Ihlefeld

The history of Ihlefeld starts around 1110: The brotherhood of St. Anthony was given some woodland, where the monks erected the "Eilfelden" cell. It soon played an important role as a "Walpert" – a place of pilgrimage.

In 1443, the cell was acquired by the St. Catherine Monastery Eisenach and used mainly as a farmyard. Reformation and Peasants War put an end to monastic life in Hainich. Ihlefeld then became a fief of the House of Hopfgarten. In 1964, the last remaining buildings of the village of Ihlefeld were demolished to give way to the military training ground Weberstedt. Remains of wells and walls can still be seen today in the deserted land of Ihlefeld. In 1995, a refuge was built on the cellar vault of a former forester's lodge. 

The headhigh stone cross is the oldest landmark in Hainich. Not much is known about the cross, that was probably created between 1400 and 1450. On the front there are the weathered traces of a picture showing a bear, the legs of a man and a spear. It could depict a hunting scene or maybe be evocative of a hunting accident that might have taken place nearby.