Georgenfelder Hochmoor

It is part of a larger bog or moor complex, that lies to the south, mainly on the far side of the Germany's national border in the Czech Republic and which, since time immemorial, has been known simply as "The Lake" (Die See).

The maximum extent of the inland ice mass at that time reached as far as the so-called flint line (Feuersteinlinie), which, in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge runs roughly along the line Tharandt – Rabenau – Freital – Kreischa – Weesenstein – Cottaer Spitzberg.

The pollen trapped in the fen still enables today, after thousands of years, an accurate determination of the then prevailing vegetation and the climate.

The enormous rainfall raised water levels immensely, which is why peat moss species colonised very quickly and, due to their rapid growth, threatened and eventually entirely displaced the trees.

The subsequent moderately dry climatic period triggered off a new tree growth in the area and bog pines colonised the terrain.

The nature reserve covers about 11 hectares and is located at an elevation of 875 metres above sea level (NN).

It is only the small western tip of an extensive region of bog between the mountains known as the German and Czech Lugsteins.

On the initiative of the State Association for Saxon Conservation (Landesverein Sächsischer Heimatschutz), the region was purchased in 1926 and declared a nature reserve.

The Saxon botanist, Court Councillor (Hofrat) A. Naumann, associate Professor of Botany at the Dresden Veterinary College[2] also undertook extensive research of the Georgenfelder Hochmoor.

Due to intensive peat cutting, the water balance of the area was disturbed, resulting in the death of some plant species.