Scratch marks mar its surface. This is the Menhir von Kaiserswerth. It is a relic from the Bronze Age. Dating back to 2000-1500 BC, it stands as North Rhine-Westfalen’s oldest monument, aside from some ground finds.
The Menhir von Kaiserswerth is almost hidden. It stands modestly by the Jewish cemetery fence on Alte Landstraße. Hedges surround it. Many people overlook this ancient treasure in the Kaiserswerth district.
This stone reaches about 1.70 meters high. Some sources say two meters. It rises sharply. The Menhir is roughly square. Its sides measure about 0.5 meters. The edges are rounded. You might notice some etchings and drilled holes. These are from more recent times.
The word “menhir” has Breton origins. “Maen” means stone and “hir” means long. The largest collections of these prehistoric stones are on the French coast of Brittany. However, single stones appear throughout Europe. The Menhir von Kaiserswerth is the only known stone of its kind in the Rhineland.
The Menhir’s original purpose remains a mystery. Some believe menhirs served as cult sites. Others think they were simple decorations or way markers.
Superstitious people added crosses to menhirs during the Middle Ages. They hoped to banish the stones’ pagan powers. There are no obvious crosses on the Menhir von Kaiserswerth. However, there are signs of later work on it. People may have tried to carve candle niches or crucifixes into the stone. Legend says that convicts were pushed against the stone on their way to execution.
St. Georgs Chapel stood near the Menhir von Kaiserswerth from 1078 to 1689. Old maps show it. People believed the chapel would ward off the stone’s evil aura.
During the 1950s, workers relocated the Menhir von Kaiserswerth for road construction. Its exact original location is now unknown. Old photographs reveal it was taller. It also leaned more. When relocated, workers buried about 50 centimeters of the stone. This made it less noticeable. It hides its eventful past.
The city of Düsseldorf listed the Menhir von Kaiserswerth as a protected site on November 22, 1985. You can find it on Zeppenheimer Weg today. Its coordinates are 51°17′56.45″ N and 6°44′34.821″ E.
Residents of the Kaiserpfalz once feared this pagan stone. This fear led to the construction of St. George’s Church to ward off evil with holiness. Today, the Menhir von Kaiserswerth stands as a silent witness. It has seen millennia pass. It links us to our distant ancestors. Take a moment. Touch the stone. Feel the echoes of the past.