Summit cross

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Otto Barth (1876–1916), morning prayer of the Kals mountain guides on the Grossglockner , oil on canvas, 1911

A summit cross is a cross on the top of a mountain or hill that serves as a summit marker and religious symbol. Often there is a container or at least a weatherproof cover with a summit book at the crosses on the summits .

layout

Various forms of markings and symbols such as cairns , prayer flags or obos can be found on passes and hills around the world, especially sacred mountains . In the Italian Alps, there is sometimes a Madonna on the summit instead .

Summit crosses are often around two to four meters high. Mostly they are made of wood or metal. In April 2010 the first summit cross made of glass was erected. They are mainly found in Catholic regions of the Alps , especially in Austria, Switzerland and Bavaria, but also in America. Mostly they stand on mountains whose summit exceeds the tree line , but they can also be found in the German low mountain ranges, for example in the Black Forest on the Herzogenhorn .

A 30 meter high cross stands on the Kreuzberg in the Rhön. The transition between the summit cross and the memorial cross is often fluid, as the latter are often built on hills. The highest cross in the world in the Valle de los Caídos is also on a hill.

Accessible summit crosses

Cross on the samat

The largest accessible summit cross in the world is the cross of the heroes' shrine at a height of 95 m at 553  m above sea level. A. High Samat in the Philippines . The building, completed in 1970, is accessible below the top and in both arms. However, it is not just a summit cross, but part of a memorial that commemorates a battle in World War II.

The Jacob Cross

The largest accessible summit cross in Europe is the Joseph Cross on the Großer Auerberg in Germany . It is a 38 m high steel structure from 1928, which is designed as a double cross (cross-shaped structure with four arms) with a viewing platform on the top.

The 29.7 m high Jakobskreuz on the summit of the Buchensteinwand in the Pillerseetal ( St. Jakob in Haus , Kitzbühel District , Tyrol , Austria ) at 1,451  m above sea level is completely accessible . A. The design of the building was also chosen as a double cross. There are four viewing and exhibition rooms at a height of 18.5 m and viewing platforms on their roof surfaces at a height of 21.4 m. On the highest level of the cross at a height of 28.6 m there is a panorama viewing platform. It was officially opened on July 27, 2014. It was financed by the Pillerseetal mountain railway and EU funding. The total cost of the Jakobskreuz was around 1.8 million euros.

history

As early as the end of the 13th century, large crosses were occasionally erected on passes and hills. Examples from this period are the Confin cross in St. Valentin on the Malser Haide , which also served as a border marker, or crosses on the Arlberg , the Grödner Joch or the Birnlücke . An early example of placing large crosses that could be seen down into the valley was the first ascent of Mont Aiguille in 1492, where three crosses were placed at the corners of the summit plateau. In the 16th century, more and more crosses were erected on peaks, where they mainly had the function of marking the boundaries of alpine pastures and communities. In the 17th century, especially during the Thirty Years' War , religious symbolism gained in importance. The crosses of this time were mostly wooden crosses made from simple branches found on site or house crucifixes attached here . Crosses with two crossbars in the form of the so-called patriarchal crosses (or Scheyern crosses) were often made during this period . According to popular belief, which was shaped by old pagan ideas, these weather crosses should banish storms, storms and hail.

In the 19th century, in the course of rising alpinism and the measurement of the peaks, many mountains were provided with mostly simple wooden crosses. Large summit crosses made especially for the summit by experts in today's sense were mostly only carried up the mountains at the end of the 19th century. A well-known exception are the Kleinglockner and Großglockner , which were equipped with large crosses as early as 1799 and 1800 during their first ascent. In addition to their religious function, these crosses were also seen as symbols of the Enlightenment , they were equipped with lightning rods and scientific measuring instruments such as barometers . During the 19th century there were several attempts to use other peak symbols such as pyramids, obelisks or flags instead of Christian crosses, which were mostly dedicated to secular rulers. An example of this was the (unrealized) erection of the so-called Kaiserobelisk on Ortler in 1888.

The peak crosses experienced a heyday in the 20th century. Many new crosses were erected, especially after the Second World War. The communities often organized these sometimes very expensive and logistically difficult ventures on high peaks in memory of the fallen, or as thanks for the healthy return from the war and captivity. War returnees in particular were often involved in the list. A well-known example from this time is the cross on the Zuckerhütl , the construction of which was filmed in 1947 a year later, or the summit cross on the Traunstein that was built in 1950 .

Summit crosses are almost always set up by associations of people, rarely by private individuals or individuals. Such associations include, for example, tourism associations , sections of the alpine associations , local offices of mountain rescue , sports clubs, rifle companies or, as in Tyrol, for example the Tyrolean young farmers / rural youth. In about the 1960s, the range of subjects has expanded. Today so-called memorial crosses, friendship crosses or thank you crosses are erected. However, summit crosses are still placed for aesthetic reasons, or simply as a replacement for the old cross damaged by the weather.

A more recent cultural development is the hanging of crosses on summits with Buddhist prayer flags , as they can also be found in the vicinity or directly at shelters .

Rejection and attacks on summit crosses

Summit crosses are criticized from various sides. In 2010, the Swiss Freethinkers Association demanded the abolition of summit crosses and, in particular, that no new ones be set up in Switzerland: "Since mountains are public space, they should also be free of religious symbols." This demand was supported by the mountain guide Patrick Brussard. He became known in 2009 for damaging two summit crosses in the canton of Friborg . In court, he said he tried to combat the influence and presence of the Christian faith in public. He was fined for damage to property and violation of religious freedom . After the verdict, he said: "I wanted to provoke a public discussion about the summit crosses." The President of the Swiss Mountain Guide Association countered the demand of the Freethinkers Association: "Summit crosses are culture. They have been standing for centuries. And should stand for centuries."

The mountaineer Reinhold Messner rejects the erection of summit crosses, among other things because "the mountains were never sacred to Christians", in contrast to the role of the mountains in the cultures around the Himalayas. However, Messner spoke out in favor of maintaining the existing summit crosses:

“The cross is the ultimate Christian symbol, but in my opinion it doesn't belong on a summit. I'm not talking about abuse, I'm just saying that the mountains shouldn't be furnished for religious purposes. The mountains, which belong to the whole of humanity, should not be linked or occupied with a particular worldview. [...] Of course, existing summit crosses should remain in place for historical reasons. And I would never defend someone who chops down crosses, that's almost a terrorist act. My weapon remains the word. But one can openly discuss whether the summit cross is inseparable from the Christian West, like our churches, cemeteries and weather crosses. "

At Pentecost 2016, a wooden cross on an alpine pasture near Lenggries was destroyed by an unknown person. At the end of July 2016, the summit cross on the Torjoch (also called Prinzkopf ) was destroyed. At the end of August 2016, the summit cross of the Scharfreiters was so badly damaged by an unknown person with an ax and a saw that it had to be removed. On Friday, November 4th, a hiker noticed that the new summit cross, almost three weeks old, had been completely destroyed. A general rejection of summit crosses is assumed as a motive. On November 5, 2017, the summit cross on the neighboring Kotzen was reported to have been cut.

In summer 2016, the Swiss artist Christian Meier installed a three-meter-high crescent moon on the summit of the Freiheit mountain in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden , which was illuminated at night. The chairman of the canton of Innerrhoden, Roland Inauen, has sought a conversation with the artist and has received confirmation that the installation will be removed.

Picture gallery

See also

literature

  • Paul Werner: "To prove that we were there ..." To the history of our summit crosses. In: Ars Bavarica. 63/64, 1991, pp. 112-143.
  • Paul Werner, Richhilde Werner: From Marterl to the summit cross. Landmarks in Upper Bavaria. Plenk, Berchtesgaden 1991, ISBN 3-922590-62-4 .
  • Claudia Mathis (Claudia Paganini): Close to heaven ... Of summit crosses and summit sayings. 2nd Edition. Berenkamp, ​​Innsbruck 2007, ISBN 978-3-85093-149-6 .
  • Wolfgang Kunz: Summit crosses in Tyrol. A cultural history with a contemporary reference . Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2012, ISBN 978-3-205-78727-3 .
  • Hans-Joachim Löwer: Summit crosses. Dreams, triumphs, tragedies. The 100 most fascinating summit crosses in the Alps and their stories . Athesia, Bozen 2019, ISBN 978-88-6839-383-0 .
  • Hans-Joachim Löwer: Summit crosses. Dreams, triumphs, tragedies. The 100 most fascinating summit crosses in the Alps and their stories . Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2019, ISBN 978-3-7022-3752-3 .

Web links

Wiktionary: summit cross  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Summit Crosses  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Tennengebirge: First summit cross made of glass , in April 2010, berg-magazin.at
  2. ↑ World's Top 19 Largest Crosses , miraticio.com, accessed February 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ a b c d Photo of a detail of an architectural drawing on the ground floor of the Jakobskreuz (note: heights are rounded)
  4. ^ Article ORF Tirol from July 28, 2014.
  5. ^ Article ORF Tirol from August 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ a b c Wilhelm Eppacher: Mountain and summit crosses in Tyrol (=  Schlern writings . Volume 178 ). Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck 1957, p. 5-9 .
  7. ↑ Reinhold Messner : Brave New World VERTICAL . In: Mountaineers . tape 6 , 92, pp. 71–73 ( online at: bardoux.de [accessed June 20, 2009]).
  8. ^ Alpenvereinsmuseum , Phillipp Felsch (ed.): Mountains, an incomprehensible passion . Folio-Verlag, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-85256-408-1 , p. 40 .
  9. ↑ William Eppacher: mountain and summit crosses in Tirol (=  Schlern fonts . Band 178 ). Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck 1957, p. 10 .
  10. ^ Movie: Summit Cross (Drama, Austria 1948) In: kino.de
  11. ^ Wolfgang Kunz: Summit crosses in Tyrol. A cultural history with a contemporary reference. Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2012, p. 146.
  12. ^ Wolfgang Kunz: Summit crosses in Tyrol. A cultural history with a contemporary reference. Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2012.
  13. ^ Wolfgang Kunz: Summit crosses in Tyrol. A cultural history with a contemporary reference . Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2012, p. 201.
  14. ↑ a b Switzerland should be free of summit crosses. Augsburger Allgemeine , October 25, 2010, accessed September 1, 2016 .
  15. ↑ a b Katrin Woitsch and Andreas Steppan: Summit crosses: Is there a religious motive behind the ax attacks? Münchner Merkur , August 30, 2016, accessed September 1, 2016 .
  16. ↑ Summit crosses: Reinhold Messner calls them "Humbug" idea.de, April 1, 2015
  17. ↑ Reinhold Messner interviewed by Titus Arnu: Reinhold Messner: Crosses have no place on the summit. Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 31, 2016, accessed on September 1, 2016 .
  18. ↑ a b c d Hendrik Ternieden: Eastern Alps: The riddle of the felled summit crosses. Der Spiegel , August 30, 2016, accessed September 1, 2016 .
  19. ↑ Elmar Voltz: summit cross on the Prinzkopf hacked. (No longer available online.) Bayerischer Rundfunk , August 9, 2016, archived from the original on September 2, 2016 ; accessed on September 1, 2016 .
  20. ↑ Konstantin Kaip, Christian Sebald Lenggries: Vorkarwendel: Summit cross on the Schafreuter sawn again . In: sueddeutsche.de . November 1, 2016, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed November 7, 2016]).
  21. ↑ Alpine summit cross destroyed by vomiting - serial offender? Die Welt , November 6, 2017, accessed November 6, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Matthias Köpf: Unknown people destroy the summit cross on the puke. Süddeutsche Zeitung , November 6, 2017, accessed on November 6, 2017 .
  23. ↑ Hikers angry because of the crescent moon instead of the summit cross. Die Welt , accessed September 7, 2016 .
  24. ↑ https://www.tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/appenzellerland/appenzell-drei-meter-hoher-halbmond-auf-alpsteingipfel-sracht-fuer-empoerung-ld.915056