Brocken

For other uses, seeBrocken (disambiguation).

Brocken
The summit of the Brocken, showing the transmitters
Highest point
Elevation	1,142 m (3,747 ft) Normalhöhennull
Prominence	856 m (2,808 ft)
Coordinates	51°48′02″N10°37′02″E
Naming
Pronunciation	German:[ˈbʁɔkən]
Geography
Brocken Location within Germany
Location	Saxony-Anhalt,Germany
Parent range	Harz
Climbing
Easiest route	drive, hike and train

TheBrocken,also sometimes referred to as theBlocksberg,is the highest peak in theHarzmountain range and also the highest peak inNorthern Germany;it is nearSchierkein the German state ofSaxony-Anhaltbetween the riversWeserandElbe.Although its elevation of 1,141 metres (3,743 ft) is belowalpinedimensions, itsmicroclimateresembles that of mountains of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The peak above thetree linetends to have a snow cover from September to May, and mists andfogsshroud it up to 300 days of the year. The mean annual temperature is only 2.9°C(37.2°F). It is the easternmost mountain in northern Germany; travelling east in a straight line, the next prominent elevation would be in theUral Mountainsin Russia.

The Brocken has always played a role in legends and has been connected withwitchesanddevils;Johann Wolfgang von Goethetook up the legends in his playFaust.TheBrocken spectreis a common phenomenon on this misty mountain, where a climber's shadow cast upon fog creates eerie optical effects.

Today the Brocken is part of theHarz National Parkand hosts a historicbotanical gardenof about 1,600 alpine mountain plants. Anarrow gaugesteam railway, theBrocken Railway,takes visitors to the railway station at the top on 1,125 m (3,691 ft).

FM-radio and television broadcasting make major use of the Brocken. The old television tower, theSender Brocken,is now used as hotel and restaurant. It also has an observation deck, open to tourists.

Geography

Aerial photograph of the summit (2009)

Overview plan of the Brocken summit

Summit stone

Granite on the Brocken

Location

The Brocken rises over theHarz National Parkin the district ofHarz,whose main town ofWernigerodelies about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) east-northeast of the mountain. The state boundary withLower Saxonyruns past the Brocken some 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west. At the southeastern foot of the Brocken lies the spa resort ofSchierke.

Somewhat to the north below the summit of the Brocken is a reservoir, theBrockenteich,constructed in 1744. On or near the mountain are the source areas of the riversBode,Ecker,IlseandOder.The rounded summit of the Brocken is treeless, but vegetated withdwarf shrubs.

Summit and subpeaks

The highest point on the Brocken reaches an elevation of1,141.1 m abovesea level (NN)(3,744 ft). Its subpeaks include theHeinrichshöhe(1,040 m or 3,410 ft),Königsberg(1,034 m or 3,392 ft) and Kleiner Brocken ( "Little Brocken" ) (1,018 m or 3,340 ft).

Before 1989 the height of the Brocken was recorded in almost all the relevant maps and books as1,142 m above NN(3,747 ft). A survey of the summit at the beginning of the 1990s based on the current reference system, however, gave the height as just 1,141.1 m (3,744 ft). In order to provide a reference point for the old data, in the mid-1990s granite boulders were set on the highest point of the Brocken, which not only matched the old given height, but exceeded it by about a metre. A bench mark of "1142 m" was recorded on the summit stone. This height on the upper plate refers to the line on the lower plate.

Geology

From a geological point of view the Brocken and its surrounding terrain, the Brocken massif, consists mainly ofgranite(called Brocken granite), an igneous rock. Thegranitic plutonsof the Harz – the Brocken, Ramberg and Oker plutons – emerged towards the end of the Harz mountain-building phase of theUpper Carboniferous,about 300 million years ago. First, alkalinemagmaintruded into the overlying sediments, crystallized out and formedgabbroanddioritemassifs, such as the Harzburg gabbro. A little later,silica-rich granitic magma rose, some intruding into voids and gaps in the older rocks, but most being created by the melting of existing sediments. On the boundary between granite and host rock, the so-called contact zone, a great variety of transitions may be seen. For example, the summit of theAchtermannshöheconsists of contact-metamorphosedhornfelsof the contact zone that, here, lies over the Brocken granite. The subsequent erosion of the Harz mountains that followed the uplifting of the Harz during theUpper Cretaceoussaw the disappearance of the protective hornfels summit, thus exposing the granite that had crystallized underground during the Upper Carboniferous. The alleged hardness of Brocken granite is not the reason for the height of the mountain, but the geological fact that it was well protected by its weather-resistant hornfels crest for a long time before erosion set in.

Only in recent geological times, since thetertiaryperiod, did the typical, rounded,spheroidal weatheringof granite outcrops and granite boulders of the Brocken take place. Suchblockfieldsare very rare in Central Europe outside the Alps and are subject to conservation measures. They originated mainly under periglacial conditions, i.e. during the course of theice ages,and their retreat. Today's blockfields of Brocken granite, as well as other rocks in the Harz National Park, particularly in theOkervalley, are therefore at least 10,000 years old. Physical weathering, such asfrost shattering,has played a key role in their formation, resulting in giant piles of loosely stacked rocks. In 2006, the granite blockfields of the Brocken, together with 76 other interesting geotopes, were designated as a "National Geotope".

Climate

Climatic diagram for 1961-1990 normals

Winter landscape (2003)

Brocken tower in winter (2001)

The Brocken is a place of extreme weather conditions. Due to its exposed location in the north of Germany its peak lies above the naturaltree line.Theclimateon the Brocken is like that of the alpine 1,600–2,200-metre (5,200–7,200 ft) zone or even that ofIceland.This is due to its short summers and very long winters, with many months of continuous snow cover, strong storms and low temperatures even in summer. The summit, however, does not have an alpineclimate,as the average summer temperature is above 10 °C (50 °F).

Due to its significant height difference compared with the surrounding terrain the Brocken has the highest precipitation of any point in northern central Europe, with an average annual precipitation (1961–1990) of 1,814 millimetres (71.4 in). Its average annual temperature is 2.9 °C (37.2 °F).

The Brocken weather station has recorded the following extreme values:

• Its highest temperature was 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) on25 July 2019.
• Its lowest temperature was −28.4 °C (−19.1 °F) on 1 February 1956.
• In 1973 it had 205 days of snow cover.
• Its greatest depth of snow was 380 cm (150 in) on 14 and 15 April 1970.
• Its highest measured wind speed was 263 km/h (163 mph) on 24 November 1984.
• Its greatest annual precipitation was 2,335 mm (91.9 in) in 1981.
• Its least annual precipitation was 984 mm (38.7 in) in 1953.
• The longest annual sunshine was 2004.5 hours in 1921.
• The shortest annual sunshine was 972.2 hours in 1912.

The Brocken also holds the record for the greatest number of days of mist and fog in a single calendar year in Germany, 330 days in 1958,and has an average of 120 days of snowfall per year.

Climate data for Brocken, (elevation 1,135 m (3,724 ft), 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	14.0 (57.2)	14.6 (58.3)	17.5 (63.5)	21.4 (70.5)	24.1 (75.4)	26.7 (80.1)	29.7 (85.5)	29.0 (84.2)	25.9 (78.6)	21.9 (71.4)	19.8 (67.6)	12.5 (54.5)	29.7 (85.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−1.1 (30.0)	−1.0 (30.2)	1.4 (34.5)	6.0 (42.8)	10.1 (50.2)	13.2 (55.8)	15.4 (59.7)	15.3 (59.5)	11.1 (52.0)	6.8 (44.2)	2.9 (37.2)	0.0 (32.0)	6.7 (44.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−3.3 (26.1)	−3.3 (26.1)	−1.2 (29.8)	2.9 (37.2)	6.8 (44.2)	9.8 (49.6)	12.1 (53.8)	12.0 (53.6)	8.3 (46.9)	4.4 (39.9)	0.6 (33.1)	−2.2 (28.0)	3.9 (39.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−5.4 (22.3)	−5.4 (22.3)	−3.6 (25.5)	0.1 (32.2)	3.9 (39.0)	6.7 (44.1)	9.1 (48.4)	9.2 (48.6)	6.0 (42.8)	2.3 (36.1)	−1.4 (29.5)	−4.2 (24.4)	1.4 (34.5)
Record low °C (°F)	−27.5 (−17.5)	−28.4 (−19.1)	−19.6 (−3.3)	−12.6 (9.3)	−8.7 (16.3)	−3.0 (26.6)	−0.1 (31.8)	0.0 (32.0)	−2.6 (27.3)	−10.3 (13.5)	−16.1 (3.0)	−25.0 (−13.0)	−28.4 (−19.1)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	202.9 (7.99)	145.8 (5.74)	147.5 (5.81)	86.9 (3.42)	120.3 (4.74)	117.2 (4.61)	159.3 (6.27)	131.1 (5.16)	152.7 (6.01)	171.0 (6.73)	163.2 (6.43)	204.0 (8.03)	1,799.1 (70.83)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm)	25.7	23.5	23.6	18.8	19.6	19.6	20.9	20.1	22.3	25.1	25.6	26.4	271.1
Average snowy days(≥ 1.0 cm)	30.2	27.8	30.0	19.2	3.1	0.1	0	0	0.2	5.1	15.3	26.5	159.0
Averagerelative humidity(%)	89.6	88.8	89.2	82.6	82.3	84.2	83.0	83.2	88.9	91.1	90.5	89.5	86.9
Mean monthlysunshine hours	61.8	72.0	107.8	162.7	187.0	181.4	184.6	177.0	131.0	93.5	55.2	49.0	1,462.9
Source 1:NOAA
Source 2: DWD (extremes)

Flora

Brocken: treeline

The harsh climate of the Brocken makes it a habitat for rare species. The mountain's summit is asubalpine zonewith flora and fauna almost comparable to those of northScandinaviaand theAlps. The Brocken is the only mountain in Germany'sCentral Uplandswhose summit lies above thetreeline,so that only very smallsprucegrow there and much of it is covered by adwarf shrubheathland.In theBrocken Garden,established in 1890, flora are nurtured by national park employees; visitors are allowed to view it as part of regular guided tours. The garden does not just display plants from the Brocken, but also high mountain flora from other regions and countries.

Amongst the typical species of the Brocken that are rarely if ever found elsewhere in North Germany and which occur above about1,050 m above NN(3,440 ft) are the variant of thealpine pasqueflowerknown as theBrocken flowerorBrocken anemone(Pulsatilla alpinasubsp.alba),hawkweedslike the Brocken hawkweed (Hieracium negrescens) and the alpine hawkweed (Hieracium alpinum),vernal grasses(Anthoxanthum), thelady's mantle(Alchemilla), thetormentil(Potentilla tormentilla), thealpine clubmoss(Diphasiastrum alpinum), the lichens,Iceland moss(Cetraria islandica) andreindeer lichen(Cladonia rangiferina). Thecrowberryis also referred to here as the Brocken myrtle (Brockenmyrte).

On theraised bogsaround the summit of the Brocken there are e.g.cottongrasses,sundewsand thedwarf birch(Betula nana).

Fauna

Thecranberry fritillary(Boloria aquilonaris)

Several animal species have adapted to the conditions of life on the Brocken. For example, thewater pipit(Anthus aquaticus) and thering ouzelboth breed in the area around the summit.

Theviviparous lizardoccurs on the Brocken in a unique, dark-colored variant,Lacerta vivipara aberr. negra.Thecommon frog(Rana temporaria) can also be found here. Insects are very numerous. There are manybeetlesincludingground beetlessuch asAmara erratica,and hundreds of species ofbutterfly.Thecabbage whitehere produces only one generation per year compared with two in the lowlands.

Some mammal and bird species that occur here are relics of theice age,including thenorthern bat(Eptesicus nils soni), thealpine shrew(Sorex alpinus) and thering ouzel.

History

Map of the Brocken, L.S. Bestehorn, 1732
(note the witches)

Ascent, construction and use

The first documented ascent of the Brocken was in 1572 by the physician and botanist, Johannes Thal fromStolberg,who in his bookSylva Hercyniadescribed thefloraof the mountain area. In 1736 Count Christian Ernst ofStolberg-Wernigerodehad theWolkenhäuschen( "Clouds Cabin" ) erected at the summit, a small refuge that is still preserved. He also had a mountain lodge built on the southern slope, namedHeinrichshöheafter his son Henry (Heinrich) Ernest. The first inn on the Brocken summit was built around 1800.

Between 1821 and 1825Carl Friedrich Gaussused the line of sight to theGroßer Inselsbergin theThuringian Forestand theHoher Hagenmountain nearGöttingenfortriangulationin the course of thegeodesicsurveyof theKingdom of Hanover. A measurement carried out by themilitary staffofPrussiain 1850 found the Brocken's height to be at its present level of 1,141.1 metres (3,744 ft). After the first Brocken lodge had been destroyed by a fire, a new hotel opened in 1862. TheBrocken Garden,abotanical garden,was laid out in 1890 by Professor Albert Peter ofGöttingen Universityon an area of 4,600 m²(50,000 sq ft) granted by Count Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode. It was Germany's firstAlpine garden.

View from the weather observation platform of the weather station on the Brocken peak (2006)

Thenarrow gaugeBrocken Railwaywas opened on 27 March 1899.Brocken stationis one of the highest railway stations in Germany lying at a height of1,125 m above NN(3,691 ft). Its gauge is1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in). In 1935 theDeutsche Reichspostmade the firsttelevisionbroadcast from the Brocken using a mobile transmitter and, in the following year, the first television tower in the world was built on the mountain; carrying the firstlive televisionbroadcast of theSummer OlympicsinBerlin.The tower continued functioning until September 1939, when the authorities suspended broadcasting on the outbreak ofWorld War II.

In 1937 the Brocken, together with theWurmberg,AchtermannandAcker-Bruchbergwere designated as the Upper Harz (Oberharz)nature reserve.

During an air attack by theUnited States Army Air Forceson 17 April 1945 the Brocken Hotel and the weather station were destroyed by bombing. The television tower, however, survived. From 1945 until April 1947, the Brocken was occupied byUStroops. As part of the exchange of territory (specified at theYalta Conference) the mountain was transferred to theSoviet occupation zone.Before the Americans left the Brocken in 1947, however, they disabled the rebuilt weather station and the television tower.

The ruins of the Brocken Hotel were blown up in 1949. From 1948 to 1959 part of the Brocken was reopened to tourists. Although a pass was required, these were freely issued. From August 1961 the Brocken, which lay inEast Germany's border zone, immediately adjacent toWest Germany,was declared amilitary exclusion zoneand was therefore no longer open to public access. Extensive military installations were built on and around the summit. The security of the area was the responsibility of the border guards of the7thSchierkeBorder Company,which was stationed in platoon strength on the summit. For accommodation, they used the Brocken railway station. TheSovietRed Armyalso used a large portion of territory. In 1987, the goods traffic on the Brocken Railway ceased due to poor track conditions.

The Brocken was extensively used for surveillance and espionage purposes. On the summit were two large and powerfullistening stations,which could capture radio traffic in almost all of Western Europe. One belonged to Soviet military intelligence, theGRU,and was also the westernmost outpost of the Soviets in Germany; the other was Department III of theMinistry for State Securityin theGDR.The listening posts were codenamed "Yenisei" and "Urian".Between 1973 and 1976 a new modern television tower was built for the second channel of the GDR's television service, theDeutscher Fernsehfunk.Today it is used by the publicZweites Deutsches Fernsehen(ZDF) television network. TheStasi(East German secret police) used the old tower until 1985, when they moved to a new building – now a museum. To seal the area, the entire Brocken plateau was then surrounded by a concrete wall, built from 2,318 sections, each one 2.4 tonnes (2.6 short tons) in weight and 3.60 metres (11.8 ft) high. The whole area was not publicly accessible until 3 December 1989. The wall has since been dismantled, as have the Russian barracks and the domes of their listening posts. Today the old tower beside the lodge again is home to a weather station of theDeutscher Wetterdienst.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, beginning on 3 December 1989 the Brocken was again open to the public during a demonstration walk.WithGerman reunificationthere was a gradual reduction in border security facilities and military installations from 1990. The last Russian soldier left the Brocken on 30 March 1994. The Brocken summit was renaturalised at a cost of millions of euros. It is now a popular tourist destination for visitors to the Harz.

As aprotected areasince 1939 and due to the decades of restricted access the unique climate of the Brocken provided outstanding conditions. The massif is partly still covered withprimary forestextremely rare in Germany. It provides perfect conditions for endangered and nearly extinct species like theEurasian lynx,wildcatsandcapercaillies.The Brocken was therefore declared part of anational parkin 1990.

Name and significance

TheWurmberg,Hohnekammand Brocken (from left) from the Büchenberg nearElbingerode

The widespread use of the name "Brocken" did not occur until towards the end of theMiddle Ages.Hitherto the region had just been described as the Harz. This was primarily because, until then, the focus had been mining.The first record of a placename that resembles the present name of the mountain goes back, however, to the year 1176 when it is referred to asbrokein theSaxon World Chronicle(Sächsische Weltchronik).Another early written reference to the mountain, this time as theBrackenberg,appears in 1490 in a letter from Count Henry of Stolberg.Other early documented names of the Brocken were, in 1401, theBrockenberg,in 1424 theBrocberg,in 1495mons ruptus(Latin), in 1511 theBrogkenandBrockin,in 1531 theBrogken,in 1540 theBrokenbergand, in 1589, theBrackenberg. In Old Saxon-Germanic times, a large portrait of Wodin is supposed to have been found on the Brocken. In addition, animal and human sacrifices were offered by the Saxons to their supreme god, Odin, on theblockfieldsof the summit until they renounced them as part of their baptismal vows when Christianity spread to the region under Charles the Great.

As far as the origin of the name is concerned, there are several interpretations: In the town records (Stadtbuch) ofOsterwieckan entry for the Brocken was found in the year 1495 under theLatinname ofmons ruptus,which means "broken hill".ItsLow Germanname,broken,as the mountain had become named in 1176 in the Saxon World Chronicle and also inEnglish,means "broken". On the one hand, this explanation of its meaning can be attributed to the fact that the two mountains, "Kleiner Brocken" and "Großer Brocken", were formed by the breakup of a single massif.On the other hand, its meaning may refer to the seriouserosionof the mountain. In other words, it refers to the fact that the Brocken was eroded or "broken down" to its present size.

But the most likely derivation of the name comes from the shape of the mountain as a whole. Abrockenin German is a large, shapeless mass. The size of the Brocken may thus have given it its name. Since the term "block" has a similar meaning, this could also be the derivation of its alternative name, the Blocksberg.The true origin of the name Blocksberg, however, should not be seen as "block" in the sense of "mass", but rather the German wordblock(as in block of wood) in witchcraft.

Another theory holds that the name "Brocken" is derived frombruch,a word used in northern Germany forbogormoor,which commonly used to be spelt asbruochorbrok.It is however doubtful that this fact was primarily responsible for its name.Another possibility is that its name is derived from the fields of boulders strewn over the summit and the slopes of the mountain. This derivation for the name "Brocken" is, however, unlikelybecause such blockfields are also found on other mountains in the Harz. Moreover, the regions concerned were hardly known at the time when the term was used.Another presumption is based on the reference in a letter written in 1490 by Count Henry of Stolberg-Wernigerode, where he uses the termBrackenberg.However the suggestion that this referred to old, unusable timber, which was calledbracken,is disputed.

Tourism

View of the Brocken from the Heinrich Heine Way. In the foreground theBrocken Railway(2008)

Brocken station (2004)

Today a narrow gauge railway, theBrocken Railway,once more shuttles betweenWernigerode,Drei Annen Hohne,Schierkeand the Brocken. The trains are regularly hauled bysteam locomotives.

At the summit is the Brockenhaus with a museum on the history of the mountain and the Brocken Garden (a botanical garden), which is managed by theHarz National Park.In addition there are restaurants and the Brocken Hotel, which is run by the Brocken publican (Brockenwirt), Hans Steinhoff. Important publicans in the past included Johann Friedrich Gerlach from 1801 to 1834, Carl Eduard Nehse between 1834 and 1850, who brought out a map of the Brocken in 1849 and the Brocken Register (Brockenstammbuch) in 1850, as well as Rudolf Schade from 1908 to 1927, who considerably increased the repute and the size of guest facilities on the Brocken.

Signposton the Brocken Road (Brockenstraße)

The area around the Brocken is especially popular with hikers. TheGoethe Way(Goetheweg) is a well known trail that leads to the summit of the Brocken. It is named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who more-or-less followed this route in 1777. Many paths lead to the local towns of Schierke,BraunlageandSankt Andreasberg.The 100-kilometre-long (62 mi)Harz Witches' Pathalso runs from the Brocken eastwards toThaleand westwards via Torfhaus andAltenautoOsterode.The "Bad Harzburg Devil's Path" runs from the Brocken toBad Harzburg.Mountain bikersalso use the trails.

From Schierke a metalled road leads to the summit,which is used by horse-drawn wagons, as well astouringandracingcyclists. Because of the situation in the national park, vehicles with internal combustion engines are only allowed with special permission.

There are also hiking paths to Brocken fromSchierke,WernigerodeandIlsenburg.

Worthy of special mention is the bearer of the Badge of Honour of Saxony-Anhalt, Benno Schmidt (born 1932) – also known as Brocken Benno – of Wernigerode, who has climbed the mountain since 1989, almost daily, with more than 8,888 ascents (as of September 2020) and whose feat has been registered in theGuinness Book of World Records.

Sports

View of theWurmberg Ski Jump

Two well-known running events pass over the Brocken: theIlsenburgBrocken Run (beginning of September, 26 kilometres or 16 miles, of which 12 kilometres or 7.5 miles uphill, has taken place since the 1920s) and theBrocken Marathonwhich is part of theHarz Mountain Runwith its start and finish south of Wernigerode. Both start in the valley, climb the Brocken and return. The most challenging part in each case is the last four kilometres to the Brocken summit, for which in both races, a separatemountains classificationis given. This section is a concrete slab track with a steady incline of about 20% and the runners are exposed above the tree line, often to a sharp, icy wind. Of the just under 1,000 people who usually achieve it, only 50 negotiate this section without stopping to walk.

Since 2004, the Brocken Challenge, anultra marathon84-kilometre-long (52 mi) fromGöttingento the Brocken summit, has been staged in February each year. The proceeds from this event go to charity. The runs are conducted in accordance with the rules of the national park.

The 87-kilometre-long (54 mi) "Brocken Climb" from Göttingen to the Brocken has taken place annually since 2003. More than 300 people take part in these two-day hikes in June.

In early May each year the Braunschweig-Brocken Ultra Run takes place with 2 × 75 km (46.5 mi) legs spread over two days. The participants run fromBraunschweigto Schierke, cross the Brocken, overnight in Schierke and run back again the next day. Overall, it is therefore a 150-kilometre (93 mi) race.

Buildings

The Brocken: buildings and installations (as at: 2006)

Transmission site

Since the 1930s various radio and television transmitters have been erected on the Brocken, seeBrocken Transmitter.

Brocken House

Brocken House (Brockenhaus), the modern information centre for the Harz National Park, is located in the converted "StasiMosque "(Stasi-Moschee), a former surveillance installation for theMinistry for State Security.The historic antenna equipment in the dome may be visited. Behind the building is checkpointNo.9 on theHarzer Wandernadelhiking trail network.

Weather station

The extreme weather conditions of the Brocken are of specialmeteorologicalinterest. From 1836 theBrockenwirt,who also ran the guest house and restaurant, kept meteorological records. The firstweather stationon the Brocken was built in 1895. Technically poor and too small, it was partially demolished in 1912 and replaced with a large stone construction, theHellman Observatory,that was not completed until theFirst World War.In 1917 the academic and nature lover George Grobe took over running the observation post, his daughter supporting him until his death in 1935.Today's weather station started life in 1939. Measurements were interrupted at the end of the Second World War as a result of military bombardment, but began again in 1947. On 16 March 2010 the Brocken Weather Station became a climate reference station to provide uninterrupted, long-term climatic observations.

Literary mentions

Walpurgis' Night, engraving after an illustration byJohann Heinrich Ramberg,1829

• Goethe described the Brocken in hisFaust,first published in 1808, as the center of revelry forwitchesonWalpurgisnacht(30 April; the eve ofSt Walpurga's Day).

Now, to the Brocken, the witches ride;

The stubble is gold and the corn is green;

There is the carnival crew to be seen,

And Squire Urianus will come to preside.

So over the valleys, our company floats,

With witches a-farting on stinking old goats.

Goethe may have gained inspiration from two rock formations on the mountain's summit, theTeufelskanzel(Devil's Pulpit) and theHexenaltar(Witches' Altar).

• The Brocken is similarly mentioned in many other literary and musicalworks based on Faust
• Another famous visitor on the Brocken, authorHeinrich Heine,wrote his bookDie Harzreise( "The Harz Journey" ) published in 1826. He says:

The mountain somehow appears so Germanically stoical, so understanding, so tolerant, just because it affords a view so high and wide and clear. And should such mountain open its giant eyes, it may well see more than we, who like dwarfs just trample on it, staring from stupid eyes.

• The summit register entryMany stones, tired bones, views: none, Heinrich Heine("Viele Steine, müde Beine, Aussicht keine, Heinrich Heine") is a popular, though unsourced phrase related to the weary ascent and the mostly foggy conditions.
• The teacherHeinrich Pröhlecollected theBrockensagentalesandlegendsas well as theetymologyof the geographic names in theHarz.He carefully examined theTeufelskanzeland theHexenaltar,mentioned above.
• Henry Jameshas his character Basil Ransom ask: "What kind of meetings do you refer to? You speak as if it were a rendezvous of witches on the Brocken" in the first chapter of his novelThe Bostonians(1886).
• Slothrop and Geli Tripping experience the famous Brocken Spectre inThomas Pynchon's novelGravity's Rainbow,as theMittelbau-Doralabour camp in the Harz mountains north of Nordhausen from 1943 was the home of theV-2rocket production. InDavid Foster Wallace's Pynchon-influencedInfinite Jestthe characters Remy Marathe and Hugh Steeply also experience the Brocken spectre on a ridge in the desert outside Tucson.

In popular culture

• "Black Sabbath", the first track of the debut album of the early occult rock bandCoven,starts with the line "They journeyed far to Brocken Mountain pinnacle".
• Theprogressive metalbandFates Warningtitled their debut albumNight on Bröcken(note the "Heavy metal umlaut"). The title track refers toWitches Sabbathon Walpurgis Night.
• The song "Born in a Burial Gown" byCradle of Filth(from the albumBitter Suites to Succubi) contains an allusion to the Brocken's history as a witches' gathering-place.
• Theindie rockbandLiars' albumThey Were Wrong, So We Drownedis a concept album loosely based on tales of the gatherings of witches on the Brocken as well aswitch trials.
• The novelCloud CastlesbyMichael Scott Rohanfeatures the Brocken as the home and body ofChernobog
• Bibi Blocksberg,a German audio drama for children about a witch, refers to an alternate name for the Brocken (Blocksberg).
• The Brocken is mentioned in the novelBald Mountainby Sergej Golovachov.
• The Brocken is mentioned in episode 546 of the TV anime seriesDetective Conan.
• There are two German fictional characters in the anime/manga Kinnikuman who are called Brockenman and Brocken Jr.
• There is a German black metal band named Brocken Moon.
• Brocken spectres is the topic of Polish poetic folk band "Na Bani" titled "Brocken" from the album "20 lat z górą".
• German heavy metal bandEdguymentions Brocken andWalpurgisnachtin their song "Angel Rebellion" from the albumKingdom of Madness.
• Caleb Carrpublished "The Legend of Broken" in 2012. The fictional kingdom of Broken occupies the Harz Mountains, and in particular Brocken, which for centuries had been considered the seat of supernatural doings, because, Carr demonstrates, of the ignorance and superstition of humans.

See also

• List of the highest points of the German states
• Brocken spectre
• Lysa Hora (folklore)( "Bald Mountain" )

External links

• Official website(in English)
• Website with live-webcams(in German)