Top 4 Lakes around Deister

But the oak doesn't seem to be doing well

The Georgsplatz and Toppiusplatz in the Deister near Wennigsen are historical sites closely associated with mining, hunting, and forestry. The Georgsplatz was created as a meeting point for miners and was supplemented in the 19th century by a royal hunting lodge. Opposite lies the Toppiusplatz, which was formerly used for hunting ceremonies and gatherings, and today still commemorates events and people from that era through monuments. Today, both squares primarily serve as quiet resting and excursion spots in the Deister.

The Toppius monument commemorates the royal court hunter Toppius, who was killed by a poacher in a scuffle. It was initially located further down by the trout pond and was moved to its current location in 1901. It is a stone about one meter high with the inscription: To the memory of the royal hunter Toppius. On February 28, 1807, mortally wounded in the line of duty at this spot, he died on the 2nd day in Wennigsen. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgsplatz_(Wennigsen)

In 1799, the Bröhnstollen, finally 1700 m long, was built in the center of the later Georgsplatz for coal mining. Place names such as Maschinenhaus and Schmiede in the area southwest of the hunting lodge still indicate the location of associated operational parts. In the 19th century, Georg Egestorff operated a transshipment point at Georgsplatz for the coal mined in his pits at Bröhn, Suerserbrink, and Feldberg. For the transport of coal in the direction of Hanover, Egestorff had the Deister-Kohlenstraße paved to the Hamelner Chaussee. The material quarried in the quarry just west of Georgsplatz was presumably used as building material. On the hill northeast of Georgsplatz, a pyrite mine was established in 1829. It belonged to a local safety fuse factory. Later it was taken over by the Egestorffsche Zündhütchenfabrik and operated until 1895. The Gauführerschule „Bernhard Rust“ was later built on the site for the training of NSDAP functionaries. In 1963, the Lower Saxony Police Training Center for Technology and Traffic was established there. In the east of Georgsplatz, on the Forellenbach, lie the remains of several old Rottekuhlen. In 2009, several information boards about its historical use were erected along a two-kilometer path around Georgsplatz. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgsplatz_(Wennigsen)

On the 100th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I on March 22, 1897, an imperial oak was also planted in the Fuchsbach valley near Barsinghausen. The local Landwehr warriors' association had a small monument erected at the foot of the oak. The Fuchsbach was dammed here in the 17th century to form a "trout pond" to regulate water in the coal mining industry. On the other bank of the stream from the imperial oak is the mouth of the "Lower Sammann Tunnel" built in 1831. After it was taken over by the Prussian state in 1875, it was only used to ventilate the tunnel system opened up by the Barsinghausen monastery tunnel. When the memorial stone was built in 1897, a small artificial waterfall was also built on the Fuchsbach near the imperial oak. Kaiser Wilhelm Square was a popular excursion destination for Barsinghausen residents around the turn of the century in 1900. In 2022 there will be a shelter as well as benches and seating areas between the Kaisereiche and the trout pond. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaisereiche_(Barsinghausen)

The plaza contains various commemorative stones loosely and widely spread over it. In between there are many places to rest.

There are two registered monuments on Toppiusplatz: the Toppius stone and the Lendorff monument. The square was the traditional gathering place of the miners. The square is immediately southwest of Georgsplatz. It was laid out in terraces around 200 years ago. In the past it was used to lay the hunting track. Even today, a Zackelschau is held there regularly, in which the shed antlers of the Deister deer are shown. The Wennigser Mark local community uses the space for events such as the annual jazz brunch or church services.

This small pond is a little off the trail. The sign "Hexenteich" is located on the hiking trail.