Hollenkammer

Useful Information

Location:	North of Lütersheim. From the sports ground some 350 m to the north, signposted V8.
Open:	No restrictions. [2010]
Fee:	free. [2010]
Classification:	erosional cave
Light:	n/a
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Hollenkammer north of Lütersheim is called a cave by the locals. It is actually just an abri or shelter, or simply an overhang. It is located in the face of a 15 m high cliff, some 5 m above the ground. There are traces of man on the walls, so there is a theory that the place was inhabited by a hermit once. The holes in the wall would be the places where the timbers of his hermitage were fixed. There are several huge rocks in the forest, which are the result of the erosion of iron bearing sandstone. The resulting rocks are so weird, the locals invented several legends about this place. One about the Hollenkammer explains the name.

In the holes and crevices of the sandstone, once the Hollen lived. These are small gnomes or goblins, as big as dolls and black, which are said to bring fortune. They are able to become invisible when people are nearby. There is the story of a farmhand from Lütersheim, who was working nearby. When he heard strange knocks, he guessed the Holles were baking cakes, and shouted: "Holle, bake a cake for me!" Soon he found a cake on a rock and hesitated to take it. He heard someone saying: "if you do not take it, we will scratch your eyes out! You ordered and now you eat!" So he took the cake hurriedly and ate it. Bt while the cake was rather good, he was very scared and never again ordered a cake from the Holles.

Another explanation of the name is the hypothesis that here once was a pre-Christian place of worship. The name is explained as the name of the wife of Wotan, who was named Frigg or Frija. She is also known as Holda, Freke or Berchta. She is the Goddess of household and marriage, protects domestic work, and helps with children. She also punishes the lazy and rewards the hard-working. With this last feature she resembles both the Holle dwarfs and the Frau Holle from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm.