Gipsberg, Hill summit in Sperenberg, Brandenburg, Germany.
Gipsberg is a hill in the Mellensee area of Brandenburg that rises to just under 80 meters above sea level. A telecommunications tower at the summit provides visitors with an accessible vantage point and extended views across the surrounding landscape.
Gypsum was extracted from the southern slope from the 12th century until 1958, shaping the region's economic development for centuries. The mining pits eventually flooded after operations stopped, creating lakes that now define the local landscape.
The name derives from the gypsum (Gips) quarried on the hill's south flank from the 12th century until 1958; the Swedish source links "sper" to a Slavic word for gypsum. Four former open-cast pits remain visible. A memorial stone at the foot of the hill recalls borehole No. 1, drilled here 1867–1871 to 1,271.60 m, then the world's deepest.
The hill is easily reached via hiking trails that connect the surrounding lakes and require no technical climbing. The terrain is accessible on foot or by bicycle and offers spots to rest at various points along the walking routes.
At the foot of the hill, in the area of the second former open-cast pit, a borehole was sunk between 1867 and 1871 that reached 1,271.60 m, the first in the world deeper than 1,000 m and the deepest until 1886. The geothermal gradient was first determined here at about 3 K per 100 m; a memorial stone marks the site.
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