View source for Wasserkuppe

{{short description|Mountain in Germany}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name              = Wasserkuppe
| photo             = Wasserkuppe von Süden.jpg
| photo_size        = 324x300px
| photo_alt         =
| photo_caption     =
| elevation         = {{Höhe|950.2|DE-NN|link=true }} ({{convert|950.2|m|ft|disp=output only|abbr=on}})
| elevation_ref     =
| isolation         =
| isolation_ref     =
| prominence        =
| prominence_ref    =
| listing = highest mountain of Hesse
| range             = [[Rhön]] (Hohe Rhön)
| location          = [[Landkreis Fulda]], [[Hessen]], [[Germany]]
| map               = Germany Hesse#Germany
| map_caption       =
| coordinates       = {{coord|50.498056|N|9.937778|E|type:mountain_region:DE-HE_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| range_coordinates = 
| coordinates_ref   =
| type              = [[Basalt]], [[bunter (geology)|Bunter]]<br />extinct [[volcano]]
| easiest_route     = asphalt road almost to the top
}}

The '''Wasserkuppe''' ({{IPA|de|ˈvasɐˌkʊpə|-|De-Wasserkuppe.ogg}};) is the highest mountain in the [[Rhön Mountains|Rhön range]] and the tallest elevation in the [[Germany|German]] state of [[Hesse]], standing at {{convert|950|m|ft}} above [[sea level]]. It forms a prominent [[plateau]] within the [[Fulda]] district and is known as the "cradle of gliding". Great advances in [[sailplane]] development took place here during the [[Aviation between the World Wars|interwar period]], driven by annual contests. To this day, an [[airfield]] near the summit continues to be used by gliding clubs and [[light aircraft]] pilots.

== Etymology ==
The [[German language|German name]] is derived from ''Wasenkuppe, Asenberg'' or ''Weideberg'' and means ''Pasture mountain''.

== Geography ==
The Wasserkuppe lies in the administrative district [[Fulda (district)|Fulda]] {{convert|5.3|km|mi|1}} north of [[Gersfeld]]. Other villages nearby are [[Poppenhausen, Hesse|Poppenhausen]] ({{convert|4.7|km|mi|1}} west - south west) and [[Wüstensachsen]] ({{convert|5|km|mi|1}} east, part of [[Ehrenberg, Hesse]]). It is part of the [[Rhön Biosphere Reserve]].

The Wasserkuppe sources the spring of the river [[Fulda (river)|Fulda]] (the western source of the [[Weser]]) and the river [[Lütter]] which joins the Fulda after {{convert|50|km|mi|0}}.

The other peaks near the Wasserkuppe are [[Abtsrodaer Kuppe]] (north, {{convert|905|m|ft|0}}&nbsp;NN), {{Interlanguage link multi|Schafstein|de}} (east, {{convert|831.8|m|ft|0}}&nbsp;NN) and [[Pferdskopf]] (south west, {{convert|874.9|m|ft|0}}&nbsp;NN).

===Climate===
Wasserkuppe's climate is classified as [[Humid continental climate|humid continental]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dclo'') closely bordering on a [[subarctic climate]] (''Dfc''). The average annual temperature in Wasserkuppe is {{cvt|6.0|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1106.1|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around {{cvt|14.8|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|-2.2|C}}. 

The Wasserkuppe weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Highest Temperature {{convert|33.2|C|F}} on [[2022_European_heatwaves#July_heatwave_2|20 July 2022]].
* Warmest Minimum {{convert|22.5|C|F}} on [[2019_European_heatwaves#Germany|25 July 2019]].
* Coldest Maximum {{convert|-22.0|C|F}} on 1 February 1956.
* Lowest Temperature {{convert|-26.3|C|F}} on 1 February 1956.<ref name=wetterzentrale/>
* Highest Daily Precipitation {{convert|95.6|mm|in|abbr=on}} on 25 July 2017.
* Wettest Month {{convert|349.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} in August 1924.
* Wettest Year {{convert|1535.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1965.
* Driest Year {{convert|661.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1976.
* Earliest Snowfall: 30 September 1954.
* Latest Snowfall: 26 May 2013.
* Longest annual sunshine : 2,173.1 hours in 1959.
* Shortest annual sunshine : 1,304.5 hours in 1998.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Wasserkuppe: 920m  (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1923–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 12.7
|Feb record high C = 16.6
|Mar record high C = 20.3
|Apr record high C = 26.2
|May record high C = 28.5
|Jun record high C = 30.4
|Jul record high C = 33.2
|Aug record high C = 32.7
|Sep record high C = 27.2
|Oct record high C = 23.0
|Nov record high C = 19.9
|Dec record high C = 12.8
|year record high C = 
|Jan avg record high C = 7.0
|Feb avg record high C = 8.7
|Mar avg record high C = 13.2
|Apr avg record high C = 19.4
|May avg record high C = 23.1
|Jun avg record high C = 26.1
|Jul avg record high C = 27.6
|Aug avg record high C = 27.3
|Sep avg record high C = 22.3
|Oct avg record high C = 17.7
|Nov avg record high C = 12.6
|Dec avg record high C = 8.1
|year avg record high C = 29.1
|Jan high C = 0.0
|Feb high C = 0.8
|Mar high C = 4.4
|Apr high C = 10.0
|May high C = 14.1
|Jun high C = 17.3
|Jul high C = 19.4
|Aug high C = 19.3
|Sep high C = 14.5
|Oct high C = 9.5
|Nov high C = 4.3
|Dec high C = 1.1
|year high C = 9.6
|Jan mean C = -2.2
|Feb mean C = -1.9
|Mar mean C = 1.1
|Apr mean C = 5.6
|May mean C = 9.6
|Jun mean C = 12.8
|Jul mean C = 14.8
|Aug mean C = 14.7
|Sep mean C = 10.6
|Oct mean C = 6.2
|Nov mean C = 1.9
|Dec mean C = -1.1
|year mean C = 6.0
|Jan low C = -4.3
|Feb low C = -4.1
|Mar low C = -1.7
|Apr low C = 2.0
|May low C = 5.8
|Jun low C = 8.9
|Jul low C = 11.1
|Aug low C = 11.1
|Sep low C = 7.6
|Oct low C = 3.8
|Nov low C = -0.3
|Dec low C = -3.2
|year low C = 3.1
|Jan avg record low C = -12.2
|Feb avg record low C = -11.3
|Mar avg record low C = -7.9
|Apr avg record low C = -4.8
|May avg record low C = -0.5
|Jun avg record low C = 3.1
|Jul avg record low C = 6.1
|Aug avg record low C = 5.8
|Sep avg record low C = 2.8
|Oct avg record low C = -2.1
|Nov avg record low C = -6.5
|Dec avg record low C = -10.2
|year avg record low C = -14.6
|Jan record low C = -23.9
|Feb record low C = -26.3
|Mar record low C = -17.1
|Apr record low C = -10.7
|May record low C = -4.8
|Jun record low C = -2.2
|Jul record low C = 1.9
|Aug record low C = 1.8
|Sep record low C = -1.6
|Oct record low C = -8.5
|Nov record low C = -13.1
|Dec record low C = -20.7
|year record low C = -26.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 98.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 79.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 82.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 60.7
|May precipitation mm = 99.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 84.4
|Jul precipitation mm = 123.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 92.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 93.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 95.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 90.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 105.6
|year precipitation mm = 1106.1
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 20.4
|Feb precipitation days = 18.0
|Mar precipitation days = 17.9
|Apr precipitation days = 14.5
|May precipitation days = 16.1
|Jun precipitation days = 15.4
|Jul precipitation days = 16.5
|Aug precipitation days = 15.0
|Sep precipitation days = 14.5
|Oct precipitation days = 17.0
|Nov precipitation days = 19.6
|Dec precipitation days = 21.4
|year precipitation days = 206.2
|Jan snow depth cm = 36.7
|Feb snow depth cm = 43.1
|Mar snow depth cm = 30.5
|Apr snow depth cm = 9.5
|May snow depth cm = 0.8
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 1.7
|Nov snow depth cm = 14.3
|Dec snow depth cm = 29.4
|year snow depth cm = 58.6
|humidity colour = green
|unit snow days = 1 cm
|Jan snow days = 24.1
|Feb snow days = 22.6
|Mar snow days = 16.5
|Apr snow days = 4.6
|May snow days = 0.2
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 1.3
|Nov snow days = 8.8
|Dec snow days = 20.9
|year snow days = 99.4
|Jan humidity = 92.0
|Feb humidity = 88.6
|Mar humidity = 84.6
|Apr humidity = 75.0
|May humidity = 76.2
|Jun humidity = 77.3
|Jul humidity = 76.5
|Aug humidity = 76.7
|Sep humidity = 83.8
|Oct humidity = 89.5
|Nov humidity = 92.6
|Dec humidity = 92.4
|year humidity = 83.8
|Jan sun = 55.6
|Feb sun = 78.1
|Mar sun = 119.6
|Apr sun = 173.6
|May sun = 198.5
|Jun sun = 204.0
|Jul sun = 212.1
|Aug sun = 204.5
|Sep sun = 147.9
|Oct sun = 104.0
|Nov sun = 56.7
|Dec sun = 45.3
|year sun = 1600.0
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Wasserkuppe_10544.csv
|title = Wasserkuppe Climate Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = September 4, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231124070008/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Wasserkuppe_10544.csv
|archive-date = 2023-11-24}}</ref>
|source 2 = DWD (extremes)<ref name=wetterzentrale>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.wetterzentrale.de/extremes_mon.php?station=5371&maand=1&country=1&order=1&extreem=X_TX
|title = Extremwertanalyse der DWD-Stationen, Tagesmaxima, Dekadenrekorde, usw.
|publisher = DWD
|language = de
|access-date = 18 November 2023}}</ref><ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 14 October 2024}}</ref>
}}

== Aeronautical development==
Students from the [[Darmstadt University of Technology]], then known as ''Technische Hochschule Darmstadt'', began flying [[Glider aircraft|glider]]s from the Wasserkuppe as early as 1911, but interest in [[gliding]] in Germany increased greatly after 1918 when the [[Treaty of Versailles]] restricted the production or use of powered aircraft in the nation. From 1920 onwards, annual gliding competitions were held, leading to records being set and broken for height, distance and duration of unpowered flight. In 1922 {{Interlanguage link multi|Arthur Martens|de}} became the first glider pilot to use an [[ridge lift|updraft]] rising along a mountain slope to stay aloft for a lengthy period.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/flugwerft/exhibitions/sailplanes/ |title=Deutsches Museum web-site |access-date=2009-04-17 |archive-date=2019-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228012951/http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/flugwerft/exhibitions/sailplanes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He then founded the world's first glider pilot school at the Wasserkuppe.

The first competition was organised by [[Oskar Ursinus]],<ref name=Reitsch>Reitsch, H., 1955, The Sky My Kingdom, London: Biddles Limited, Guildford and King's Lynn, {{ISBN|1853672629}}</ref>{{rp|58}} who also built the first clubhouse on the Wasserkuppe in 1924 to replace the shipping containers that enthusiasts were using as accommodation up to that point. By 1930, the competition had become an international event, drawing pilots from all over Europe and even the United States.

Also in 1924 'Rhönvater' (Rhön father) Oskar Ursinus convinced the then secretary of air transport for the ministry of transportation {{Interlanguage link multi|Ernst Brandenburg|de|3=Ernst Brandenburg (Ministerialbeamter)}} to turn the new gliding club into a state funded research organization. This started the [[Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft]] and as a result, the Wasserkuppe now had a gliding school, workshops for building gliders and a funded research facility. [[Alexander Lippisch]] was appointed as the managing director of the new society.

[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-W-0801-512,_Rhön,_Hanna_Reitsch_beim_Segelflug-Wettbewerb.jpg|thumb|right|German aviator Hanna Reitsch at the Wasserkuppe]]

Virtually every German aeronautical engineer and test pilot of note during the 1920s and 1930s spent time building, testing, and flying aircraft at the Wasserkuppe, including the [[Günter brothers]], [[Wolf Hirth]], the [[Horten brothers]], [[Robert Kronfeld]], [[Hans Jacobs]], [[Heini Dittmar]], [[Alexander Lippisch]], [[Gottlob Espenlaub]], [[Edmund Schneider]], [[Willy Messerschmitt]], [[Hanna Reitsch]], [[Peter Riedel]], and [[Alexander Schleicher]]. [[Beverley Shenstone]], who was later a key part of the design team for the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]], flew gliders at Wasserkuppe in 1930. This period saw great advances in new technologies such as [[flying wing]]s and [[rocket]]-powered flights.

[[File:Ehrenhalle.jpg|thumb|left|The "Ehrenhalle" in the Lilienthal Haus on the Wasserkuppe]]

In the 1930s the "Ehrenhalle" (Hall of Honor) was constructed in the Lilienthal Haus, with heavy bronze doors opening into a large hall with a stained glass window. The centerpiece is a larger-than-life bronze figure of [[Otto Lilienthal]] lying on an (empty) tomb. It is a memorial to all pilots who have died in aviation accidents. The inscription on the memorial is Lilienthal's famous last words: "Opfer müssen gebracht werden" roughly meaning: "Sacrifices must be made."

In [[Nazi Germany]], gliding activities became largely controlled by the state, and for [[Hitler Youth]] pilots and their instructors, proficiency in gliding was viewed as the first step towards the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''. [[Glider (sailplane)|Sailplane]] research was also nationalised under the ''[[Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug]]'' (DFS{{snd}}German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight).

Following [[World War II]], a [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] base, [[radar]] station, and [[surveillance]] station were established there but when restrictions on German aviation were lifted in 1951, gliding soon returned to the Wasserkuppe where it has remained popular since. Beginning in the 1970s, the newer sport of [[hang gliding]] has also found a home there. Following the reunification of Germany and demise of the [[Soviet Union]], the surveillance and radar installations were removed in the 1990s.

[[File:GliderM.jpg|thumb|The new exhibit hall in the ''Deutsches Segelflugmuseum'' (German Sailplane Museum)]]
[[File:DPAG 2011 45 Segelflug auf der Wasserkuppe.jpg|right|thumb|Commemorative Stamp]]

In 1970, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first competition, the ''Deutsches Segelflugmuseum'' (German Sailplane Museum) was opened on the plateau, with [[Neil Armstrong]] a guest of honour at the ceremony. The museum gained a new building in 1987. The Wasserkuppe is also the home of the ''Oldtimer Segelflugclub'' (OSC – Oldtimer Gliding Club), dedicated (as its name suggests) to flying vintage [[Glider (sailplane)|sailplanes]].

Next to the long tradition of sailplanes the Wasserkuppe has become a sports and weekend centre offering a wide selection of activities. [[Paragliding]] as well as [[snowkiting]] is offered. In winter the area is used by skiers and snowboarders.

== See also ==
* [[RRG Fafnir]]
* [[RRG Professor]]
* [[RRG Urubu Obs]]
* [[Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft]]
* [[Stratobowl]], a similar bowl-shaped natural landform in the United States, associated with historic aviation activity

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{commonscatinline|Wasserkuppe}}
* [http://www.osc-wasserkuppe.de/ ''Oldtimer Segelflugclub'' (in German)]
* [http://www.fliegerschule-wasserkuppe.de ''Pilot school at the Wasserkuppe'' (in German)]
* [http://www.fliegerschule-wasserkuppe.de/webcam/waku.jpg hourly updated Webcam picture of the Airfield at the Wasserkuppe (EDER) taken from pilot schools webpages]

{{Highest points of the German states}}
{{German Central Uplands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gliding in Germany]]
[[Category:Mountains of Hesse]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Rhön]]
[[Category:Mountains under 1000 metres]]