Frauenberg, mountain spur in Thuringia, Germany

Frauenberg is a 411 m high mountain spur of the Hainleite that juts east into the Wipper valley above Sondershausen. Its nearly treeless plateau is partly used as sheep pasture, while the slopes are wooded and give way to allotment gardens in the northeast. Two stone church foundations have been traced on the summit, and an old limestone quarry lies on the north slope.

Archaeological digs starting in 2007 uncovered multiple occupation phases, with evidence of a noble settlement dating to the 8th century. These findings show that the site held importance for the region during the early medieval period.

The name Frauenberg comes from the former Marienkirche "unser lieben Frau" on the plateau. Two stone churches stood here; the foundations of a Romanesque church from the 11th/12th century, examined by Scheppig in 1873, were made visible again in 2009 with gabions. It served until 1506 as Capella beatae Mariae Virginis and decayed after the Reformation. Local tradition also places a grove sanctuary of the goddess Jecha on the summit.

The plateau is almost treeless and partly grazed by sheep, while the slopes are wooded; the northern slope holds an old limestone quarry. The summit is reached on foot from the surrounding villages of Jechaburg, Stockhausen and Großfurra. The Romanesque church foundations were made visible again in 2009 through gabions.

Local folklore speaks of a hidden underground lake within the mountain where a white swan guards a golden ring. According to the legend, should that ring ever fall into the water, it would trigger the end of the world.