 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Anerdstall is a type oftunnel found acrossEurope.[1] They are of unknown origin but are believed to date from theMiddle Ages. A variety of purposes have been theorized, including that they were used as escape routes or hiding places, but the most prominent theory is that they served areligious orspiritual purpose.[1]
The wordErdstall is derived from the medieval (Middle High German) forms of GermanErde (earth) and eitherStelle (place) or'Stollen' ("mineshaft"). There are very few historical references – a document from 1449[which?] names the area above the tunnels as'auf den erdstelln'.
Alternative regional names are"schratzlloch" (Bavaria),"zwergloch" and"grufen" (Austria), that carry the regional names for dwarfs that folk belief has connected them to.[citation needed]
Erdstalls are very low and narrow – they have a height of 1.0 to 1.4 metres (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) and a maximum width of about 60 centimetres (24 in).[clarification needed] Additionally, they feature very tight passages connecting one tunnel to a lower tunnel called a"schlupf" (slip out), which are typically extremely narrow and impassable for some, as crawling under the slip hole, and then standing up to slide the shoulders through, is necessary to crawl into the higher tunnel.
There is only one narrow concealed entry point, with no second exit tunnel as is common with an escape tunnel system. Some tunnel systems feature loop tunnels at the end of a tunnel. Most tunnel systems are no longer than 50 metres (160 ft).[citation needed]
In his 2000 publicationDie Regional-Typisierung der Erdställe, Herbert Wimmer created a rough classification system for varying types of erdstall:[2]
There is almost no archaeological material to be found in the tunnels, although erdstall tunnels exist in abundance in central Europe, with over 700 in Bavaria alone. This makes it highly unlikely that they were ever used as dwellings, such as a hiding place in times of war.[citation needed]
The archaeological evidence is so slim that even age determination is difficult. Coal from a fire pit atBad Zell has been dated between 1030 and 1210. Coal from a heading inHöcherlmühle has been dated between the late 10th and mid-11th century. A slip passage atRot am See has been enhanced with stones to make it narrower with the stone additions dated to between 1034 and 1268. Coal fromTrebersdorf was dated 950 to 1050, coal fromKühlried was dated to 950 to 1160. Ceramics found in St. Agatha have been dated to the 12th century, which seems to be the latest date of usage.[citation needed]
Most erdstall sites are too narrow to be usable for general tourism. A bigger walkable site is the Erdstall Ratgöbluckn inPerg (Upper Austria) that is open to the public as part of the local museum of Perg.[3] The Erdstall am Kapellenberg inGroßkrut (Lower Austria) was opened in 2007 to visitors of the Erdstallmuseum Althöflein.[4]
Authority control databases: National |
|---|