The Burkla at Schongau

The Burkla, also known as the Schlossberg or “Castle Hill” is a large hill in Schongau surrounded by a wall and a ditch. The river Schönau flows past its base. According to legends it contains cellars and tunnels in which a large treasure is hidden.

Three sisters were said to live here who originally owned the treasure. One day, three men from the village of Niederhofen wanted to take the treasure. When they had descended into the tunnels, they saw a small black dog sitting on the treasure chest. The dog proclaimed: “One of you shall it be, and it shall be the Gitterweber of Niederhofen!” The man replied: “Oh God, I don't want to!” After this invocation of the Almighty, the dog and the chest sank into the ground.

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Source: Panzer, F. Bayerische Sagen und Bräuche. Beitrag zur deutschen Mythologie. Erster Band, 1848. p. 30f.

This is a translation of a German folktale contributed by Jürgen Hubert.

It is a part of our series, Folklore Worldwide. We are currently open to submissions from around the world, and you are welcome to send us your stories!