Kittelsthaler Tropfsteinhöhle

About

Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave (German: Kittelsthaler Tropfsteinhöhle) is a cave in the Thuringian Forest. It is located in the Kittelsthal district of the town of Ruhla in the Wartburg district. The cave is accessible via a former mine. The total length is 726 meters; during guided tours it is walked along a length of 158 meters. One reaches the cave, which is 48 meters lower, via 228 steps. The first natural cavities were discovered in 1888. In 1894 it was turned into a show cave and opened in 1896. Between 1968 and 1992 there were no guided tours in the cave.

The cave is located in the Ruhla district of Kittelsthal in Wolfsberg, a small mountain (348 m.a. s.l. ) on the northeast slope of the northwestern Thuringian Forest and in the northwestern part of the Thuringian Forest Nature Park. The village center of Kittelsthal is southwest of the Wolfsberg, and Erbstrom, the Hörsel tributary, flows by to the east.

The area around Thal is particularly rich in natural caves and columns. The Ritterhöhle, the Hohle Stein, the Backofenloch and some others were already visited by people in the Middle Age; the legends about Venediger are particularly numerous in the region.

In the Kittelsthal area, mining has been practiced with varying success since the late Middle Ages; this is still evidenced by numerous pits and hollow ways in the forest terrain from the Spitzigen Stein, at the Zange forestry site in the direction of Mosbach and Ruhla. There are also so-called farmer's shafts in the open terrain, on the southern edge of the village. Copper ore was initially mined here. The mining of gypsum at Kittelsthal was of particular importance, because in the 18th century gypsum was a valuable building material; Kittelsthal gypsum was supplied as far away as Weimar.

Since the 19th century, the copper ore deposits have been considered mined; the local miners now mainly searched for barite (barytes) and fluorite (fluorspar). Until the beginning of the 20th century, there were several barite mines at Wolfsberg with shafts leading vertically downwards. This second phase of the local mining history, however, was of little importance for Kittelsthal and, except for barite mining, had little success. In 1924, mining in Wolfsberg came to a halt for economic reasons.

Discovery and exploration of the dripstone cave

In 1888, natural cavities in the Wolfsberg I mine were mentioned for the first time. The mining official Henninger from Elgersburg depicted the Big Grotto in a vertical course profile. During excavations, miners repeatedly discovered parts of the cave. However, these were mostly small in size, covered with sediments and in a condition not worth preserving. The cavities were therefore partially filled with overburden in most mining areas. In the beginning, this also happened to some extent with the cave in Kittelsthal. After the mine owners recognized its show value, the backfilling was stopped. In 1894, more cavities were discovered in Wolfsberg, so it was decided to develop the cave as a show cave.

A large part in the development and expansion of the cave from 1894 to 1896 was played by the operator of the mining facility, Steiger Hess from Kittelsthal. An inclined gallery with stairs was created, the current access to the cave, which connects the mining cavities of shafts 1 and 2. In 1895, the first guided tours of the cave took place, and it was ceremoniously opened in 1896 with a sermon on the mountain. Steiger Hess was the first cave guide. The former material building and the washroom of the mining facility were transformed into the restaurant Zur Tropfsteinhöhle. The cave entrance was built over and a ticket office with a lounge and souvenir sale was erected. In the first years of the show cave operation, the cave was illuminated with gas. At the beginning of the 20th century, speleologists were looking for new cavities. In 1918, according to other sources already from 1913/1914, electric lighting with colored lamps was installed in sections and the cave was decorated with green plants and garden gnomes. The lighting was redesigned several times until 1936. The designation of the cave varied until World War II. In the publications of the Thuringian Cave Society it appeared as Thaler Tropfsteinhöhle or Tropfsteinhöhle bei Thal. Since the end of the war it has been called exclusively Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave. The entire show cave and parts of the remaining cave area are located in the Kittelsthal district. In the 1960s, the Eisenach District Council invested 18,000 marks in safety work in the access gallery and in the Big Grotto by the Quent company from Farnroda. In 1954, the guide service, which had been discontinued in 1945, was resumed. A cave guide and a salesperson were employed on an hourly basis. In 1966, the Raimund family sold the cave to the community of Kittelsthal. In the last full year of operation, about 4000 people visited the cave, half of whom were school children. The fee for guided tours from the beginning of June to the end of September was 0.80 Mark for adults and 0.50 Mark for children. In the spring of 1968 there was a mining ceiling. As a result, the cave was closed for safety reasons.

The fallen ridge section had been in a clay pocket, which may have become loose due to heavy moisture penetration. A crooked steel girder in the Big Grotto, which had also been listed as a reason for closure, had already been deformed when it was brought into the cave. Because the risks were difficult to assess and because of rather low visitor numbers, there was not much interest in continuing show cave operations. In addition, the installation facilities in the cave were in a relatively poor condition. Since no one declared himself responsible for the protection of the cave, there was considerable destruction, for example in the area of the Drei Gleichen, in the Wolfsschlucht and in the Big Grotto. Thus, some of the stalactites were broken off and stolen. In the Big Grotto, the top of the pyramid was cut off. The thief was convicted; the top was recovered and put back on. Water from the ceiling was diverted so that it dripped onto the replaced spire. This should allow for re-growth over time. The cave entrance was closed with a massive door to prevent further destruction. From then on, the cave was accessible only to organized speleologists. A longer period of research began in the cave. Still in 1968, the Suhler Grotto had been discovered in the course of the investigations because of the danger of the cave. This could be reached through a several meters wide, but only 0.5 meters high sinkhole. The speleologists E. Roscher and V. Nemitz discovered the Schlammgrotte on October 3, 1971. Subsequently, with an extension of 50 by 12 and an average height of 10 meters, the largest room, the Saal der Titanen, and in its perimeter other rooms, including the Lehmdom, were discovered. The Kittelsthal Cave Research Group, founded in December 1975, continued the research in the cave. The last major discovery was in 1981, the Silbermanngrotte with the Kristallsee, the only small body of water in the cave.

Over time, the wooden stairs in the entrance gallery and the electrical installation deteriorated. In order to counteract further deterioration of the cave, Bergsicherung Ilfeld carried out safety measures in the cave and the mining sections above it from 1980 onwards, after a mining section collapsed right next to the cave restaurant. Some of the old shafts were excavated; the accessible parts of the old galleries and mining areas were filled in. Concrete seals were placed in the ridge area of the Big Grotto and the access gallery. At a fissure in Shaft I, a large rock slab came loose and was secured with anchor bolts. In the vicinity of the cave, other old mining facilities were backfilled or their entrance areas were secured. The securing work was completed in 1990.

After the ten years of securing work and the German reunification, the municipality intended to reopen the show cave as its biggest attraction. The restoration of the cave began on May 2, 1991 with ABM workers and small financial resources. A new concrete staircase was poured in the access tunnel, the ascent and descent were secured with railings, and grit was applied to the cave passages. The old entrance house and the cavers' accommodation were demolished, and the entrance area was partially leveled. A bungalow built by the mining safety department now serves as accommodation for the cave guides and as a ticket office. Dirt that had fallen in due to open mining shafts was removed and the old cave lighting was replaced. The cave walls were cleared of clay, and since then the baryte and sinter surfaces have shone in new splendor. The cave was reopened with a ceremony on September 11, 1992, after the work was completed. From 1992 to 2019, Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave was open continuously from April to October. Due to the Corona pandemic as well as the retirement of the cave guide for health reasons, the cave was closed from November 1, 2019 to October 2, 2022. The ceremonial reopening of Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave took place on October 3, 2022.

The area around Thal is particularly rich in natural caves and columns. The Ritterhöhle, the Hohle Stein, the Backofenloch and some others were already visited by people in the Middle Age; the legends about Venediger are particularly numerous in the region.

In the Kittelsthal area, mining has been practiced with varying success since the late Middle Ages; this is still evidenced by numerous pits and hollow ways in the forest terrain from the Spitzigen Stein, at the Zange forestry site in the direction of Mosbach and Ruhla. There are also so-called farmer's shafts in the open terrain, on the southern edge of the village. Copper ore was initially mined here. The mining of gypsum at Kittelsthal was of particular importance, because in the 18th century gypsum was a valuable building material; Kittelsthal gypsum was supplied as far away as Weimar.

Since the 19th century, the copper ore deposits have been considered mined; the local miners now mainly searched for barite (barytes) and fluorite (fluorspar). Until the beginning of the 20th century, there were several barite mines at Wolfsberg with shafts leading vertically downwards. This second phase of the local mining history, however, was of little importance for Kittelsthal and, except for barite mining, had little success. In 1924, mining in Wolfsberg came to a halt for economic reasons.

In 1888, natural cavities in the Wolfsberg I mine were mentioned for the first time. The mining official Henninger from Elgersburg depicted the Big Grotto in a vertical course profile. During excavations, miners repeatedly discovered parts of the cave. However, these were mostly small in size, covered with sediments and in a condition not worth preserving. The cavities were therefore partially filled with overburden in most mining areas. In the beginning, this also happened to some extent with the cave in Kittelsthal. After the mine owners recognized its show value, the backfilling was stopped. In 1894, more cavities were discovered in Wolfsberg, so it was decided to develop the cave as a show cave.

A large part in the development and expansion of the cave from 1894 to 1896 was played by the operator of the mining facility, Steiger Hess from Kittelsthal. An inclined gallery with stairs was created, the current access to the cave, which connects the mining cavities of shafts 1 and 2. In 1895, the first guided tours of the cave took place, and it was ceremoniously opened in 1896 with a sermon on the mountain. Steiger Hess was the first cave guide. The former material building and the washroom of the mining facility were transformed into the restaurant Zur Tropfsteinhöhle. The cave entrance was built over and a ticket office with a lounge and souvenir sale was erected. In the first years of the show cave operation, the cave was illuminated with gas. At the beginning of the 20th century, speleologists were looking for new cavities. In 1918, according to other sources already from 1913/1914, electric lighting with colored lamps was installed in sections and the cave was decorated with green plants and garden gnomes. The lighting was redesigned several times until 1936. The designation of the cave varied until World War II. In the publications of the Thuringian Cave Society it appeared as Thaler Tropfsteinhöhle or Tropfsteinhöhle bei Thal. Since the end of the war it has been called exclusively Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave. The entire show cave and parts of the remaining cave area are located in the Kittelsthal district. In the 1960s, the Eisenach District Council invested 18,000 marks in safety work in the access gallery and in the Big Grotto by the Quent company from Farnroda. In 1954, the guide service, which had been discontinued in 1945, was resumed. A cave guide and a salesperson were employed on an hourly basis. In 1966, the Raimund family sold the cave to the community of Kittelsthal. In the last full year of operation, about 4000 people visited the cave, half of whom were school children. The fee for guided tours from the beginning of June to the end of September was 0.80 Mark for adults and 0.50 Mark for children. In the spring of 1968 there was a mining ceiling. As a result, the cave was closed for safety reasons.

The fallen ridge section had been in a clay pocket, which may have become loose due to heavy moisture penetration. A crooked steel girder in the Big Grotto, which had also been listed as a reason for closure, had already been deformed when it was brought into the cave. Because the risks were difficult to assess and because of rather low visitor numbers, there was not much interest in continuing show cave operations. In addition, the installation facilities in the cave were in a relatively poor condition. Since no one declared himself responsible for the protection of the cave, there was considerable destruction, for example in the area of the Drei Gleichen, in the Wolfsschlucht and in the Big Grotto. Thus, some of the stalactites were broken off and stolen. In the Big Grotto, the top of the pyramid was cut off. The thief was convicted; the top was recovered and put back on. Water from the ceiling was diverted so that it dripped onto the replaced spire. This should allow for re-growth over time. The cave entrance was closed with a massive door to prevent further destruction. From then on, the cave was accessible only to organized speleologists. A longer period of research began in the cave. Still in 1968, the Suhler Grotto had been discovered in the course of the investigations because of the danger of the cave. This could be reached through a several meters wide, but only 0.5 meters high sinkhole. The speleologists E. Roscher and V. Nemitz discovered the Schlammgrotte on October 3, 1971. Subsequently, with an extension of 50 by 12 and an average height of 10 meters, the largest room, the Saal der Titanen, and in its perimeter other rooms, including the Lehmdom, were discovered. The Kittelsthal Cave Research Group, founded in December 1975, continued the research in the cave. The last major discovery was in 1981, the Silbermanngrotte with the Kristallsee, the only small body of water in the cave.

Over time, the wooden stairs in the entrance gallery and the electrical installation deteriorated. In order to counteract further deterioration of the cave, Bergsicherung Ilfeld carried out safety measures in the cave and the mining sections above it from 1980 onwards, after a mining section collapsed right next to the cave restaurant. Some of the old shafts were excavated; the accessible parts of the old galleries and mining areas were filled in. Concrete seals were placed in the ridge area of the Big Grotto and the access gallery. At a fissure in Shaft I, a large rock slab came loose and was secured with anchor bolts. In the vicinity of the cave, other old mining facilities were backfilled or their entrance areas were secured. The securing work was completed in 1990.

After the ten years of securing work and the German reunification, the municipality intended to reopen the show cave as its biggest attraction. The restoration of the cave began on May 2, 1991 with ABM workers and small financial resources. A new concrete staircase was poured in the access tunnel, the ascent and descent were secured with railings, and grit was applied to the cave passages. The old entrance house and the cavers' accommodation were demolished, and the entrance area was partially leveled. A bungalow built by the mining safety department now serves as accommodation for the cave guides and as a ticket office. Dirt that had fallen in due to open mining shafts was removed and the old cave lighting was replaced. The cave walls were cleared of clay, and since then the baryte and sinter surfaces have shone in new splendor. The cave was reopened with a ceremony on September 11, 1992, after the work was completed. From 1992 to 2019, Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave was open continuously from April to October. Due to the Corona pandemic as well as the retirement of the cave guide for health reasons, the cave was closed from November 1, 2019 to October 2, 2022. The ceremonial reopening of Kittelsthal Dripstone Cave took place on October 3, 2022.

The cave is located in the Thal-Kittelsthal karst complex, a former Zechstein reef. This region was in a threshold position at the beginning of the Zechstein period; Thuringia was covered by the Zechstein Sea, which had only a shallow water depth in this threshold region. In these shallow water areas, favored by the climatic conditions, many calcareous coral reef found a habitat. These reef-builders died off under increasingly inhospitable living conditions and were gradually covered by sediments of the higher Zechstein. The Thuringian Forest was uplifted by Saxonian fracture block tectonics ; to a lesser extent this also affected areas of the foreland such as the Kittelsthal region, parts of which were later eroded again. This provided favorable conditions for karstification. Water sank over fissures and ponors in the reef complex and the dripstone caves began to form. In larger cavities, the dissolution of the limestone by carbonic acid formed stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates of various sizes and shapes. In the cave there are also sporadic eccentrics, sideways or upward curved outgrowths of a few centimeters in length, independent of gravity.