The Duke's Grave in the Mönchgut Forest

The Duke’s Tomb in the Mönchgut Forest – A Millennia-Old Megalithic Tomb on Rügen

The Duke’s Tomb in the Mönchgut Forest is one of the most remarkable prehistoric archaeological sites on the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. As a large dolmen with a vestibule and a trapezoidal burial chamber, it is one of the well-preserved megalithic tombs that the Mönchgut Peninsula has preserved to this day.

Finds from the Funnel Beaker Culture and the Bronze Age

Archaeological investigations, including a systematic excavation conducted by Dr. Ingeburg Nilius of the Department of Prehistory and Early History at the University of Greifswald in 1960, brought to light an extensive collection of artifacts. These include the remains of about 50 ceramic vessels, stone axes and adzes, cross-cut arrowheads, and amber beads. Of particular significance: skeletal remains of at least 20 individuals were found in the tomb. Furthermore, a later burial attests that this Funnel Beaker Culture megalithic tomb continued to be used into the Bronze Age.

Prehistoric Monuments on the Mönchgut Peninsula

Megalithic tombs such as the Herzogsgrab can be found along the entire Baltic Sea coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania—from the Fischland-Darß-Zingst Peninsula through Rügen to the regions around Stralsund and Greifswald. The Herzogsgrab in the Mönchgut Forest stands as a quiet yet impressive testament to early human burial customs amid the unspoiled forests of southeastern Rügen.