Hubertus Spring
Encyclopedia
The Hubertus Spring is a "healing spring" (Heilquelle) in the Harz Mountains of central Germany whose waters contain radon
. It rises on Hubertus Island (Hubertusinsel or Große Salzstrominsel), which is about 2 hectares in area, near Thale
, immediately at the exit of the River Bode from the Harz Mountains. It has been well-known for a long time and, according to oral tradition, was first noticed by foresters and hunters, because roe deer
satisfied their hunger for salt here.
The first recorded mention of the spring was in 1584. That year the local landlord, Count Martin of Regenstein
, granted the right to Augsburg citizens and a Sudmeister ("brine master"), Balthasar Becker, to establish a saltworks on the site of the former Hubertus Baths. However, a combination of annual flooding and ice on the River Bode did not do the factory any good. As a result, salt production in the old parish (Gemarkung) of Behrensdorf (the territory between the present-day Wolfsburgstrasse and Roßtrappenstrasse) was moved and the brine was transported to the new site over wooden pipes. This saltworks initially prospered, but deteriortated after the death of Sudmeister Becker (he was sentenced to death in Blankenburg, because he had killed a smelter in the course of a dispute) and the brine remained untapped.
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
. It rises on Hubertus Island (Hubertusinsel or Große Salzstrominsel), which is about 2 hectares in area, near Thale
Thale
Thale is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Bode, approximately 8 km west of Quedlinburg. It is the terminus of the Magdeburg–Thale railway.- History :...
, immediately at the exit of the River Bode from the Harz Mountains. It has been well-known for a long time and, according to oral tradition, was first noticed by foresters and hunters, because roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
satisfied their hunger for salt here.
The first recorded mention of the spring was in 1584. That year the local landlord, Count Martin of Regenstein
House of Regenstein
The House of Regenstein, also Reinstein, was a Lower Saxon family of counts, which was named after the eponymous Regenstein Castle near Blankenburg on the edge of the Harz Mountains of central Germany.- History :...
, granted the right to Augsburg citizens and a Sudmeister ("brine master"), Balthasar Becker, to establish a saltworks on the site of the former Hubertus Baths. However, a combination of annual flooding and ice on the River Bode did not do the factory any good. As a result, salt production in the old parish (Gemarkung) of Behrensdorf (the territory between the present-day Wolfsburgstrasse and Roßtrappenstrasse) was moved and the brine was transported to the new site over wooden pipes. This saltworks initially prospered, but deteriortated after the death of Sudmeister Becker (he was sentenced to death in Blankenburg, because he had killed a smelter in the course of a dispute) and the brine remained untapped.