Totenkopf, Mountain summit in Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Germany.
Totenkopf is the highest summit of the Kaiserstuhl, a low mountain range in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, reaching 556.8 m. Its top has two nearly equal knolls about 170 m apart: the slightly higher western one carries a historic survey stone, the eastern Neunlinden-Buck (555 m) the 14 m Neunlindenturm lookout built in 1900. Unlike most of the Kaiserstuhl, the hill is covered with mixed forest rather than vines.
The name Totenkopf is linked to executions ordered by King Otto III during his court day at Leiselheim on 22 December 994. The hill lies in the Kaiserstuhl, not the Black Forest, and unlike most of the massif its slopes are not planted with vines but covered by mixed forest.
The name Totenkopf, German for "death's head", is traced to executions ordered by King Otto III at his court assembly in Leiselheim on 22 December 994. The condemned were beheaded on the hill, which gave it the name it still carries on maps and signposts today.
The summit is reachable by marked trails from nearby villages, and sturdy footwear is recommended since the paths can be slippery after rain. Visiting in the morning gives a quieter experience, as the trails tend to be less busy earlier in the day.
The summit has two nearly equal knolls about 170 m apart. On the slightly higher western knoll stands a historic survey stone, and just southwest of it the Vogtsburg-Totenkopf telecommunications tower. The eastern knoll, the Neunlinden-Buck at 555 m, carries the Neunlindenturm, a 14 m lookout tower built in 1900.
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