Hohe Liebe, Summit in Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, Germany
Hohe Liebe is a sandstone summit in Saxon Switzerland, reaching around 401 meters, located within the national park area of the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district. Several hiking trails cross its slopes, and the rocky terrain is shaped by the same layered sandstone formations found throughout the region.
In 1920, the Saxon Mountaineering Association erected a memorial at the summit to honor over 400 climbers who died in World War I. The structure still stands today and remains one of the most visible marks of the hill's past.
The name Hohe Liebe derives from the Middle High German "lewer" (hill), written as "Löbe" in the 15th century and "Das Holz der Lieba" on Oeder's 16th-century map. Every Totensonntag, climbers gather at the summit memorial to remember dead mountaineers, a fixed date in the Saxon Switzerland climbing calendar.
The summit can be reached from several starting points, including the Ostrauer Wanderparkplatz, which offers a convenient base for walkers. Sturdy footwear is a good idea, as the paths become steep and rocky as you get closer to the top.
The summit's mountaineers' memorial, carved from sandstone, carries two bronze plaques reading "Den gefallenen Bergsteigern 1914 bis 1918" and "Unseren toten Bergfreunden". It was inaugurated on 17 October 1920 with a speech by Rudolf Fehrmann; the inscription was altered in 1947 and restored to its original wording in 1990.
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