Römermännchenstein

Quärrismännchen Legends and Stone

A long time ago, the so-called Quärrismännchen inhabited the area around Diepenlinchen. It was said that they had dug tunnels in the rocks and lived inside, only showing themselves during the day when necessary. They borrowed cooking and eating utensils from the humans for their underground feasts, which they returned spotlessly clean. Even old and rusty dishes were polished so finely that they looked like new. But beware, if one refused to lend cooking and eating utensils: then the Quärrismännchen would come at night to take what they needed, and the next day, all the dishes in the house would be dirty or broken, causing great disorder. Furthermore, they did not harm the people, but they were also not particularly useful.

However, the people avoided the dwellings of the Quärrismännchen and their surroundings. When the Quärrismännchen, also called Römermännchen, had moved away, wicked beings took residence in the tunnels, making the streets unsafe, prompting people to wall up the tunnel entrances and drive out the evil beings.

This valley sink was once very infamous, and not far from here stands a massive limestone block, of which it is said, "do lijje die Quärrismänncher bejrave," and the stone indicates their grave. In the past, when children wanted to herd cattle there, they were discouraged, as it was eerie even during the day. Today, the stone is a registered archaeological monument and was preserved by the quarry operation that left it intact.

Background of the Legend: Whether the Quärrismännchen, as the core of the legend, represent a remnant of the belief in Roman Penates (house spirits) or a memory of the Romans themselves is unclear. The word derives from Querge = dwarfs. It is definite that the legend is anchored in the memory of Roman mining.

That ancient mining is located in the valley of the Diepenlinchen brook is indicated even on old maps with the note "alte Römerseifen." Starting from "Gunsenbruch," the ancient mining stretches downriver to the ore pit "Römerfeld." The Quärrismännchen stone marks the center of this field and may, along with its distinctive shape, have contributed to this legend.

(Text: Jens Mieckley after Heinrich Hoffmann; Source: Zur Volkskunde des Jülicher Landes, 1914)