Hanskühnenburg

The Hanskühnenburg is a mountain hut (German: Bergbaude) in the Harz mountains. It is located at a height of 811 m (2,661 ft) above sea level in fields known as Auf dem Acker, or simply Acker, in the middle of the Harz National Park and has its own observation tower. Its name comes from the legendary Hanskühnenburg Crag (Hanskühnenburg Klippe) 300 metres to the northwest, which was visited on 14 August 1784 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Opposite the tower are the Hanskühnenburg Rocks (Hanskühnenburg Felsen) that are relatively small by comparison with the Klippe. A bronze plaque was mounted on these rocks in 1999 to commemorate Goethe's visit. In front of the Hanskühnenburg Rocks, a monument was erected in 1924 to Albert Leo Schlageter. It has since fallen over and is rather weathered.

At the end of the 19th century, the Osterode branch of the Harz Club built the first wooden observation tower and a managed refuge hut on the thickly wooded Acker crest; the hut being opened in 1889. The tower proved unable to cope with the weather conditions and, by 1912, had become so damaged that it had to be torn down. One year later, the Hanover branch began the construction of a stone tower on the same spot; it was completed in 1914.

The First World War brought tourism to a standstill and the hut which was being managed as an inn, was closed, not least because it was a long way from any other settlements. In 1922, the guest house opened again until the Second World War broke out.

In 1947, the hut, which had meanwhile become quite dilapidated, re-opened, but had to be closed again in 1957 when the hut and tower were placed out of bounds by the police due to their condition. In 1958 it had been refurbished sufficiently to enable the ban to be lifted again. but the fundamental overhaul that was really required was not carried out. In 1971 the damage to the Hanskühnenburg was once again so serious, that the structure was closed again. After emergency repairs the tower and hut re-opened in 1972.

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Wikipedia