The Dead Moor is an approximately 33 km² large moor in the Hannover region in Lower Saxony. It is a partially abgetorft moor with smaller fen areas. The moorland in the area of the Hannoversche Moorgeest borders Neustadt am Rübenberge, Eilvese and the Steinhuder Meer. In the middle of the 18th century, controlled peat exploitation started in the middle of the 18th century. Industrial peat extraction began at the beginning of the 20th century and continues to this day. Parts of the moor are under protection.
The moor without the mineral islands consists of 27 km² high bog and 6 km² of fen. It is located in the nature park Steinhuder Meer. It is located west of Neustadt am Rübenberge and east of the Steinhuder Meer. In the south it is bounded by the air base Wunstorf and extends in the north to the B 6
After the last ice age, waters formed on the subsurface of water-retaining clay layers. A reed of water and marsh plants allowed the water surfaces to silt up. From this developed a fen from Bruchwald of alders and willows. Due to the growth of the bog, it emerged from the nutrient-rich groundwater area and there was a transitional moor, later a treeless moor. Dating of oak logs at the peat base revealed that the process of mooring was around 1700 BC. Chr. Over time, an up to 8 m thick peat layer with many tree stumps formed out. The lower black peat layer amounts to 1.4 to 3.4 m, the overlying younger white peat layer varies between 1.0 and 3.7 m. Moorland was independent of the development of the Steinhuder Sea.