Friedrich I. Barbarossa as crusader

The word "Barbarossa" is Italian and means translated "Red Beard". It is the nickname of the famous Emperor Friedrich I. In fact he had a red beard and red hairs. He lived from 1122 to 1190. Sometimes he stayed in the Kyffhäuser region. It is mentioned that he has visited the Imperial Palace in Tilleda. To protect this imperial palace he built the large castle Kyffhausen. On the third crusade to the Holy Land he drowned in the Saleph River (it is situated  in Turkey). After his death  his strong empire disintegrated in many small principalities. That was retrograde and entailed much social injustice. The people longed for the old order and for their emperor. They began to say that Emperor Barbarossa is not died, but he is still living, he has hidden in in an undergrounding palace in the Kyffhäuser mountains. The legend people told over many centuries. When in 1865 the cave was discovered in the Kyffhäuser mountains, legend and cave combined.

The old Emperor Friedrich I. Barbarossa came  - caused by a mysterious magic - in an underground palace in the Kyffhäuser mountains.

There, he is sleeping and sitting on a chair of ivory in front of a round  table  of marble. His flaming red beard is growing into the table. Every 100 years the emperor wakes up from his deep sleep, moved his head and is blinking with his eyes. He is sending his gnom Alberich behind the cave. The gnom has to check, wether the ravens are still flying around the Kyffhäuser mountains. If they do it, Barbarossa has to sleep 100 years again. if not, the emperer will  return to the world to bring peace and harmony. He will  take care  for unity and justice.

For reminding the presence of Barbarossa, in the cave you can find a chair and a table where the legend says that Barbarossa was sitting...

... and if you have luck, you can meet the old emperor there...