Wild Man of Wildemann

The town of Wildemann in the Harz mountains was named after a legendary wild man who, together with his female partner, lived in a forest cave in the area. He was clad in moss and leaves, carried a giant club and was incredibly strong. When, in 1039, mineworkers tried to capture the wild man, he was carrying a whole linden tree, which he, infuriated, rammed into the ground. It is said the linden tree that is nowadays standing in front of the former town hall is this very same tree.

I find this legend (there exist various versions of the story) very fascinating, because of the potential cryptozoological implications. Was the wildman of Wildemann an European bigfoot? Or a relic hominin?