Wotanstein, Hesse

The Wotanstein (Wotan's Stone) is a menhir near the village of Maden in Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. Standing 2.12m high and weighing approximately 3.7 tons above ground (7.5 tons total), it is made of non-local quartzite sourced from Borken, 25km away. Considered one of the youngest menhirs in Europe, it was likely erected in the 3rd century BC and later used by the Chatti tribe for worship of the Germanic god Wotan. During the Seven Years' War (1756-63), treasure hunters excavated the base and found human remains, discovering the stone extends as deep underground as it stands above.