The Saar floodplain near the Siegmundsburg district forms a three-sided watershed. The waters that originate here flow on to the Elbe, Rhine and Weser rivers. As early as 1832, the local historian Schaubach called for this hydrographic feature to be visibly marked. The Rennsteigverein put the idea into practice and on June 7, 1906, the Dreistromstein was ceremoniously inaugurated at the Saarzipfel, directly on the Rennsteig. The base was made of granite, greywacke and quartz - the 3 characteristic types of rock of the river regions. The names of the streams and later rivers are carved into the obelisk. Werra - Weser Rambach - Schwarza - Saale - Elbe Grümpen - Itz - Main - Rhine The obelisk also bears the coats of arms of the former rulers: Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in the north, Saxe-Coburg in the south-east and Saxe-Hildburghausen in the south-west.

The Dreistromstein was expertly restored in 1996 on the initiative of the local group Natur- und Heimatfreunde Siegmundsburg.