Lost Caves

Places Lost Forever - Destroyed Caves

Caves have been and still are being destroyed in all countries where they are found – predominantly by quarrying. Destruction of this kind usually stays unnoticed and documentation of such cases is the exception. The result is that each case is perceived as being a singular event  by authorities, politicians and the general public. The VdHK’s effort to compile a list of all caves which have been destroyed in Germany aims to change this perspective.

As of January 2025 647 destroyed caves have been documented and a  few well-documented cases are presented on this site. These documentations enable us to recognize the extraordinary value of what has been lost because in addition to the actual cave its contents, which commonly include archaeological and palaeontological material and stalagmites which might contain valuable data about climates long passed, are lost and even the surrounding landscape vanishes forever. 

For this reason, we appeal to all land owners, authorities and speleologists:
1. Save caves and karst areas from destruction
2. If destruction can’t be avoided, undertake a full scientific documentation of the cave before it is destroyed.
3. Report all instances of cave destruction.
REMEMBERl Each cave is unique and impossible to replace or restore!

VdHK-Press release 04.01.2025

Press release in German language        Photos

 

Vortrag zu verschwundenen Höhlen in Deutschland

The History of Sachsensteinhöhle in the Southern Harz Mountains

A show cave in gypsum karst ends up in the stone crusher

Due to the current threats to the gypsum karst of the Southern Harz Mountains, the history of the Sachsensteinhöhle at Neuhof in the Southern Harz is highlighted here as the first „lost cave“. 

The cave was situated in gypsum karst, in the southern extension of the Sachsenstein, near to the Braunschweigian village of Neuhof. The entrance was first opened by quarrying operations around the year 1860 and subsequently covered again. In 1928, the entrance was excavated again, and on May, 5th 1929 opened as a show cave. Dr.-Ing. Friedrich Stolberg, a pioneering member of the Harzer speleology, wrote in 1930: „The main attraction of the Sachsensteinhöhle as a show cave consists … in the generous spatial impression combined with the subterranean sea of boulders. The location in the immediate neighbourhood of the bath Sachsa should also carry the precondition of a reasonably favourable economic development.“

However, the Sachsensteinhöhle has subsequently vanished without a trace. Close to the former location of the cave was a small gypsum plant, which was abandoned in 1988. A major increase in production occurred for the gypsum plant at the Sachsenstein only after the second World War. Since the quarry soon reached the limit of the natural gypsum bedrock, plans were developed to quarry the bedrock above the cave. The fact that this would mean irreparable damage to the Sachsensteinhöhle was accepted. Even though the Sachsensteinhöhle was already inscribed as a natural monument in the list of natural monuments of the Blankenburg District, a revocation of the protected status was applied for.

As usual, the threat of losing jobs was pushed in the foreground as primary argument (Braunlager Zeitung of 27.5.1951). The gloomy picture of 35 to 38 people loosing their jobs was advanced. Already at these times, job security was a favourite lever of the gypsum industry. However,for the revocation of the protection status, an assessment of the worthiness of protection had to be obtained. An “expert” attested, that the cave could be quarried, provided a close contact with the environmental authorities was maintained, especially to secure possible prehistoric artefacts. The Harzer speleologists, headed by Dr. Stolberg, only learned of the looming fate of the cave in 1951, when the damage was already done. Viewed from today, the plan was obviously to prevent any objections by creating facts – a procedure still commonly employed today.

The compromise was celebrated as a success in the press. It was claimed, that the Sachsensteinhöhle was only of minor beauty, and that people could visit the nearby Einhornhöhle instead. The fact that both are completely different types of caves obviously found no consideration.

Report on Gypsum quarrying and job security 1950 (in German language) 
 

References: 
Brederlow, C.G.F. (1846): Der Harz. – Braunschweig

Fricke, U. (2021): Die Zerstörung der Sachsensteinhöhle. – Mitt. Arbeitsgem. Karstkunde Harz 42 (1+2): 3-9

Reinboth, F. (1983): Erinnerungen an die Sachsensteinhöhle bei Neuhof. – Mitt. Arbeitsgem. Karstkunde Niedersachsen 1983 (4): 10-17; auch in www.karstwanderweg.de

Reinboth, F. (2013): Chronik der Gipsindustrie in Walkenried und Neuhof. – Clausthal-Zellerfeld, S. 20 f.

Stolberg, F. (1929): Die Sachsensteiner Höhle. – Mitteldeutscher Nachrichtendienst, Bericht 50, S. 2, Halberstadt

Stolberg, F. (1930): Die Sachsensteinhöhle bei Neuhof am Südharz. Eine Studie zur Schlottenfrage. – Mitt. üb. Höhlen- u. Karstf. 1930 (1): 19-22

Destruction and Cave Conservation?

The first law for protection of nature in Germany was proclaimed already in 1920 – the Prussian „Kleine Naturschutzgesetz“ [Minor Law on Protection of Nature], which came from the hands of Dr. Benno Wolf, the great mentor of German speleology. Nevertheless, it took another 78 years, until in 1998 natural caves were included at least as a habitat into the Federal Law on Protection of Nature, and it took a European Law, the Fauna-Flora-Habitat (FFH)-Directive of the European Union, to achieve this. As habitat type 8310, all natural caves in the  European Union are protected as a habitat for animals. For a protection as a geotope we are still fighting. In the public perception, caves still lead a shadowy existence. You don’t see them, they are not as „present“ as other habitats. But caves have one feature in common with springs: They are irreplaceable. A destroyed cave can’t be restored, and a true replacement cave cannot be created, even if unlimited funds would be available. The compensatory measures demanded by Germany's nature conservation laws, which for habitats above ground might be possible for better or worse, are an impossibility for caves. A cave destroyed is lost forever!