Thomas Striebel: Sandstone Caves in the North-Western Part of the Heinersreuth Forest and the Eastern Part of the Forest Neustädtlein am Forst (District of Bayreuth, Upper Frankonia, Bavaria, Germany)

The paper describes eight small caves with maximum total lengths of 24 m. They are developed in sandstones of the Rhaetolias-Formation (Upper Triassic - Lower Jurassic sandstones). The cave descriptions are introduced together with a short description of the landscape and nature of this area, which is situated to the west of Bayreuth.
The small number of caves show a remarkable variety concerned with their genetic and morphologic aspects. This variety is typical for the sandstone caves in the surroundings of Bayreuth. The most important forms identified are talus caves, fissure caves and types of physical weathering caves. The latter include examples of formation both without the direct participation of water and, in the case of the longest cave, formation in conjunction with stagnant and flowing water. The most interesting cave, from the viewpoint of cave genesis, is a smaller cave, Kaminhöhle ("Chimney Cave"). It contains a chimney with a genetic process unknown until today.