Eulenstein Rock Formation

The shallow, warm, and bright waters of the Zechstein Sea 250 million years ago provided favorable conditions for many marine animals. In the shallow surf zone, algae, bryozoans, and sponges built reefs. All that remained of these creatures were their calcareous skeletons. The reefs grew into towers and ridges reaching the water's surface, were partially destroyed by the waves, and redeposited as reef debris at the base of the reef structures. This is how reef dolomite was formed.
Today, remnants of these marine reefs stand as rock towers and ridges in the landscape between Scharzfeld and Osterhagen. The Eulenstein represents such a reef. The many small holes and pits around the Eulenstein are the remains of a historic iron ore mine.
Source: Karstwanderweg.de

If you see the owl stone still densely surrounded by trees in older photos, the forest cleared by bark beetle infestation today offers a terrifying picture.

The Eulenstein is located on the Karst hiking trail.