Unterer Schlierbergweiher

“Is this where the earth swallowed the quarry?” a child’s voice piped up, breaking the quiet murmur of our group by the Unterer Schlierbergweiher. A ripple of laughter followed. The Unterer Schlierbergweiher, nestled in Freiburg’s Wiehre district, isn’t a place where the earth swallowed a quarry, but the story of its creation is almost as dramatic. This tranquil pond, tucked between Peter-Thumb-Straße and Schlierbergstraße, wasn’t always a serene oasis. The Unterer Schlierbergweiher was born from an explosion in 1896. The area has a long history of quarrying and clay pits, due to the easily accessible sandstone of the Schlierberg. One such blasting operation in 1896 unexpectedly created a crater. This crater, over time, filled with water, giving birth to the Unterer Schlierbergweiher. Now, this approximately 4-meter-deep pond is privately owned, cradled within a residential area. Trees encircle the water, providing a haven for a variety of birds, including the striking kingfisher. The nearby Schlierberg, also mentioned in some accounts as simply “Schlierbergweiher,” adds another layer to this story. The Schlierberg itself is prone to sinkholes, due to the specific geological conditions. While the Unterer Schlierbergweiher is not directly related to these sinkholes, its proximity to this geologically active area provides a fascinating contrast. It showcases the power of nature, both to create and to reshape the landscape. So, while the Unterer Schlierbergweiher wasn’t swallowed by the earth, it was certainly shaped by it, a testament to the dynamic forces that continue to mold our world.