Amicitia Hütte

Amicitia Hütte, also known as Sieben-Quellen-Haus (Seven Springs House), is a managed hiking hut in the Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald) of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It sits at an elevation of 314 metres above sea level near the Siebenquelle, a small tributary of the Meisentalbach, in a valley bordered by the Kesselberg and Frankenberg. The hut is owned and operated by the Ortsverein Amicitia Landau, a local branch of the Pfälzerwald-Verein, a large hiking and conservation association in the Palatinate region. The facility has been continuously managed since 1921, making it one of the older continuously operated huts in the Palatinate Forest. It began as a simple shelter built by the Musik- und Wanderclub Amicitia, a local music and hiking club founded in 1920. As membership grew, the hut was rebuilt as a solid forest house in 1925/1926. During the Nazi era, the club was dissolved in 1937 and the hut was sold; after World War II the club was re-established in 1946 and repurchased the war-damaged hut in 1948, beginning reconstruction in 1950. Further renovations and expansions followed in the 1970s. In 2013 the club joined the Pfälzerwald-Verein as the Ortsgruppe Amicitia Landau e.V., making the hut part of the association's network. In September 2024, regular opening hours were sharply reduced due to staff shortages, after a local winery from Weyher had assisted with operations until that point. The hut is accessible only on foot. The shortest approach is from a hikers' car park in the Modenbachtal via a forest road leading to the hut. It can also be reached from the hikers' car park in the Edenkobener Tal near the Edenkobener Hütte am Hüttenbrunnen via the Kohlplatz pass. Nearby hiking destinations include the Frankenfelsen on the Frankenberg with the sparse remains of Frankenburg, the Kesselberg (the second-highest mountain in the Palatinate Forest after the Kalmit), and the Blättersberg with the Ludwigsturm. Neighbouring huts of the Pfälzerwald-Verein include the Edenkobener Hütte, the Schweizerhaus, and the Waldhaus Drei Buchen; other nearby hiking huts are the Forsthaus Heldenstein and the Nellohütte. Since 2021, the Amicitia Hütte has been part of the intangible cultural heritage of Germany under the entry "Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur" (Palatinate Forest Hut Culture), recognised by the German UNESCO Commission together with the other huts of the Pfälzerwald-Verein. The hut is listed in the Pfälzer Hüttenbuch (Palatinate Hut Book) and appears on topographic maps of the region. It remains a destination for hikers and a local social hub, though its operations depend heavily on volunteer staffing.

The Amicitia Hütte traces its origins to the founding of the Gesellschaftsclub Amicitia in 1920, which was registered the following year as the Musik- und Wanderclub Amicitia e.V. A first hut was built in 1921 at the Siebenquelle site and has been managed since then. As membership grew strongly, the hut was converted into a solid forest house in 1925/1926. During the Nazi period, the club was dissolved in 1937 and the hut was sold. Shortly after the end of World War II, the club was re-founded in 1946, and in 1948 it repurchased the hut, which had been damaged by the effects of war. Reconstruction began in 1950. In the 1970s, further renovation and expansion took place. In 2013, the Musik- und Wanderclub Amicitia joined the Pfälzerwald-Verein as the Ortsgruppe Amicitia Landau e.V., and the hut thereby became a hut of the Pfälzerwald-Verein. In September 2024, regular opening hours had to be sharply reduced due to staff shortages, after a local winery from Weyher had assisted with the management of the hut until that time. Since 2021, the hut has been part of the German intangible cultural heritage entry "Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur" recognised by the German UNESCO Commission, together with the other huts of the Pfälzerwald-Verein.

• 2024

  Regular opening hours sharply reduced in September due to staff shortage.

• 2021

  Hut included in the German intangible cultural heritage entry "Pfälzerwaldhütten-Kultur".

• 2013

  Club joins the Pfälzerwald-Verein as Ortsgruppe Amicitia Landau e.V.; hut becomes part of the association.

• 1970

  Further renovation and expansion during the 1970s.

• 1950

  Reconstruction of the hut begins.

• 1948

  War-damaged hut repurchased by the club.

• 1946

  Club re-founded shortly after the end of World War II.

• 1937

  Club dissolved during the Nazi era; hut sold.

• 1925

  Hut converted into a solid forest house (1925/1926).

• 1921

  First hut built at the Siebenquelle; managed since then.

• 1920

  Founding of the Gesellschaftsclub Amicitia, which became the Musik- und Wanderclub Amicitia e.V.

A traditional, volunteer-run hiking hut in the Palatinate Forest, valued for its historic character and part of Germany's intangible cultural heritage of Palatinate Forest hut culture.

• Amicitia Hütte (Sieben-Quellen-Haus)

  A managed hiking hut at 314 m above sea level in the Palatinate Forest, offering food and drink to hikers.

1. 1Amicitia-Hütte – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Amicitia Hütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Homepage des Ortsvereinssiebenquellen-haus.de