Baden-Württemberg: Heavy boulder removed from World Heritage cave

Öllingen (dpa/lsw) - Specialists blasted a 40-ton block of limestone in a controlled manner at the Bockstein Cave in the Lone Valley near Öllingen (Alb-Donau-Kreis) to prevent it from falling.

Baden-Württemberg: Heavy boulder removed from World Heritage cave

Öllingen (dpa/lsw) - Specialists blasted a 40-ton block of limestone in a controlled manner at the Bockstein Cave in the Lone Valley near Öllingen (Alb-Donau-Kreis) to prevent it from falling. The cave is part of the "Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura" World Heritage Site. According to Guido Bataille from the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, the boulder was formed as a result of blasting at the end of the 19th century in the area of ​​the western rock face of the Bockstein Cave.

Due to increasing weathering and the unstable contact of the block with only three points on the rock face, it threatened to detach itself from the wall area. "A special liquid was filled into the natural crevices of the block. The block was disassembled," said Bataille. The pieces of rock that are still loose are to be removed in the next few days.

According to Bataille, a dry stone wall with material from the cave is also planned. It should be about one meter high and have the character of a cave room.