{{short description|Glacial erratic stone found in Ostermunzel, Germany}} {{Use British English|date=November 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} upright|thumb|Colossus of Ostermunzel during excavation in August 2014 The '''Colossus of Ostermunzel''' is a {{convert|27.5|t|lb|adj=on}} glacial erratic stone found in a farmer's field east of Ostermunzel in Lower Saxony, Germany, in 2013.<ref>[http://www.arl-lw.niedersachsen.de/startseite/foerderung_projekte/flurbereinigung/region_hannover/der-koloss-von-ostermunzel--bergung-und-praesentation-133375.html ''Der Koloss von Ostermunzel – Bergung und Präsentation''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518103053/http://www.arl-lw.niedersachsen.de/startseite/foerderung_projekte/flurbereinigung/region_hannover/der-koloss-von-ostermunzel--bergung-und-praesentation-133375.html |date=2015-05-18 }} at the office of regional development Leine-Weser.</ref><ref name="Hannover">[http://www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Region-Hannover/Erfolgreiche-Bergung-des-Findlings-von-Ostermunzel ''Erfolgreiche Bergung des Findlings von Ostermunzel''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420000644/http://www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Region-Hannover/Erfolgreiche-Bergung-des-Findlings-von-Ostermunzel |date=2015-04-20 }} on hannover.de of 17 April 2015.</ref> It was excavated and moved to a new location about {{one2a |{{convert|1|km|spell=in}}}} away.
== Location, discovery and excavation == This glacial erratic, a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests, was found by a farmer who was ploughing his land in 2013.<ref>[https://archive.today/20150424104830/http://landundforst.agrarheute.com/findling-ostermunzel ''Schwerlastkran versetzt Naturdenkmal Ostermunzel'']. In: ''Land & Forst'' of 20. April 2015</ref> The field in which it was discovered lies on a small hill near the district road K{{nbsp}}253 between Ostermunzel and Dedensen. Upon discovering it, the owner of the field informed local authorities in accordance with the Lower Saxon natural protection law that discoveries of rocks that are more than {{convert|2|m}} across must be reported. The Hanover Region objected to its planned demolition.<ref>Hendrik Lullies: [http://www.leinehertz.net/nc/nachrichtendetails/article/region-hannover-schaltet-sich-wegen-findling-ein-14463.html ''Region Hannover schaltet sich wegen Findling ein''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006101426/http://www.leinehertz.net/nc/nachrichtendetails/article/region-hannover-schaltet-sich-wegen-findling-ein-14463.html |date=2014-10-06 }} Radio Leinehertz 106.5, 15 August 2014.</ref>
thumb|upright|Colossus of Ostermunzel at new location A preliminary investigation and assessment by Heinz-Gerd Röhling of the State Office of Mining, Energy and Geology ({{lang|de|Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie}}) found that the stone qualified as a natural monument.<ref name="foc">[http://www.focus.de/wissen/natur/geowissenschaft/50-tonnen-schwerer-gneis-aus-ostermunzel-wie-ein-milliarden-jahre-alter-stein-die-geheimnisse-der-eiszeit-loesen-koennte_id_4548057.html ''Wie ein Milliarden Jahre alter Stein die Geheimnisse der Eiszeit lösen könnte''] in focus.de of 16 March 2015</ref> Its large size is abnormal, particularly for northern Germany and especially for Lower Saxony.<ref>Klaus Abelmann: [http://deister-journal.de/?p=1776 ''Gehoben und verschoben: Der Findling von Ostermunzel''] in: Deisterjournal.</ref> Due to the estimated {{Euro|20,000}} cost of its removal, the Hanover Region, which was in charge of what to do with the stone, initially decided to leave it where it was discovered. However, after reconsideration, the stone was removed intact in the spring of 2015 by a mobile crane and transported by a low loader to the {{langr|de|Mühlenberg}} hill about {{one2a |{{convert|1|km|spell=in}}}} away for exhibition. Around 400 bystanders witnessed the excavation and transport. The removal costs totalled {{Euro|15,000}}, with the expense borne by the Hanover Region.<ref name="Welt">[https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article139720594/27-Tonnen-Stein-kommt-ins-Rollen.html ''27-Tonnen-Stein kommt ins Rollen''] in: Die Welt of 17 April 2015.</ref> The new site is at a picnic area close to a bicycle path.<ref name="MAR"/>
== Description == The glacial erratic stone's approximate measurements are {{convert|2.6|m}} high by {{convert|3.2|m}} wide, with a circumference of {{convert|10|m}}. Its weight was originally estimated to be {{convert|50|t|lb}},<ref name="LBEG">LBEG Niedersachsen: ''[http://www.lbeg.niedersachsen.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/titel-130505.html Gestein des Jahres 2015: Pünktlich zur Ehrung taucht riesiger Gneis auf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154943/http://www.lbeg.niedersachsen.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/titel-130505.html |date=2015-04-02 }}'' Press release of 13 January 2015.</ref> but was found to be {{convert|27.5|t|lb}} when it was weighed at the time of its removal from the field where it was found and excavated.<ref name="Hannover"/>
Geologists inspected the stone. It is probably composed of gneiss, estimated to be 1.4 to 1.6 billion <!--> 1000 million <-->years old.<ref name="Welt"/> The mineral composition was preliminarily observed to be feldspar and biotite. It was brought to the region by a glacier from Scandinavia, probably from Sweden.<ref name="MAR">[http://www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Region-Hannover/Region-l%C3%A4sst-Findling-bergen ''Region Hannover lässt Findling bergen''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225223327/http://www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Region-Hannover/Region-l%C3%A4sst-Findling-bergen |date=2015-02-25 }} on hannover.de of 24 February 2015.</ref> {{clear}}
{{gallery
|File:Findling Ostermunzel Menschenmenge Bergung.jpg |Bystanders during the removal with a crane
|File:Findling Ostermunzel kurz vor Bergung.jpg |Lifting the glacial erratic
|File:Findling Ostermunzel Verladung Tieflader.jpg |Placement on a low loader
|File:Findling Ostermunzel Kranwagentransport.jpg |Transport to the final destination
|File:Findling Ostermunzel Ablage Röhling.jpg |Being lowered into place at the new location
|File:Findling Ostermunzel Entdecker im Interview am Aufstellungsort.jpg |The farmer ''(left)'' who found the glacial erratic }}
== See also == * List of individual rocks * Der Alte Schwede {{in lang |en}} * Giebichenstein {{in lang |en}} *Großer Stein von Altentreptow {{in lang |de}}
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Findling (Ostermunzel)}} * Jörg Rocktäschel: [http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Region/Barsinghausen/Nachrichten/Findling-auf-Acker-in-Barsinghausen-muss-zertruemmert-werden ''Findling auf Acker muss zertrümmert werden''.] Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 14 August 2014 * Jörg Rocktäschel: [http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Region/Barsinghausen/Nachrichten/Findling-in-Ostermunzel-wird-nicht-zertruemmert ''Findling wird nicht zertrümmert''.] Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 14 August 2014 * Carsten Fricke: [http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Region/Barsinghausen/Nachrichten/Findling-in-Ostermunzel-ist-ein-Naturdenkmal ''Findling ist ein Naturdenkmal''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010192059/http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Region/Barsinghausen/Nachrichten/Findling-in-Ostermunzel-ist-ein-Naturdenkmal |date=10 October 2014 }} Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 2 September 2014 *[http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/hannover_weser-leinegebiet/Gestein-des-Jahres-Ein-Preis-fuer-Gneis,gneis102.html Photo of the glacial erratic] about the topic ''Gneis als Stein des Jahres 2015'', on www.NDR.de of 13 January 2015 *[http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/hannover_weser-leinegebiet/Riesen-Stein-ist-leichter-als-gedacht,gneis110.html ''Riesen-Stein ist leichter als gedacht''] on www.NDR.de of 17 April 2015 *[http://www.haz.de/Videos?bcpid=1896837901&bclid=1704094694&bctid=4180098824001 Video] of Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111602/http://www.sat1regional.de/aktuell/article/hunderte-schaulustige-bei-bergung-von-koloss-von-ostermunzel-172426.html Video] of Sat.1 Regional
{{Coord|52.37676|9.50202|type:landmark_region:DE|display=title}} Category:Glacial erratics of Germany Category:Hanover Region Category:Individual rocks