![Kleiner Deister](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Kleiner_Deister.jpg)
The Kleiner Deister is a ridge of hills (up to ) in the
which, together with the
Nesselberg
The Nesselberg is a ridge up to high in the Calenberg Highland which, together with the Kleiner Deister and the Osterwald, forms a group of three contiguous hill regions in the northwestern part of the Leine Uplands. It lies between Altenhagen I ...
and the
Osterwald
Osterwald is a community and part of the Joint Community (''Samtgemeinde'') of Neuenhaus in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony. The community consists of the centres of Osterwald, Alte Piccardie and Hohenkörben (Veldhausen parish ...
, forms a group of three adjacent hill ranges in the northern part of the
Leine Uplands. It lies between
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
and
Eldagsen
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
in
Hanover region
Hanover Region (german: Region Hannover) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Heidekreis, Celle, Gifhorn, Peine, Hildesheim, Hamelin-Pyrmont, Schaumburg and Nienburg.
The H ...
in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Geography
The Kleiner Deister is located immediately south of
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
and just north of the
Nesselberg
The Nesselberg is a ridge up to high in the Calenberg Highland which, together with the Kleiner Deister and the Osterwald, forms a group of three contiguous hill regions in the northwestern part of the Leine Uplands. It lies between Altenhagen I ...
. It is drained by the river
Haller Haller is a surname of English and German origin. It is the last name of:
* Albin Haller (1849–1925), French chemist
* Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777), Swiss anatomist and physiologist, also notable for his contributions to botany
* Albrecht v ...
.
The
B 217 federal highway from
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
to
Hamelin
Hamelin ( ; german: Hameln ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
H ...
runs through the flat
pass
Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to:
Places
*Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland
* Pass, Poland, a village in Poland
*Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits
*Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...
of the
Deister Gate. In the south east the Kleiner Deister is separated from the northern foothills of the
Osterwald
Osterwald is a community and part of the Joint Community (''Samtgemeinde'') of Neuenhaus in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony. The community consists of the centres of Osterwald, Alte Piccardie and Hohenkörben (Veldhausen parish ...
by a valley through which run both the Gehlenbach stream and the
L 422 from
Eldagsen
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
to
Coppenbrügge.
At once time the old ''Wolfsbuche'' stood on the saddle between the Kleiner Deister and the Nesselberg and therefore between the Wolfsköpfe in the northeast and the Grasberg in the southwest; this was also the source of the Schwarze Bach, a tributary of the Gehlenbach. Both ridges lies between the villages of
Springe-Altenhagen, the heart of
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
,
Eldagsen
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
and Coppenbrügge-Brünnighausen.
Part of a
European long-distance path
The European long-distance paths (alternatively, abbreviated as E-paths) are a network of long-distance footpaths that traverse Europe. While most long-distance footpaths in Europe are located in just one country or region, each of these numbered ...
, the ''Roswithaweg'' ("Roswitha path"), runs over the Kleiner Deister and the neighbouring Nesselberg hills from north to south. The Kleiner Deister ist almost entirely surrounded by a 16.3 km long and 2 m high sandstone wall which, in the south, runs over the crest of the Nesselberg. The
Saupark Springe - a wildlife park - is located here. It is the main attraction of the ridge and has many species of wild animal.
Geology
The Kleiner Deister has a
Hercynian strike and forms the northeast wing of a large syncline. The strata of the
Deister on both sides of the crest stem from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods; these are inverted in the case of the Kleiner Deister.
The side of the Kleiner Deister that descends southwest to the Nesselberg is made of stratified
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
s,
siltstone
Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...
s and
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s, with deposits of
anthracite
Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...
in places. These are the so-called
Obernkirchen
Obernkirchen () is a town in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 8 km southwest of Stadthagen, and 15 km east of Minden.
Obernkirchen is a small town in the shadows of the Bückeberg, a hil ...
strata (
Wealden) of the
Lower Cretaceous
Lower may refer to:
*Lower (surname)
*Lower Township, New Jersey
*Lower Receiver (firearms)
*Lower Wick
Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...
.
The northeastern slopes of the Kleiner Deister are characterised by
marl
Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Marl makes up the lower part o ...
s, clays and
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
s. These are the so-called
Münder marls of the Upper
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...
.
Hills
* Burgberg ca.
* Wolfsköpfe
* Drakenberg
* Raher Berg
* Hallermundskopf
Flora and fauna
The
Saupark Springe is bounded by a wall which encloses much of the Kleiner Deister. The wildlife park has
Wild Boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
as well as
Red Deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
,
Roe Deer
The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
,
Fallow Deer and
Mouflon. It also has a number of caves in which rare species of
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
may be found. The actual park is an old deciduous mixed forest of beech and oak, birch and chestnut avenues. In addition to crags, caves,
barrow
Barrow may refer to:
Places
England
* Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
** Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, local authority encompassing the wider area
** Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)
* Barrow, Cheshire
* Barrow, Gloucestershire
* Barro ...
s, springs and wild meadows there is a wide range of rare animals and plants. Part of the Saupark, the Springe Bison Enclosure (''Wisentgehege Springe''), is a deer park in which visitors can observe wild animals at close range. In addition to breeding the almost extinct
Bison
Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...
, the enclosure is also home to
Elk
The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...
,
Mouflon,
wild horse
The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...
s,
owls and
birds of prey.
Since 1954 the Kleiner Deister and the Nesselberg have formed a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
with a total of around which includes the Saupark Springe.
Places of interest
In addition to Saupark Springe and the Springe Bison Enclosure with their animals and plants, demonstration areas for deer feeding and
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
barrows; other points of interest include old sandstone quarries on the
Nesselberg
The Nesselberg is a ridge up to high in the Calenberg Highland which, together with the Kleiner Deister and the Osterwald, forms a group of three contiguous hill regions in the northwestern part of the Leine Uplands. It lies between Altenhagen I ...
, the ruins of the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Hallermund Castle on the Hallermundskopf and the remains of an
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
circular rampart
A circular rampart (German: ''Ringwall'') is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering.
The ...
, the
Kukesburg, near Altenhagen. In the stone quarries near Altenhagen 400 miners were employed around 1900 to extract the valuable Deister sandstone. This outstanding architectural stone was used in the opera house and
new city hall at
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, in the
Reichstag building
The Reichstag (, ; officially: – ; en, Parliament) is a historic government building in Berlin which houses the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament.
It was constructed to house the Imperial Diet (german: Reichstag) of the ...
in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and other buildings across the whole of Europe.
Photographs
File:Hallermund_Berg.jpg, The Hallermundskopf with the ruins of Hallermund Castle
File:Jagdschloss Springe Niedersachsen.jpg, Hunting lodge at the main entrance to the Saupark Springe
File:Saupark_Mauer.jpg, Wall of the Saupark Springe with gate
File:Erholungsgebiet_kleiner_deister_karte.jpg, Information board for the "Kleiner Deister leisure region"
External links
DeisterSaupark SpringeBrünnighausen
{{Coord, 52, 11, N, 9, 34, E, type:mountain_elevation:346_region:DE-NI_dim:3000, display=title
Ridges of Lower Saxony
Natural regions of the Weser-Leine Uplands