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Steep, sometimes meter-high sandstone ridges form an impressive natural phenomenon in the northern Harz foreland between Ballenstedt in the east and Blankenburg in the west, over a length of around 20 km, which is known under the name Devil's Wall. The rugged, erosion-resistant cliffs are formed by silicified sandstone layers, the formation of which is related to the uplift of the Harz Mountains and its overthrusting onto the northern foreland during the Upper Cretaceous period. The Königstein, Mittel- and Papensteine sections south and southwest of Weddersleben have been protected since 1935. In 2006, the Devil's Wall was awarded national geotope status and is now an important geopoint in the UNESCO Geopark Harz - Braunschweiger Land - Ostfalen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources: Profile section modified after Meschede 2018: Meschede, M. (2018): Geology of Germany. A process-oriented approach, Springer, 2nd edition, Doi 10.1007/978-3-662-45298-1 Fischer, C., Waldmann, S., and von Eynatten, H., (2013): Spatial variation in quartz cement type and concentration: an example from the Heidelberg formation (Teufelsmauer outcrops), Upper Cretacous Subhercynian Basin, Germany, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2013... Smith, C. (2010): Bachk Death (Film). Egoli Tossell Film; HanWay Films; Ecosse Films; Zephyr Films.