Each nation has its own legends about dark witchcraft, witches, vampires and other evil spirits. They also have the inhabitants of the old world, Germany. Legends tell of sabbaths and dances of evil spirits that took place for centuries on Walpurgis Night on Mount Brocken. However, this mountain is known not only for its own, but also for other historical facts.
Description
Mount Brocken is the highest point of the Harz massif. It is located in the very center of Germany, in Saxony-Anhalt. Despite its relatively low altitude - only 1140 m above sea level, Brocken is one of the most famous German mountains.
This happened, on the one hand, because of its rich historical heritage, on the other, because of its position on the border of politically significant territories. The interest to this object is also added by the specific weather conditions at the top, which, in general, do not correspond to either the local climate or the height of the mountain.
Infrastructure
The tourist infrastructure is excellent here. At the foot of the mountain is the town of Wernigerode, which, by the way, has been known in the chronicles since the 9th century. In the city itself, you can admire the traditional Prussian architecture, the town hall or the Baroque castle, which is located at some distance.
Numerous excursion routes have been laid along the mountain itself and the surroundings, and you can get to the very top, just to the place of the witches' Sabbath and the KGB liaison towers, along the old but functioning narrow-gauge Brockenbahn. For more ambiance, the train pulls a real steam locomotive behind it, whistling and blowing out puffs of smoke.
Broken's ghost and spectrum
The weather conditions at the summit are truly amazing and in many ways highlight the mystical and gloomy glory of Mount Brocken. For almost 300 days a year, there is a dense fog here, and the temperature almost always forces you to wrap yourself deeper in scarves and sweaters.
Due to the dense fog, a unique phenomenon is observed here - the so-called "Brocken's ghost" - this is a shadow that a person casts directly onto the suspension of water vapor during daylight hours, which makes it look vertical and enlarged. In this case, the person himself is surrounded by a rainbow aura - the "Broken spectrum", which arises as a result of diffraction of sunlight. In general, optical illusions here can really scare you half to death.
History and legends
The dark glory of Mount Brocken goes back to the 9-10th century, when the Inquisition reigned in Germany, and the champions of Christianity were accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. The locals either developed legends from the vague illusions they encountered here, or there really was some occult activity.
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According to legend, on Walpurgis night from April 30 to May 1, the most powerful witches flocked to the top of the mountain and arranged a sabbath with black magic, huge pillars of flame, sacrifices and summoning the Prince of Darkness. The witnesses of this action were not particularly lucky, since they ended their lives on a sacrificial pedestal, so the inhabitants of Wernigerode preferred to hide in their homes that night.
In the 19th century, belief in magic and dark rituals weakened significantly, but war broke out. Since the top of the mountain is not covered with forest and offers a panoramic view of all the surrounding lands, at that time the general headquarters of the Prussian army was established here.
The tactical past of the gloomy mountain does not end there. In the second half of the 1940s, after the surrender of Germany and the erection of the Berlin Wall, employees of the Ministry of Internal Security of the GDR and detachments of the GRU were located here. They erected communication towers, which have remained at the top to this day.
Nowadays, Mount Brocken is a popular tourist destination. And so it happened that in a small area, free from the forest, a hotel, restaurants, towers for radio communications and an ancient boulder, around which the evil forces performed their dances, coexist. By the way, the top of the mountain is called Heksentanzplatz, which literally means "the place of the witches' dance." In addition, there is also a museum, in which the whole history of this place, from the times of the Inquisition to modern mass sabbaths, is decomposed in stages.
Walpurgis Night
While here May 1 is the day of labor and the red parade, in Europe the last April night is a kind of analogue of American Halloween. It is called Walpurgis, and it is at this time that impure forces come out into our world and begin all sorts of atrocities. The celebration of this event by the inhabitants of the old world is in no way inferior in scope to the celebration of the Eve of All Saints Day overseas.
On Walpurgis Night, famous for its gloomy past, Mount Brocken becomes a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of locals and tourists dressed in colorful costumes. Witches, vampires, demons and other evil spirits again fill Hexenplatz and have fun until exhaustion under the rolling of heavy gothic music. The detailing of the costumes is sometimes striking - it's not just a couple of scars on the neck and a black cloak, but a real carnival, which rushes in an irrepressible round dance in the light of bonfires.
This action ends with a large-scale fire show, which symbolizes the victory over evil spirits and the cleansing of the vicinity of Wernigerode from dangerous ghouls for the whole next year.
If you want to take part in the parade of evil spirits on the night of April 30 to May 1, you are strongly advised to find yourself accommodation in advance, because the closer to the event, the more people who want to visit the Sabbath are drawn to the slopes of Mount Brocken. There is only one small hotel and two restaurants at the top, so it will most likely be convenient to stay at the bottom, in Wernigerode or even the more distant cities of Osterode or Thale.
Mount Brocken appears more than once in the works of the great German poet Goethe, and of course it is mentioned in his Faust. The genius himself climbed to the top more than once, and one of the hiking trails here got his name. She became part of the long route "Hexenstieg", which means "witch's ascent", laid in the Harz mountains.
