Top 12 Caves レンプテンドルフでの

The first hall can also be viewed from the second opening and the first hall (back right). I don't dare go to the front because of my fear of heights. There's supposed to be a lake/waterfall at the bottom.

No change, still full of water.

You don't have to crawl over the elevation. After that, things get spectacular. There are several large halls. Unfortunately, they're empty. Be careful, the first one drops at least 10 meters.

Unfortunately, there was water here today. Without rubber boots, no chance.

Back again today and walked all the way to the end. There are still rails at the end. Very interesting area.

After the German armaments factories in Peenemünde on Usedom were severely damaged by the British Operation Hydra, the Nazi government decided to relocate war-critical factories underground. The factories found space primarily in old mines, railway tunnels, or newly constructed galleries. The Rentschen quarry, which had been used for slate mining and closed in 1925, was also designated for the "underground relocation." It was codenamed "Rutte." The Chemnitz-based company Reinecker was supposed to produce armaments on a 3,000-square-meter site. But this never happened. Reinecker found a home in another nearby slate mine. In total, around two dozen underground relocations were occupied or at least planned around Probstzella.

In the Rentschenbruch near Probstzella, the underground relocation for armaments production was approved under object number 1074, codenamed "Rutte." The Rentschenbruch underground mine had been idle since 1925. A production area of 3,000 square meters was planned for the expansion into an underground armaments factory. A fish name was chosen as the codename, fitting for a mine. The "Rutte" is a critically endangered bony fish from the burbot family and is also called "Trusche" in southern Germany. The Rutte only occurs in freshwater; other names include "Ruppe" or "Aalrutte." But that's just a side note. Originally, the Reinecker company from Chemnitz was supposed to move into the Rentschenbruch slate mine near Probstzella. However, this never happened, so Reinecker was ultimately housed in a bomb-proof slate mine (codenamed Rotfeder) nearby. At times, the Rentschenbruch was also closed for storage purposes by the Wehrmacht. The Geilenberg staff was also interested in the underground cavities of this slate mine. Source: http://www.stollenhausen.de/u-verlagerung-rutte/mobile/

The Ilsen Cave was inhabited over 40,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations have uncovered some artifacts from the Stone Age.