The Route of Megalithic CultureThe European Route of Megalithic Culture at culture-routes.net. Retrieved on 9 April 2017.Molbergen — Devil’s Stones On The Route of Megalithic Culture at www.mygermancity.com. Retrieved on 27 Jul 2013The Route of Megalithic Culture: prehistoric times captured in stone at www.germany.travel. Retrieved on 27 Jul 2013The Project at www.megalithicroutes.eu. Retrieved on 27 Jul 2013 () was first created as a tourist route that meanders from Osnabrück to Oldenburg in North-West Germany. Signposted with brown road signs it links many places of archaeological interest from the Megalithic era.
Signs for the route started going up in 2008 and 2009. The whole 310-kilometre-long route was officially opened on 14 May 2009.
The route links many sites of archaeological investigation and 33 stations where the public can visit archaeological sites, for example, with standing stones.
On the 27th of August 2013, the route became part of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe initiative, with sections in a growing number of countries, including Denmark, England, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.
Route The founding section of the Route of Megalithic Culture runs through the territories of Osnabrück, Ostercappeln, Belm-Vehrte, Wallenhorst, Bramsche, Ankum, Berge, Bippen, Fürstenau, Freren, Thuine, Lingen (Ems), Meppen, Sögel, Werlte, Lastrup, Cloppenburg, Visbek, Großenkneten, Wildeshausen, Dötlingen, Ganderkesee and Oldenburg.
It is planned to extend the route, on the one side towards North Rhine-Westphalia, and on the other towards northeast Lower Saxony as far as Schleswig-Holstein.Emsland Touristik/Recreatieschap Drenthe: Mystisches SteinReich ohne Grenzen Seite 7 (pdf; 561 kB) The original route in Lower Saxony now forms part of a greater EU initiative with similar routes in Denmark, England, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. In the Netherlands, for instance, there are another 53 megalithic sites.Gerret von Northeim: Route zu den Großsteingräbern. Nordwest-Zeitung of 24 March 2009.
Purpose The Route of Megalithic Culture is intended to give a better understanding of the lives of people who lived over 5,000 years ago in all its member countries. The founding part of the route in northwest Germany has 33 stations, with insights into the function and design of their graves, their conception of the afterlife, understanding of nature and everyday lives. In some cases, the holiday road also leads to groups of Bronze Age and Iron Age tumuli of more recent times.Brief information by the parish of Ostercappeln about the Route of Megalithic Culture
The flyer for the Route of Megalithic Culture not only shows the numerous stone age stations of megalithic culture, but also other sights and points of interest along the way.Leaflet on the Route of Megalithic Culture These include sights especially around the town of Osnabrück with its Cultural History Museum, the castles and palaces in Osnabrück Land, the Venne Iron Age House, the Old St Alexander's Church, the Kalkriese Museum and Park, the Cloth Maker's Museum, Bramsche, Malgarten Abbey, Börstel Abbey, the town of Meppen, the Hüven Mill, Clemenswerth Palace, the Cloppenburg Museum Village, St. Alexander's Church, the village of Dötlingen, Hude Abbey and the city of Oldenburg with its State Museum of Nature and People.Sites in the Local Area, . Retrieved on 28 Jul 2013
Stations The 33 stations as numbered on the official web site. StationName PictureLocationSprockhoff No. Comments 1 a Teufelssteine Teufelssteine Voxtrup (Osnabrück) 914 1 b Gretescher Steine Gretescher Steine Gretesch (Osnabrück) 920 2 Großsteingrab Jeggen Großsteingrab Jeggen Jeggen (Bissendorf) 922 3 a Driehauser Steine Driehauser Steine Darpvenne (Ostercappeln) 903 3 b-d Darpvenner Steine I-III Darpvenner Steine I Darpvenner Steine II Darpvenner Steine III Darpvenne (Ostercappeln) 900–902 4 a–c SüntelsteinGroßsteingräber bei Vehrte Süntelstein Teufels Teigtrog Teufels Backofen Vehrte (Belm) 915–916 Devil's Oven(Teufels Backofen) 5 Helmichsteine Helmichsteine Rulle (Wallenhorst) 908 also known as Gevasteine 6 a–b Östringer Steine Oestringer Steine I Oestringer Steine II Nettetal (Osnabrück) 912–913 In Östringen is another grave site (Östringer Steine III), which is not part of the Route's inventory 7 a–b Karlsteine Große KarlsteineKleine Karlsteine Haste (Osnabrück) 909–910 8 Wiemelsberger Steine Wiemelsberger Steine Ueffeln (Bramsche) 897 9 a–f Großsteingräberweg Giersfeld ReineckeMeyerGrumfeld WestRickelmann I Westerholte (Ankum) 891–896 10 a Großsteingrab Restrup und Näpfchenstein „Teufelsstein“ Näpfchenstein Restrup (Bippen) 886 10 b Hekeser Steine Hekese, Grab B Hekese (Berge) 883–884 In Hekese are two megalithic tombs, which are associated with a stone row. 11 Großsteingrab im Alt-Frerener Forst Großsteingrabim Alt-Frerener Forst Freren 875 12 a Großsteingrab in der Kunkenvenne Großsteingrab in derKunkenvenne Thuine 874 12 b Großsteingrab auf dem Radberg 873 13 Der Steinerne Schlüssel Der steinerne Schlüssel Apeldorn (Meppen) 852 The Exhibition Centre for the Archaeology of the Emsland is in Meppen. 14 a–d Großsteingräber Deymanns Mühle I-IV Großsteingrab Deymanns Mühle IGroßsteingrab Deymanns Mühle IIGroßsteingrab Deymanns Mühle IIIGroßsteingrab Deymanns Mühle IV Stavern (Sögel) 848–851 14 e Großsteingrab am Osteresch Großsteingrab am Osteresch Stavern (Sögel) 847 14 f Großsteingrab Groß-Stavern 1 Bruneforths Esch in Stavern Stavern (Sögel) 846 The grave Groß-Stavern 1 is also known as Bruneforths Esch. 15 a Großsteingrab bei den Düvelskuhlen Großsteingrab bei den Düvelskuhlen Sögel 831 15 b Hünenbett bei den Düvelskuhlen Sögel 832 15 c Großsteingrab Püttkesberge Sögel 833 16 a–e Hünengräberstraße des Hümmling Großsteingrab Im Ipeken Großsteingrab Groß Berßen IV Großsteingrab Groß Berßen VI (Wappengrab) Großsteingrab Groß Berßen VIII (Königsgrab) Großsteingrab Groß Berßen VII reconstructed Groß Berßen 856–861 17 a Volbers Hünensteine Volberts Hünensteine Hüven 842 17 b Großsteingrab Hüven-Süd Großsteingrab Hüven-Süd Hüven 843 17 c Großsteingrab Lähden I Großsteingrab Lähden I Lähden 866 18 a Steenhus in den Klöbertannen Werpeloh 822 Originally, station no. 18 a had been the Großsteingrab am Kölkesberg (Spr.-No. 838).Annette Bußmann: Steinzeitzeugen. S. 71–72. 18 b Großsteingrab in den Klöbertannen Großsteingrab Werpeloh II Werpeloh 823 Originally, station no. 18 b had been the Großsteingrab an der Kölkesdose (Spr.-No. 837).Annette Bußmann: Steinzeitzeugen. S. 72. 18 c Großsteingräber auf der Buschhöhe Großsteingrab Werpeloh IV Werpeloh 825-826 18 d Steenhus von Börger Steenhus von Börger Börger 819 19 Ganggrab von Ostenwalde Ganggrab von Ostenwalde Ostenwalde 835 70 Meter from the original location. In Ostenwalde are two more Megalithic tombs which are not part of the Route's inventory. 20 a De hoogen Stener De hoogen Steener in Werlte Werlte 830 20 b Poldenhünensteine Poldenhünensteine in Harrenstätte Spahnharrenstätte 829 21 Teufelssteine (Molbergen) Teufelssteine Peheim (Molbergen) 959 22 a Schlingsteine Schlingsteine Lindern-Neuenkämpen 961 22 b Großsteingrab Hünensteine Hünensteine Lindern-Herrensand 962 22 c Großsteingrab am hohen Stein und der hohe Stein Garen, am hohen Stein Garen, der hohe Stein Lindern-Garen 963–964 The Giant's Tomb and High Stone are also known as Garen megalithic tomb. 23 Oldendorfer Hünensteine Oldendorfer Hünensteine Oldendorf (Lastrup) 968 24 a Visbeker Bräutigam Visbeker Bräutigam 934Visbeker Bräutigam 935Visbeker Bräutigam 936 Visbeker Bräutigam 937Visbeker Bräutigam 938(Brautwagen) Großenkneten 934–938, 939–940 24 b Heidenopfertisch Heidenopfertisch Engelmannsbäke (Visbek) 974 24 c–d Ahlhorner Kellersteine Ahlhorner Kellersteine IAhlhorner Kellersteine II Ahlhorn (Großenkneten) 939–940 25 a–c Kleinenknetener Steine Kleinenkneten IKleinenkneten IIKleinenkneten III Kleinenkneten (Wildeshausen) 957–958, 947 The third grave (station 25 c) was originally in Dotlingen and was moved in the 1930s to Kleinenkneten. 26 Pestruper Gräberfeld Pestruper Gräberfeld Pestrup (Wildeshausen) – Also known as Grabhügelfeld (Grave mound field). 27 a Hohe Steine Hohe Steine Wildeshausen 956 27 b Bargloyer Steinkiste Bargloyer Steinkste Bargloy (Wildeshausen) – This monument has no Sprockhoff No. 28 a Visbeker Braut Visbeker Braut Aumühle (Wildeshausen) 952 28 b Große Steine bei Thölstedt Große Steine bei Thölstedt Thölstedt 953 29 a–b Reckumer Steine Großsteingrab Reckum IGroßsteingrab Reckum II Winkelsett (Harpstedt) 811–812 30 a Gerichtsstätte Großsteingrab Gerichtsstätte Dötlingen 945 30 b–d Glaner Braut Glaner Braut IGlaner Braut IIGlaner Braut IIIGlaner Braut IV Glane (Wildeshausen) 948–951 30 e Großsteingrab am Schießstand (Dötlinger Steingrab) Großsteingrab am Schießstand(Dötlinger Steingrab) Dötlingen 944 31 Großsteingrab Steenberg Großsteingrab Steenberg Kirchhatten 926 Also called „Hatten 2“; more than 30% of stones seem to be in the original position. 32 a–b Hünensteine von Steinkimmen Hünensteine IHünensteine II Steinkimmen (Gemeinde Ganderkesee) 927–928 Nearby there is a third grave (Steinkimmen Hünensteine III, Sprockhoff no. 929) that is not part of the route inventory. 33 Große Steine von Stenum Große Steine von Stenum Stenum (Ganderkesee) 930
Organisation and financing The Straße der Megalithkultur is a community project resulting from collaboration between: Emsland Touristik GmbHHomepage der Emsland Touristik Landkreis Vechta Museum am Schölerberg Osnabrück - Natur und Umwelt, PlanetariumHomepage des Museums am Schölerberg
Oldenburg Tourismus und Marketing GmbH Stadt- und Kreisarchäologie OsnabrückStadt- und Kreisarchäologie in Osnabrück Tourismusverband Osnabrücker Land e.V. Zweckverband Erholungsgebiet Zweckverband Naturpark Wildeshauser Geest
Authorised by the Behörde für Geoinformation, Landentwicklung und Liegenschaften (Department of Geoinformation, Land Usage and Property), financing for the Route of Megalithic Culture is provided from EU funds, distributed to local tourism and district authorities.
In May 2011, at the request of the tourism office for Osnabrück county (Landkreis) the tourism promotion department of the Ministry for Economic Affairs provided a subsidy of €180,600 for the route.
References
Ernst Sprockhoff: Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschland. Teil 3: Niedersachsen – Westfalen. Rudolf Habelt Verlag, Bonn, 1975, , S. 129–130. Annette Bussmann: Steinzeitzeugen. Reisen zur Urgeschichte Nordwestdeutschlands. Straße der Megalithkultur. Herausgegeben von Arbeitsgemeinschaft Straße der Megalithkultur, Isensee, Oldenburg, 2009, .