Upper Harz
Encyclopedia
The Upper Harz refers to the western and higher part of the Harz
mountain range in central Germany
. Much of the Upper Harz is over , but at its eastern edge in the High Harz (Hochharz) it climbs to over on the Brocken massif.
s (Bergstädte) - Clausthal, Zellerfeld, Andreasberg
, Altenau
, Lautenthal
, Wildemann
and Grund - in the present-day German federal state of Lower Saxony
. This region was, for centuries, dominated by the hugely profitable silver mining
industry and is also distinguished by its own dialect
(see below). It is based, therefore, primarily on the geological structure of the region around Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the Clausthal Kulmfaltenzone, extends across the northwestern Harz and is bordered in the east by the Söse
depression and the Acker
-Bruchberg
ridge. The mining area of Sankt Andreasberg occupies a special place in this regard, because it is just east of the Bruchberg. The mines
, more than anything else, have left a lasting impression on the region and left their traces in the towns and villages as well as the countryside (see e.g. Upper Harz Water Regale
). In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, also known in the heyday of the mining industry as the "Capital of the Upper Harz", the borough of Oberharz ("Upper Harz") has its headquarters.
Another division into Upper and Lower Harz is based on the function of the Harz as a natural watershed. On this basis "by taking the Brocken as the mid-point, the Upper Harz includes everything to the west of it; the Lower Harz everything lying to the east. […] All that drains from the western mountains belongs to the catchment area of the Weser, all that drains from those in the east, to that of the Elbe
". Heinrich Heine
also used the Brocken as the dividing line in his book Die Harzreise ("The Harz Journey") in 1824 and remarked that the "Lower Harz, as the eastern side of the Brocken is called, as opposed to its western side, […] called the Upper Harz". This definition extends the montane Upper Harz eastwards roughly to the state border with Saxony-Anhalt
, so that e.g. Braunlage
or Hohegeiß
may also be counted as lying within the Upper Harz, as well as some high mountain ridges:
To the east it transitions to the less prominent Lower Harz which descends gently eastwards. The High Harz (Hochharz) refers to the only sparsely populated region around the Brocken , Bruchberg, Wurmberg
, Torfhaus
and Acker, which lie above . The High Harz therefore includes most of the Harz National Park
.
dialect that goes back to the settlement in the area of mining folk from the Ore Mountains of Saxony
in the 16th century.
The Upper Harz dialect is restricted to only a few places and so forms something of a language island in the Harz. The best known are Altenau, Sankt Andreasberg, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lautenthal and Hahnenklee. Today the dialect is rarely heard in everyday life in the Upper Harz. It is mainly members of the older generations that still speak it; as a result it is maintained in the newspapers. For example there are occasionally articles published in the Upper Harz dialect in the local section of the Goslarsche Zeitung.
To illustrate the dialect here is the refrain of a Sankt Andreasberg folk song:
in the district of Harz decided to merge on 1 January 2010, as part of regional reforms in Saxony-Anhalt, into a new town with the name 'Oberharz am Brocken'. There were major protests against this name in the borough of Oberharz in Lower Saxony. The reasons were that, on the one hand, there was a significant risk of confusion by having two similar names, and on the other hand that the new region had never belonged to the Upper Harz, but was part of the Lower 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...
mountain range in central Germany
Central Germany (geography)
In geography, central Germany describes the areas surrounding the central point of modern-day Germany.The town of Niederdorla, in the state of Thuringia, claims to be the most central town in Germany...
. Much of the Upper Harz is over , but at its eastern edge in the High Harz (Hochharz) it climbs to over on the Brocken massif.
Geography
The exact location of the Upper Harz may be defined differently depending on the context. In its narrower sense the term Upper Harz only covers the seven Upper Harz mining townMining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
s (Bergstädte) - Clausthal, Zellerfeld, Andreasberg
Sankt Andreasberg
Sankt Andreasberg is a town and a former municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 November 2011, it is part of the town Braunlage. It is situated in the Harz, approximately 7 km west of Braunlage proper, and 20 km east of Osterode am Harz.- History :Sankt...
, Altenau
Altenau
Altenau may refer to:places in Germany:* Altenau, Lower Saxony, a town in Lower Saxony* A part of Mühlberg in Brandenburg* A part of Saulgrub, Bavariarivers in Germany:* Altenau , a tributary of the Oker in eastern Lower Saxony...
, Lautenthal
Lautenthal
The formerly free mining town of Lautenthal is a state-recognised, climatic spa with around 2,000 inhabitants that has been part of the borough of Langelsheim since 1972.- Geography :...
, Wildemann
Wildemann
Wildemann is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the west of the Harz, northwest of Clausthal-Zellerfeld. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz....
and Grund - in the present-day German federal state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. This region was, for centuries, dominated by the hugely profitable silver mining
Silver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
industry and is also distinguished by its own dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
(see below). It is based, therefore, primarily on the geological structure of the region around Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the Clausthal Kulmfaltenzone, extends across the northwestern Harz and is bordered in the east by the Söse
Söse
The Söse is a right tributary of the river Rhume, 38 kilometres long, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The river rises on the plateau of Auf dem Acker in the district of Osterode in the southwestern part of the Harz Mountains in Germany...
depression and the Acker
Auf dem Acker
Auf dem Acker is a mountain ridge up to 865.1 metres high, which is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains in Lower Saxony .- Geography :...
-Bruchberg
Bruchberg
At the Bruchberg in the Upper Harz is the second highest mountain in Lower Saxony and the third highest in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It lies between Altenau and Torfhaus in the middle of the Harz National Park. The Bruchberg is more like a plateau and has no real summit...
ridge. The mining area of Sankt Andreasberg occupies a special place in this regard, because it is just east of the Bruchberg. The mines
Mining in the Upper Harz
Mining in the Upper Harz region of central Germany was a major industry for several centuries, especially for the production of silver, lead, copper, and, latterly, zinc as well. Great wealth was accumulated from the mining of silver from the 16th to the 19th centuries, as well as from important...
, more than anything else, have left a lasting impression on the region and left their traces in the towns and villages as well as the countryside (see e.g. Upper Harz Water Regale
Upper Harz Water Regale
The Upper Harz Water Regale is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which was built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store the water that drove the water wheels of the mines in the Upper Harz region of Germany...
). In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, also known in the heyday of the mining industry as the "Capital of the Upper Harz", the borough of Oberharz ("Upper Harz") has its headquarters.
Another division into Upper and Lower Harz is based on the function of the Harz as a natural watershed. On this basis "by taking the Brocken as the mid-point, the Upper Harz includes everything to the west of it; the Lower Harz everything lying to the east. […] All that drains from the western mountains belongs to the catchment area of the Weser, all that drains from those in the east, to that of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
". Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
also used the Brocken as the dividing line in his book Die Harzreise ("The Harz Journey") in 1824 and remarked that the "Lower Harz, as the eastern side of the Brocken is called, as opposed to its western side, […] called the Upper Harz". This definition extends the montane Upper Harz eastwards roughly to the state border with 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...
, so that e.g. Braunlage
Braunlage
Braunlage is a town and health resort in the Goslar district in Lower Saxony in Germany. It lies within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken.Nowadays Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly ski tourists...
or Hohegeiß
Hohegeiß
The health resort and winter sports village of Hohegeiß lies in the Harz Mountains between Braunlage and Benneckenstein at a height of between 570 to . Since 1 July 1972 Hohegeiß has been part of the borough of Braunlage in the district of Goslar in Lower Saxony...
may also be counted as lying within the Upper Harz, as well as some high mountain ridges:
To the east it transitions to the less prominent Lower Harz which descends gently eastwards. The High Harz (Hochharz) refers to the only sparsely populated region around the Brocken , Bruchberg, 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...
, Torfhaus
Torfhaus
Torfhaus is a village in the borough of the mining town of Altenau in the Harz mountains of Germany and lies at a height of about .This small settlement consists mainly of restaurants, youth hostels, ski huts and large car parks. It is the highest settlement in Lower Saxony...
and Acker, which lie above . The High Harz therefore includes most 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...
.
Upper Harz dialect
One feature of the Upper Harz is, or was, the Upper Harz dialect (Oberharzer Mundart). Unlike the Lower Saxon, Eastphalian and Thuringian dialects of its surround area, this is an ErzgebirgischErzgebirgisch
Erzgebirgisch is an Upper German dialect, probably belonging to the Franconian dialect group, spoken mainly in the central Erzgebirge . It has received relatively little academic attention...
dialect that goes back to the settlement in the area of mining folk from the Ore Mountains of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
in the 16th century.
The Upper Harz dialect is restricted to only a few places and so forms something of a language island in the Harz. The best known are Altenau, Sankt Andreasberg, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lautenthal and Hahnenklee. Today the dialect is rarely heard in everyday life in the Upper Harz. It is mainly members of the older generations that still speak it; as a result it is maintained in the newspapers. For example there are occasionally articles published in the Upper Harz dialect in the local section of the Goslarsche Zeitung.
To illustrate the dialect here is the refrain of a Sankt Andreasberg folk song:
- Eb de Sunne scheint, ebs stewert, schtarmt, ebs schneit,
bei Tag un Nacht ohmds oder frieh
wie hämisch klingst de doch
du ewerharzer Sproch
O Annerschbarrich wie bist de schien.
Customs and tradition
- Easter FireEaster FireEaster fires are typically bonfires lit before, during, or after Easter Sunday as part of secular and religious celebrations.-Easter Vigil:Fire can feature prominently during solemn Easter Vigil celebrations held after sunset on Holy Saturday...
(Osterfeuer): In the Upper Harz the EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
fires are built with the aid of a wooden frame in the centre of which is a spruceSpruceA spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
tree. The tree is several metres higher than the wooden structure that is covered with brushwood and spruce branches. Traditionally the visitors are blackened, i.e. their faces are smeared with sootSootSoot is a general term that refers to impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolyzed fuel particles such as cenospheres,...
from the charred wood. In WildemannWildemannWildemann is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the west of the Harz, northwest of Clausthal-Zellerfeld. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz....
at Easter Fire they also carry Easter torches over three metres long. - Kurrende: During the mining era it was common for 10 to 18 year old apprentices (Pochjungen) to parade through the streets in black coats and hats as part of a Kurrende or school choir in order to earn additional income by singing. From the age of ten - later fourteen - the apprentices worked in the crushing mills or Pochwerken where they separated oreOreAn ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
from the rest of the rock for 12 hours a day. Not until their 18th birthday were they allowed to begin training as miner's and work in the mines. The Kurrende tradition was preserved for a few years after the decline of the mines in the Upper Harz by the, mainly church-based, choirs. Today, on the important holy days, the choral society of St. Martin's parish performs the last Kurrende in the Upper Harz in Sankt Andreasberg, dressed in traditional costume.
Upper Harz conflict
The town of Elbingerode and the municipalities of Brocken-HochharzBrocken-Hochharz
Brocken-Hochharz was a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was situated in the Harz mountains, southwest of Wernigerode. It was named after the highest peak of the Harz: Brocken. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft was in Hasselfelde...
in the district of Harz decided to merge on 1 January 2010, as part of regional reforms in Saxony-Anhalt, into a new town with the name 'Oberharz am Brocken'. There were major protests against this name in the borough of Oberharz in Lower Saxony. The reasons were that, on the one hand, there was a significant risk of confusion by having two similar names, and on the other hand that the new region had never belonged to the Upper Harz, but was part of the Lower Harz.
Source
- Der Oberharz und seine Grenzen ("The Upper Harz and its Boundaries"), article in the special supplement of the Goslarschen Zeitung of 1 October 2008.