Pact
. The tower was run by the 946th Signals Company (Fernmeldekompanie 946), which was stationed in Hof/Saale. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the former East Germany in 1994 the tower was taken out of servie and has since been used by the Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen from Erlangen
.
Two identical Bundeswehr listening posts stood on elevations along the old eastern border of NATO. These were installations close to the GDR on the Hoher Meißner
near Kassel (blown up in 2002) and in the North German Plain on a height of 120 m in Barwedel
in Lower Saxony.
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
tower It is also the local 'house' mountain of Schönwald and Schwarzenbach an der Saale
Schwarzenbach an der Saale
Schwarzenbach an der Saale is a town in the district of Hof, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, 11 km south of Hof. Within the town is the Gedenkstätte Langer Gang, a memorial to the Nazi victims of the Helmbrechts concentration camp, which was near Schwarzenbach an der...
.
Geologically, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
is the underlying rock. Its lower strata are grainy, but the upper layers contain fine-grained granite. Abandoned quarries are evidence of the ancient craft of stonemasons.
The oldest known document dates to 1317 and refers to the mountain as the Kurnberg. According to Professor Dr. Adolf Gütter, in Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
Kurn means 'mill', so it meant 'mill mountain'. On its northwest slopes there was once a village called Mühlhausen but it had been abandoned by the end of the 14th century.
The Kornberg itself lacks the imposing rock towers and felsenmeer
Felsenmeer
The term felsenmeer comes from the German meaning 'sea of rock'. In a felsenmeer , freeze-thaw weathering has broken up the top layer of the rock, covering the underlying rock formation with jagged, angular bolders...
terrain typical of other mountain peaks in the Fichtelgebirge. However, its the secondary summit, the Hirschstein, has many steep, sometimes vertical, rock towers which made the location attractive to the medieval castle of the same name, of which now only a few remnants are left. Moreover, the mountain offers other attractions for the traveller: the Gypsy Rocks (Zigeunersteine) with its logan stone (Wackelstein), and the Schönburg Watchtower (Schönburgwarte) with its good views. In winter the lifts are used by skiers.
The Schönburg Tower
The tower opened in 1954 is not the first structure to have stood on the Kornberg. In autumn 1849, a 70 foot high wooden tower with stone base was erected by master carpenter, Ulrich Hallmeyer from Kirchenlamitz, to assist in topographical surveys. 20 men worked for two weeks to build the tower, which cost 460 GuldenGulden
Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin (from Middle High German guldin [pfenni(n)c] "golden penny", equivalent to the Dutch term guilder...
. When it fell into ruin, the Fichtelgebirge Section
Section (Alpine club)
The section of an Alpine club is an independent club or society that, together with the other sections, forms the main organisation . Membership of an Alpine club is normally only possible through membership of a section...
of the German-Austrian Alpine Club (forerunner of the Fichtelgebirge Club
Fichtelgebirge Club
The Fichtelgebirge Club is a large walking club and local heritage society in Bavaria and recognised conservation group with 20,000 members in 55 local groups. As the name says, its main sphere of activity is in the Fichtelgebirge mountains in north Bavaria...
) In 1885 a 23 metre high wooden observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
(designed by engineer (Baurat) Winnerling of Wunsiedel; executed by master carpenter, Böhringer of Wunsiedel; cost 626 marks; opened on 2 August 1885).
The site and the wood required were donated by Princ Ernest of Schönburg-Waldenburg, which is why the structure was given the name Schönburgwarte (Schönburg Watchtower). In March 1897 this wooden tower collapsed, but before the year was out the Fichtelgebirge Club (FGV) decided to build a stone tower. In 1898 the town engineer (Stadtbaurat), Thomas, from Hof, began the planning. Donations were collected, the Alpine Club section of Asch contributing 365 marks and the Vogtländische Tourist Association, 100 marks. Master engineer Luding from Pilgramsreuth was given the contract to build the 19.2 m high structure which cost 7,800 marks.
On 24 June 1900 the circular stone structure was opened to the public in festive style. It was only a short time, however, before renovation work was needed, because the tower showed serious cracks and had to be reinforced with iron rings. In 1930 part of the battlements had fallen down and the internal staircase had to be repaired. There was not a single year when the Schönburgwarte did not incur repair costs. In 1936 a technical inspection came to the conclusion that the Kornberg tower would have to be replaced due to its dilapidation. On 4 December 1938 the circular tower was demolished for safety reasons. Several months before its demolition the Fichtelgebirge Club began planning a replacement, the Adolf Hitler Tower. However, plans for an early replacement came to nothing as a result of the Second World War.
On 30 August 1952 an Association for the Rebuilding of the Kornberg Tower (Verein zum Wiederaufbau des Kornbergturmes) was founded, the funding for the new tower amassed, so that the summit of the Kornberg could once again become a viewing tower. On 23 August 1953 work started (planning: Oberstadtbaurat i. R. Rudorf from Hof; execution: Augsten & Scheuerlein of Hof) On 10 October 1954 about 4000 walkers gathered for the ceremony and the opening of the tower to the public. The rectangular tower with a total height of 26 m and 114 stone steps, cost 62,000 DM, which was found from donations and grants.
On 31 May 1959 the Schönburgwarte was officially handed over to the Fichtelgebirge Club when the rebuilding association was disbanded. The surrounding club branches of Marktleuthen
Marktleuthen
Marktleuthen is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Eger, 10 km north of Wunsiedel and 11 km southwest of Selb....
, Niederlamitz, Rehau
Rehau
Rehau is a town in the district of Hof, in Bavaria, Germany. The first documented name of Rehau was "Resawe" in the year 1234. Rehau is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, 12 km southeast of Hof, and 12 km west of Aš...
, Schönwald
Schönwald, Bavaria
Schönwald is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Czech Republic, five km northwest of Selb and 18 km southeast of Hof....
, Schwarzenbach an der Saale
Schwarzenbach an der Saale
Schwarzenbach an der Saale is a town in the district of Hof, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, 11 km south of Hof. Within the town is the Gedenkstätte Langer Gang, a memorial to the Nazi victims of the Helmbrechts concentration camp, which was near Schwarzenbach an der...
, Selb
Selb
Selb is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Hof.-Notable people:...
and Selb-Plößberg took over the care of the tower. In 1960 members of the Niederlamitz branch with the support of the firm of Reul-Granit a stone panorama pointer was added to the tower parapet. By the entrance side on the inside of the tower is a large stone tablet with the data on the tower. In 1964, on the 10th anniversary of the tower, it was given a "tower ghost". This is a small man carved in granite, which is located in the tower entrance and carries the inscription "The tower ghost thanks you for your donation" ("Der Turmgeist dankt für Deine Spende").
Ruins of Hirschstein
On the northern path between the station of KirchenlamitzKirchenlamitz
Kirchenlamitz is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, 13 km northwest of Wunsiedel and 19 km south of Hof....
-Ost and the Kornberg summit lies the rock castle ('Felsburg) of Hirschstein . It is the site of a former castle of which only a few remains are still visible.
The castle is one of the oldest in the Fichtelgebirge, is believed to have belonged in 1206 to Rüdiger and Utzo von Hirzberg zen Herschenstein (of the family of Hirschberg). However it does not appear in the records until 1317. At that time Count Berthold of Henneberg
House of Henneberg
-Origins:The distant origins of this family are speculative yet seem to originate in the Rhine Valley, east of modern-day France. Charibert, a nobleman in Neustria is the earliest recorded ancestor of the family, dating before 636. Five generations pass between Charibert and the next descendant...
enfeoffed the hus on the Kurnberg to the five brothers, the Hirzbergers, Herr Heinrich, Fridrich, Arnolt, Eberhart and Heymann and others. Around the middle of the 14th century the castle was destroyed, because in 1361 Burgrave Frederick of Nuremberg allowed the Hirschbergs to rebuild the castle. However, it was never rebuilt. During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
the ruins and vaults of the old castle were used by the local countryfolk as a refuge. By margravial
Principality of Bayreuth
The Principality of Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. Until 1604 its capital city was Kulmbach; then the margraves used their palaces in Bayreuth as their residence...
order the vaults were filled with rubble in the 18th century because gypsies and other shady characters had squatted there.
Gypsy Rocks
The granite rock outcrop known as Gypsy Rocks (Zigeunerfelsen), a fine example of woolsack weathering, lies on the western slopes of the Kornberg, on the northern path (Nordweg) from Kirchenlamitz-Ost station to the summit. The largest block is about nine metres long, four to seven metres wide and two metres hight; it weighs about 250 tonnes. A rock with the name Wackelstein is a rocking stoneRocking stone
Rocking stones are large stones that are so finely balanced that the application of just a small force causes them to rock. They are found throughout the world. Some are man-made megaliths, but others are natural, often left by glaciers.Logan or rocking stones are known in Scotland sometimes as...
and can be made to rock with a wooden beam. The area is believed to have offered hordes of gypsies a refuge in times gone by. During the Thirty Years' War the inhabitants of the area took shelter here.
Former Bundeswehr surveillance tower
The Kornberg summit is dominated by the military surveillance tower built in 1973 for the Bundeswehr and taken into service in 1976. During the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
it acted as a listening post, picking up military radio traffic by the land forces of the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. The tower was run by the 946th Signals Company (Fernmeldekompanie 946), which was stationed in Hof/Saale. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the former East Germany in 1994 the tower was taken out of servie and has since been used by the Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen from Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
.
Two identical Bundeswehr listening posts stood on elevations along the old eastern border of NATO. These were installations close to the GDR on the Hoher Meißner
Hoher Meißner
Hoher Meissner is a mountain massif with a height of 753.6 m and is located in the Meissner Kaufunger nature park in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:...
near Kassel (blown up in 2002) and in the North German Plain on a height of 120 m in Barwedel
Barwedel
Barwedel is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
in Lower Saxony.
Sources
- Rainer H. Schmeissner: Der Kornberg. Heft 4/1982 der Schriftenreihe Beiträge zur Geschichts- und Landeskunde des Fichtelgebirges. Buchhandlung Kohler. Wunsiedel.
- Klaus Müller: Der Große Kornberg - eine Hohe Bastey. Verlag Gisela Arzberger. Selb-Oberweißenbach.