Goloring

Koblenz, Germany

The Goloring is an ancient earthworks monument located near Koblenz. It was created in the Bronze Age era, which dates back to the Urnfield culture (1200–800 BC). During this time a widespread solar cult is believed to have existed in Central Europe.

The Goloring consists of a circular ditch of 175 metres in diameter with an outside embankment extending to 190 metres. Technically this makes the structure a henge monument, although the use of the term henge outside of Britain is sometimes disputed. The outside embankment is approx. 7 metres wide and 80 cm high. The ditch has an upper width of 5–6 metres and is approx. 80 cm deep. In the interior one can find a roughly circular leveled platform, which is about elevated by about 1 metre. The platform has been created based on piled gravelled rock and has a diameter of 95 metres. Remnants of a 50 cm thick wooden post with an estimated height of 8–12 metres were excavated in the middle of this platform.

The design of the ditch is unique in Germany, and makes the earthworks similar to many British monuments of the same era. It is often compared to Stonehenge in England, which has similar diametric proportions.

Goloring is located within the boundaries of a former military dog training camp, but was acquired by the town of Kobern-Gondorf in June 2004. The Goloring is currently not accessible to the general public but there are plans under way to build a historic park with the earthworks at its centre.

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Address

L52, Koblenz, Germany
See all sites in Koblenz

Details

Founded: 1200-800 BC
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Germany
Historical period: Bronze Age (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
koso.ucsd.edu

Rating

3.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Thomas Dötsch (6 months ago)
Sehr schöner Parkplatz. Liegt direkt am Wald. Leider ist der Zugang zum Wald versperrt. Der Parkplatz ist sauber.
Lisa Meier (7 months ago)
Von außen kann man nicht viel sehen (Zaun, teilweise mit Stacheldraht). Die Anlage ist nur im Rahmen einer Führung zu besichtigen. Die Führung war sehr langwierig und trocken vorgetragen, teilweise wurde uns alles doppelt erzählt. Bei dem kurzen Rundgang ca. 600 Meter, ging es erst durch ein kleines Waldstück und dann durchs Gebüsch (zu dem Zeitpunkt als wir da waren, war das Unkraut und Gras sehr hoch), so das man nicht gut laufen konnte. Für uns hat sich die Besichtigung nicht gelohnt.
Clemens Wilhelm (8 months ago)
Leider ist die Anlage nur mit Führung zu besichtigen. Die lohnt sich aber alle Mal. Mit einer interessanten Einführung in die Geschichte der Anlage und den Schwierigkeiten, mit denen die Archäologen zu kämpfen hatten, eine rundum gelungene Veranstaltung. Darüber, wie der zweite Weltkrieg und der Bau der A48 auf der einen Seite vieles zerstört haben, auf der anderen Seite aber dadurch alles genau dokumentiert werden konnte, und die Zerstörung durch den Kies-Abbau, wurde auch informiert. Auch die Bundeswehr, die den Standort nutzte, hat zwar einiges zerstört, aber auch dafür gesorgt, dass durch Vandalismus nicht mehr zerstört werden konnte.
Saacha Schick (11 months ago)
Gay cruising
Michael Mnich (12 months ago)
Ich glaube die Kelten sind hier schon länger weg. Sowie auch das Militär. Zum Glück muss man nicht mehr über den Zaun kletern um etwas zu sehen. Ein kleine Hügel mit Sitzgelegenheit und Infotafel macht es durchaus angenehm.
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The Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate) is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Porta Nigra originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone; the original Roman name has not been preserved. Locals commonly refer to the Porta Nigra simply as Porta.

The Porta Nigra was built in grey sandstone between 186 and 200 AD. The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. For example, the stones at the northern (outer) side of the gate were never abraded, and the protruding stones would have made it impossible to install movable gates. Nonetheless, the gate was used for several centuries until the end of the Roman era in Trier.

In Roman times, the Porta Nigra was part of a system of four city gates, one of which stood at each side of the roughly rectangular Roman city. The Porta Nigra guarded the northern entry to the Roman city, while the Porta Alba (White Gate) was built in the east, the Porta Media (Middle Gate) in the south, and the Porta Inclyta (Famous Gate) in the west, next to the Roman bridge across the Moselle. The gates stood at the ends of the two main streets of the Roman Trier, one of which led north-south and the other east-west. Of these gates, only the Porta Nigra still exists today.

In the early Middle Ages the Roman city gates were no longer used for their original function and their stones were taken and reused for other buildings. Also iron and lead braces were broken out of the walls of the Porta Nigra for reuse. Traces of this destruction are still clearly visible on the north side of the gate.

After 1028, the Greek monk Simeon lived as a hermit in the ruins of the Porta Nigra. After his death (1035) and sanctification, the Simeonstift monastery was built next to the Porta Nigra to honor him. Saving it from further destruction, the Porta Nigra was transformed into a church: The inner court of the gate was roofed and intermediate ceilings were inserted. The two middle storeys of the former gate were converted into church naves: the upper storey being for the monks and the lower storey for the general public. The ground floor with the large gates was sealed, and a large outside staircase was constructed alongside the south side (the town side) of the gate, up to the lower storey of the church. A small staircase led further up to the upper storey. The church rooms were accessible through former windows of the western tower of the Porta Nigra that were enlarged to become entrance doors (still visible today). The top floor of the western tower was used as church tower, the eastern tower was leveled, and an apse added at its east side. An additional gate - the much smaller Simeon Gate - was built adjacent to the East side of the Porta Nigra and served as a city gate in medieval times.

In 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte dissolved the church in the Porta Nigra and the monastery beside it, along with the vast majority of Trier"s numerous churches and monasteries. On his visit to Trier in 1804, Napoleon ordered that the Porta Nigra be converted back to its Roman form. Only the apse was kept; but the eastern tower was not rebuilt to its original height. Local legend has it that Napoleon originally wanted to completely tear down the church, but locals convinced him that the church had actually been a Gaulish festival hall before being turned into a church. Another version of the story is that they told him about its Roman origins, persuading him to convert the gate back to its original form.

In 1986 the Porta Nigra was designated a World Heritage Site, along with other Roman monuments in Trier and its surroundings. The modern appearance of the Porta Nigra goes back almost unchanged to the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon. At the south side of the Porta Nigra, remains of Roman columns line the last 100 m of the street leading to the gate. Positioned where they had stood in Roman times, they give a slight impression of the aspect of the original Roman street that was lined with colonnades. The Porta Nigra, including the upper floors, is open to visitors.

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