Lengeder Teiche

The "Lengeder Teiche" nature reserve is home to rare animal and plant species. The area is very popular with walkers. The Lengeder ponds are old open-cast mining hollows. Ironstone was mined in these ponds, which were not yet filled with water at the time. When the open-cast mines were no longer productive, iron ore was mined underground. A large underground labyrinth of shafts and tunnels was created. In the middle of the 20th century, the two shafts Anna (1912-1959) and Mathilde (1921-1977) could be seen directly above Lengede. In today's Lengede nature reserve, the remains of clarification pond 12 can be found under one of these lakes. This completely harmless clarification pond caused the Lengede mining accident on October 24, 1963, when around 500,000 m³ of water leaked into the mine at around 5 pm. After 14 days, the last eleven miners were rescued from the "Old Man". The event went around the world as "The Miracle of Lengede".