Zwölf Apostel (Ahlhorn)

Also known as:
12 Apostel and Apostelsteine
Latitude:
52° 55' 31.76 N
Longitude:
8° 8' 54.89 E
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Images

Image of Zwölf Apostel (Ahlhorn) (Stone Setting) by Nucleus

Map taken from Johannes Groht’s extensive book “Menhire in Deutschland”

Image credit: Johannes Groht
Nucleus
Nucleus Oct 18, 2025

Articles

Zwölf Apostel (Ahlhorn)

Nucleus
Nucleus Oct 18, 2025

The 12 Apostles (also known as the Apostle Stones) are a prehistoric menhir site near the Ahlhorn fish ponds, northwest of Ahlhorn.

The entire site extends 70 metres in a northeast-southwest direction and 24 metres in a northwest-southeast direction. It is believed to have originally consisted of 16 stones, of which only 13 remain today. When the fish ponds were constructed in 1922, a path and a ditch were created that run through the southern part of the site, causing considerable damage. At least one stone was sunk at that time.

It is difficult to verify whether the site was ever a prehistoric calendar, as the stones have been moved several times.

Unfortunately, during my visit, the site was barely visible, as only a few stones were visible due to heavy undergrowth and brambles.

To get to the 12 Apostles, take the B213 from Ahlhorn to Cloppenburg. Once you have crossed the A29, take the second road on the right towards the north-west (‘Zu den Fischteichen’) and after about 4 km you will reach a car park for hikers. From here, follow a footpath in a north-easterly direction (red hiking trail) until you reach a paved path after about 600 metres and turn right. After about 300 metres, you will reach the Apostle Stones, which are located on the left and right sides of the path.

Visited September 2025

Zwölf Apostel (Ahlhorn)

Nucleus
Nucleus Oct 18, 2025

taken from the on-site information board:

Natural monument ‘12 Apostles’

Have you counted them yet? These boulders are probably an arrangement made by human hands, possibly calendar stones for observing the annual cycle of the sun, with a location for the summer solstice.

Our ancestors in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages worshipped cult stones as sanctuaries.

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