Solnhofen
Encyclopedia
Solnhofen is a municipality
in the district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
in the region of Franconia
in the Land of Bavaria
in Germany
. It lies within the Altmühl
valley.
The Sola Basilica dating from the Carolingian
period is one of the finest architectural monuments in Germany.
The local area is renowned in geology
for Solnhofen limestone
. This is a very fine grained limestone
from the Jurassic
period which is renowned for its role as a Lagerstätte
that preserves detailed fossil specimens. Alois Senefelder
used specially prepared blocks of the fine Solnhofen limestone for the process of lithography
which he invented in 1798. The quarrying of this lithographic limestone
subsequently yielded spectacular finds, including Archaeopteryx
, commemorated in the bird's full name Archaeopteryx lithographica. All ten known specimens have come from the Solnhofen area.
As well as celebrating its role as the "hometown" of Archaeopteryx, Solnhofen also commemorates the work of Alois Senefelder with a statue of the inventor.
The Bürgermeister Müller Museum in Solnhofen displays the history of lithography, the story of the limestone quarries and the spectacular fossil finds from the area, including the most recently discovered Archaeopteryx specimen.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
in the district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen is a Kreis in the west of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ansbach, Roth, Eichstätt and Donau-Ries.-History:...
in the region of Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
in the Land of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It lies within the Altmühl
Altmühl
The Altmühl is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and is approximately 230 km in length.The source of the Altmühl is located close to the city of Ansbach. From here the river runs southeastwards as a narrow brook to enter the Altmühlsee north of Gunzenhausen...
valley.
The Sola Basilica dating from the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
period is one of the finest architectural monuments in Germany.
The local area is renowned in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
for Solnhofen limestone
Solnhofen limestone
The Solnhofen Plattenkalk is a Jurassic Konservat-Lagerstätte that preserves a rare assemblage of fossilized organisms, including highly detailed imprints of soft bodied organisms such as sea jellies...
. This is a very fine grained limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period which is renowned for its role as a Lagerstätte
Lagerstätte
A Lagerstätte is a sedimentary deposit that exhibits extraordinary fossil richness or completeness.Palaeontologists distinguish two kinds....
that preserves detailed fossil specimens. Alois Senefelder
Alois Senefelder
Johann Alois Senefelder was a German actor and playwright who invented the printing technique of lithography in 1796.-Actor, playwright:...
used specially prepared blocks of the fine Solnhofen limestone for the process of lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
which he invented in 1798. The quarrying of this lithographic limestone
Lithographic Limestone
Lithographic limestone is hard limestone that is sufficiently fine-grained, homogeneous and defect free to be used for lithography. Geologists use the term lithographic texture to refer to a grain size under 1/250 mm...
subsequently yielded spectacular finds, including Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx , sometimes referred to by its German name Urvogel , is a genus of theropod dinosaur that is closely related to birds. The name derives from the Ancient Greek meaning "ancient", and , meaning "feather" or "wing"...
, commemorated in the bird's full name Archaeopteryx lithographica. All ten known specimens have come from the Solnhofen area.
As well as celebrating its role as the "hometown" of Archaeopteryx, Solnhofen also commemorates the work of Alois Senefelder with a statue of the inventor.
The Bürgermeister Müller Museum in Solnhofen displays the history of lithography, the story of the limestone quarries and the spectacular fossil finds from the area, including the most recently discovered Archaeopteryx specimen.