The Hünenborg near Rheine
The Story
In Rheine, a city on the Ems River, legend has it that a giant once lived on the Thieberg hill there.
The residents would avoid the hill after dark. With his heavy footsteps, the giant is said to have made the ground tremble and left cracks in the earth.
According to the legend, the giant disappeared one day. There are different accounts of what happened: One story says he fell asleep beneath the hill. According to another, the giant buried his own castle under earth so that no one could invade his realm. All that remained was the name Hünenborg —the giant’s castle.
Today, traces of the former rampart and moat system can still be seen on the Thieberg. The name Hünenborg also recalls the legend of the giant. Since 1927, a stone war memorial has also stood on the site; it was co-opted for propaganda purposes by the Nazi regime until 1939 and continues to shape the appearance of the town to this day.
From the Hillfort to the Legend of the Giant
The Hünenborg on the Thieberg near Rheine was not a castle with stone walls, but an early medieval earthwork. Ceramic finds suggest it was in use during the 8th or 9th century. The site may have served as a refuge during Charlemagne’s Saxon Wars, where people, livestock, and property could find shelter in times of unrest.
The site is documented in writing as “Hunnenborch” by 1490 at the latest. Later maps also show clearly recognizable earthwork and moat structures.
The name “Hünenborg” likely contributed to the origin of the legend. In folklore, “Hünen” often referred to giants or exceptionally tall people. Striking earthworks, burial mounds, or ancient fortifications whose original purpose was no longer known were therefore sometimes interpreted as the work of giants.
The legend of the giant on the Thieberg thus offers a mythical explanation for the massive ramparts and their traditional name. It links a real historical site with a motif of giants that is widespread in European folklore.
Did you know that...
…that the Hünenborg in Rheine has had an eventful history as a memorial site? The war memorial on the Thieberg, dedicated in 1927, commemorates 780 residents of Rheine who fell in World War I. Starting in 1933, the Nazis used the site for parades and solstice celebrations. The commemoration of the war dead was co-opted for Nazi propaganda and the glorification of military heroism.
Today, the Hünenborg is a place of public remembrance: On Remembrance Day, the city of Rheine holds its central memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony here. At the same time, the surrounding grounds serve as a place for recreation and socializing. Panoramic loungers and the annual kite festival are part of its current use. Coming to terms with the past also remains an integral part of the town’s history.
