Schierke
Encyclopedia
Schierke is a village and a former municipality in the Harz district
, in the German
state of Saxony-Anhalt
. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Wernigerode
.
Schierke was first mentioned as Schiriken in a 1590 deed. Situated within the Harz mountain range
in the valley of the Bode River
, at the rim of the Harz National Park
, it is mainly a tourist resort, especially for hiking
and all kinds of winter sport
. Since 1898 Schierke station
has been served by the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. In 1914 and 1934 it was the site of the German Skeleton Championships. Nevertheless, due to its location next to the former inner German border, visits to Schierke required an extra permission by East German authorities between 1952 and 1989.
Today Schierke again is a popular place to start or finish a walk to the Brocken mountain via the Goetheweg or the Glashüttenweg. It has bus service and access to the Brocken Railway, whose station is located about 100 metres above the village. A popular attaction in the area is the "Brocken Coaster", a local summer rodelbahn. Schierke also provides the region with a popular resort for skiing destinations such as the slope of the Wurmberg
mountain, the second highest of the Harz. Another winter activity in the area involves hiring or obtaining a sled and riding it down the "bob bahn" – a local toboggan
ing track.
and climatic spa of Schierke lies in the High Harz
mountains, southeast of their highest summit, the Brocken. It borders on the Harz National Park
. Situated 600 to 650 m above sea level in the valley of the Cold Bode, the parish of Schierke has an area of 40.1 km² and a population of 713 (as at 31 December 2007).
area, an utterly, unspoilt wood (blankes, reines Holz). Hitherto there had been a sawmill
in 1506, below the site of the subsequent village, in Elend, and a smelting works above the Cold Bode near the moor slags (Moorschlacken). On 20 June 1898 Schierke was connected to Wernigerode
by the Harz Railway and the Brocken Railway. On 4 October 1898 the line was extended up to the top of the Brocken.
On 13 January 2009 the Mayor of Schierke, Hans-Jochen Ermisch, and his counterpart from Wernigerode, Peter Gaffert, signed the treaty incorporating it into Wernigerode. This merger came into effect on 1 July 2009.
Emblazonment
: "On a field or, a stag's skull and antlers sable" ("In gold ein schwarzer Hirsch-Schädel mit Geweih im Visier").
The stag's antlers epitomize the "King of the Harz Forest", the dominant wild animal in the mountain forests around Schierke. Just as the antlers are the crown of the deer, Schierke, on the Brocken, "crowns" the Harz landscape with its natural beauty and its healing climate.
The coat of arms was designed by the head of the Magdeburg state archives, Otto Korn.
In the first half of the 20th century Schierke was known for its skeleton
run, where the German Championships were twice held – in 1914 and 1934. In 1950 the first East German national winter sports championships took place here, being portrayed on one of two special stamps by the East German Deutsche Post.
In Schierke there is a summer rodelbahn, the Brockencoaster with a sun terrace.
For a long time, Schierke was not accessible to the public for winter sports. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Schierke was only accessible with a special pass, due to its proximity to the Inner German Border. On the site of the present training centre for engineering and metallurgy once stood a barracks for East German border troops. The 7th Border Company of the 20th Border Regiment guarded the stretch of border from the Brocken plateau via Goetheweg station
and the Dreieckiger Pfahl border stone (checkpoint no. 168 in the Harzer Wandernadel
) to the Großer Winterberg. One troop was stationed for a week at a time up on the Brocken and accommodated in the present day station building of the Brocken Railway.
visited Schierke in 1784. The Walpurgis Night
scene in Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy is set in the "District of Schierke and Elend
".
Schierker Feuerstein
is a herbal liqueur
and digestif (35% abv
), patented in 1924 by the local chemist, Willy Drube. The red-brown beverage is named after the red granite
of the Feuersteinklippe
, a tor-like rock formation nearby. After World War II
the production at first continued in Bad Lauterberg
on the western side of the inner German border, but was also resumed in Schierke from 1972 on as Volkseigener Betrieb
. After reunification
the enterprises merged while the Feuerstein is still bottled at both locations.
Harz (district)
- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein as part of the reform of 2007.-Towns and municipalities:...
, in the German
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...
state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
.
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
in the valley of the Bode River
Bode River
The Bode is a river in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, a left tributary of the Saale.It rises in the Harz mountains and drains them in a northerly direction. After it discharges into the Saale at Nienburg...
, at the rim of the Harz National Park
Harz National Park
The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...
, it is mainly a tourist resort, especially for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and all kinds of winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
. Since 1898 Schierke station
Schierke station
Schierke station is the railway station in the village of Schierke operated by the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways on the Brocken Railway in the Harz Mountains of central Germany...
has been served by the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. In 1914 and 1934 it was the site of the German Skeleton Championships. Nevertheless, due to its location next to the former inner German border, visits to Schierke required an extra permission by East German authorities between 1952 and 1989.
Today Schierke again is a popular place to start or finish a walk to the Brocken mountain via the Goetheweg or the Glashüttenweg. It has bus service and access to the Brocken Railway, whose station is located about 100 metres above the village. A popular attaction in the area is the "Brocken Coaster", a local summer rodelbahn. Schierke also provides the region with a popular resort for skiing destinations such as the slope of the Wurmberg
Wurmberg (Harz)
At the Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony .- Geography :The Wurmberg lies north of Braunlage, in the district of Goslar, and west of Schierke. Its summit is located due south of the Brocken and roughly 400 m south of the state border with...
mountain, the second highest of the Harz. Another winter activity in the area involves hiring or obtaining a sled and riding it down the "bob bahn" – a local toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
ing track.
Location
The winter sportWinter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
and climatic spa of Schierke lies in the High Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains, southeast of their highest summit, the Brocken. It borders on the Harz National Park
Harz National Park
The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...
. Situated 600 to 650 m above sea level in the valley of the Cold Bode, the parish of Schierke has an area of 40.1 km² and a population of 713 (as at 31 December 2007).
Climate
The average air temperature in Schierke is 5.3 °C, and it has an annual precipitation of 1,275 millimetres.History
The field name of Schierke was first mentioned in the records in 1590 as Schiriken (the German word schier means, in the HarzHarz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
area, an utterly, unspoilt wood (blankes, reines Holz). Hitherto there had been a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in 1506, below the site of the subsequent village, in Elend, and a smelting works above the Cold Bode near the moor slags (Moorschlacken). On 20 June 1898 Schierke was connected to Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
by the Harz Railway and the Brocken Railway. On 4 October 1898 the line was extended up to the top of the Brocken.
On 13 January 2009 the Mayor of Schierke, Hans-Jochen Ermisch, and his counterpart from Wernigerode, Peter Gaffert, signed the treaty incorporating it into Wernigerode. This merger came into effect on 1 July 2009.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted to Schierke on 5 May 1939 by the governor (Oberpräsident) of the Province of Saxony.Emblazonment
Emblazonment
Emblazonment refers to the selection of Battle Honours to be borne on Regimental Colours, drums, and cap badges .-Canadian Practice:...
: "On a field or, a stag's skull and antlers sable" ("In gold ein schwarzer Hirsch-Schädel mit Geweih im Visier").
The stag's antlers epitomize the "King of the Harz Forest", the dominant wild animal in the mountain forests around Schierke. Just as the antlers are the crown of the deer, Schierke, on the Brocken, "crowns" the Harz landscape with its natural beauty and its healing climate.
The coat of arms was designed by the head of the Magdeburg state archives, Otto Korn.
Memorials
- Grave site on the village cemetery (Ortsfriedhof) for an unknown RumanianRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, who was a victim of forced labour during the Second World War.
Places of interest
- Brocken, highest mountain in the Harz, accessible daily on the Brocken Railway
- WurmbergWurmberg (Harz)At the Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony .- Geography :The Wurmberg lies north of Braunlage, in the district of Goslar, and west of Schierke. Its summit is located due south of the Brocken and roughly 400 m south of the state border with...
, highest mountain in Lower Saxony - Feuersteinklippen crags
- SchnarcherklippenSchnarcherklippenSchnarcherklippen is the name of a rock formation south of the village of Schierke in the High Harz mountains of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany...
crags - "Apotheke zum Roten Fingerhut" – "Red Thimble" chemist's
- Schierke Mountain Church (Schierker Bergkirche)
Sport and walking
The area around Schierke is criss-crossed by numerous trails, several leading up to the top of the Brocken. There is a choice of longer or shorter, but usually steeper, walks. The Wurmberg Trail (Wurmbergstieg) runs up to the summit of the Wurmberg. From the station, a trail runs directly to an interesting tor, the Feuersteinklippe. For winter sports lovers, Schierke has an extensive cross-country skiing trail network and a natural ice rink.In the first half of the 20th century Schierke was known for its skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
run, where the German Championships were twice held – in 1914 and 1934. In 1950 the first East German national winter sports championships took place here, being portrayed on one of two special stamps by the East German Deutsche Post.
In Schierke there is a summer rodelbahn, the Brockencoaster with a sun terrace.
For a long time, Schierke was not accessible to the public for winter sports. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Schierke was only accessible with a special pass, due to its proximity to the Inner German Border. On the site of the present training centre for engineering and metallurgy once stood a barracks for East German border troops. The 7th Border Company of the 20th Border Regiment guarded the stretch of border from the Brocken plateau via Goetheweg station
Goetheweg station
Goetheweg station is located between the stations of Schierke and Brocken on the Brocken Railway in the Harz Mountains of Central Germany at a height of 956 m above sea level....
and the Dreieckiger Pfahl border stone (checkpoint no. 168 in the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
) to the Großer Winterberg. One troop was stationed for a week at a time up on the Brocken and accommodated in the present day station building of the Brocken Railway.
Notable people
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...
visited Schierke in 1784. The Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night is a traditional spring festival on 30 April or 1 May in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. It is often celebrated with dancing and with bonfires. It is exactly six months from All Hallows' Eve.-Name:...
scene in Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy is set in the "District of Schierke and Elend
Elend, Saxony-Anhalt
Elend lies in the Bode valley in the High Harz in central Germany. This part of the valley is known locally as Elendstal . Elend is a municipality in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken in the district of Harz in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and lies at a height of...
".
Schierker Feuerstein
Schierker Feuerstein
Schierker Feuerstein is an alcoholic liqueur produced in the town of Schierke, located in the Harz region of Germany. is a herbal liqueur , whose recipe was developed in the 1920s by Willy Drube, the then proprietor of the chemist's, Zum Roten Fingerhut, in the village of Schierke and which was...
is a herbal liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
and digestif (35% abv
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
), patented in 1924 by the local chemist, Willy Drube. The red-brown beverage is named after the red 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...
of the Feuersteinklippe
Feuersteinklippe
The Feuersteinklippe is a rock formation in the Harz National Park in central Germany and the landmark of the nearby village of Schierke.The Feuersteinklippe is a butte made of granite, not firestone as the name suggests. It shows the woolsack weathering typical of the Harz region. The striking...
, a tor-like rock formation nearby. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the production at first continued in Bad Lauterberg
Bad Lauterberg
Bad Lauterberg is a town in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the southern Harz, approx. 15 km southwest of Braunlage, and 20 km southeast of Osterode am Harz....
on the western side of the inner German border, but was also resumed in Schierke from 1972 on as Volkseigener Betrieb
Volkseigener Betrieb
The Volkseigener Betrieb was the legal form of industrial enterprise in East Germany...
. After reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
the enterprises merged while the Feuerstein is still bottled at both locations.