Dengelstein, Natural monument and geotope in Durach, Germany
The Dengelstein is a glacial erratic boulder in the Kempter Wald near Durach, Bavaria. It stands over 8 metres high, measures about 1,400 cubic metres in volume and weighs 3,700 tonnes, making it one of the largest surviving erratics in Germany. It consists of Tertiary conglomerate from the Kojenschichten layers and is the fourth-largest block in the local field of thousands of erratics.
During the last ice age, roughly 18,000 years ago, the Iller glacier carried this boulder from Rottachberg mountain and deposited it at its current location. Such long-distance transport by glacial ice created these scattered boulders across the landscape.
The name recalls the Alemannic-era name Keltenstein for the surrounding area, and legends say the devil sharpens his scythe on the stone when misfortune is coming, or that a wicked farmer's wife is trapped inside and must sharpen her scythe there. Both tales are printed on display boards near the boulder. The Dengelstein also appears in the second volume of the Kommissar Kluftinger novels.
The boulder is accessible on foot via forest trails marked from Durach, though the paths can become slippery after rain. The site is free to visit and open year-round without restrictions.
Local folklore claims that the devil sharpens his scythe on this stone before calamity strikes, which is the origin of its name. This old tale has kept the boulder embedded in regional legend for centuries.
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