Herthasee Rugen

The Herthasee is a lake located on the island of Rügen, situated in the heart of the Jasmund National Park. The lake measures 170 metres in length and 140 metres in width. At its deepest point, the Herthasee reaches a depth of 11 metres. On the embankment surrounding the lake stands Hertha Castle, a fort rising 17 metres high. This fortification was built and inhabited between the eighth and twelfth centuries AD.

Herthasee – the lake that actually carries the wrong name

Wikipedia Historical research has shown that the lake should actually have been named after the goddess Nerthus, not Hertha. Several centuries ago, a scribal error occurred that was never corrected. There have been calls to rename the lake Nertussee, but requests to do so – including those from Denmark – have consistently been rejected to this day.

The legend of the goddess Hertha continues to inspire

The legend of Hertha lives on to this day. Schoolchildren from Sassnitz earn some extra pocket money during the summer holidays by re-enacting the legend of Hertha for tourists visiting Rügen. Other locations on the island also claim to be the true setting where the story of the goddess Hertha once unfolded, which sometimes leads to a friendly rivalry between them. The story of the legend of Hertha – or Nerthus, which is technically the correct name – can be found in various publications. The goddess Hertha visited the island with her entourage, but when she bathed in the lake that would later bear her name, her attendants were swallowed by the waters. The goddess herself, however, survived.