Within the Karlsberg Hill
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| Geographic Coordinates: 49° 28' 47.65" N, 10° 59' 47.11" E 49° 27' 28.23" N, 11° 4' 34.16" E |
Once, a man was convicted to death because of the many crimes he had committed. The condemned, however, had great fear of his impending death and pitifully pleaded for his life — he asked to be imprisoned, walled in, banished, but not killed. His wailing pitied even the hearts of the judges, and they met again for another session. After a long back and forth in the discussion, one of the stern men was heard saying: “You all know the Karlsberg(*) hill and know that within its depths the old Emperor Charlemagne allegedly rests. Old writings also claim that there is a tunnel leading down from our castle to the abode of the Emperor. I am of the opinion that we could spare the miscreant’s life if he provided us with disclosure on this point.” The others were content with this approach, and thus the prisoner was told that he would be pardoned out of overwhelming benignity if he passed the tunnel all the way to its end and brought something back with him as proof. He readily agreed with this. Torches were brought to the spot. The whole council gathered, and the miscreant started on his journey.
He had proceeded through the dark passage for perhaps an hour when he reached a large iron gate. But this gate stood wide open, and he could look inside into a gigantic hall. In it, the Emperor was sitting on a stone chair in front of a stone table, and many lords were around him who were dressed in splendid, grand clothes. Then, he beheld the marvel with his own eyes from which he had heard so frequently: The Emperor’s beard had grown through the stone table slab! Dread overcame him. Quickly he bowed down to pick up a shiny stone lying on the ground as a proof, and then he hurried back. Profoundly sweating, he returned safe and sound. In astonishment, the councilmen listened to his tale, and shudderingly they beheld his proof: It was a beautiful, heavy diamond. The council gave him their pardon.
Charlemagne, who had undertaken so many journeys on water and on land in his life, must move once every year even now. In the Walpurgis Night (May 1st) he wanders through the subterranean passage towards the old Imperial Fortress with his entourage until he reaches a large iron gate. Creakily the gate opens, and then Emperor Charlemagne waters his horses at the bottom of the deep well.
(*) A sandy hill near Fürth, at the village of Poppendorf.
Source: Aufsberg - Sagen und Geschichten aus Mittelfranken, p. 27f