Joseph Cross
The Josephskreuz im Harz is a lookout tower on the Josephshöhe of the Großer Auerberg near Stolberg in the area of the municipality of Südharz in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt .
The tower was built in the form of an upright, four-part rotationally symmetrical Latin cross (double cross) made of steel framework. The 38 m high structure weighs 125 tons and is held together by around 100,000 rivets .
Geographical location
The Joseph Cross is located in the Lower Harz in the Harz / Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park . It stands on the Josephshöhe ( 580.3 m above sea level ), the southern tip of the wooded Großer Auerberg ( 580.4 m ), between Stolberg in the southwest (to the municipality of Südharz ) and Straßberg in the northeast (to the city of Harzgerode ) .
history
As early as the 17th century there was a wooden half-timbered lookout tower on the Auerberg, which was demolished in 1768 due to dilapidation and weather damage.
In 1832, Count Joseph zu Stolberg-Stolberg commissioned the Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel to design a new tower, which was carried out by a carpenter from Stolberg. The topping-out ceremony of Schinkel's wooden tower in the form of a double cross was celebrated on September 24, 1833. The tower was inaugurated on June 21, 1834 and named "Joseph's Cross" after its client. The tower had no stairs and could only be climbed with ladders . Around 1850 the cross arms had to be renewed. 1880 Structure burned by a during a thunderstorm suffered lightning strike to down to the foundation.
The construction of a new Joseph Cross based on a design by Otto Beißwänger began on April 20, 1896. The tower made reference to Schinkel in the double cross shape, but was designed as a steel framework construction based on the model of the Paris Eiffel Tower , whereby its components such as the round arch between the legs were even copied. The cost of 50,000 marks was borne by the Princely House of Stolberg and the Harz Club . On August 9, 1896, the new Joseph Cross was inaugurated.
In the 20th century, the cross deteriorated noticeably until it was closed to visitors in 1987 due to disrepair. It was renovated from 1989 and reopened on August 28, 1990.
In 2003 the cross was again extensively restored and reopened in spring 2004. Since then, it has returned to its original version from 1896.
Opportunities for viewing and hiking
From the viewing platform , to which a spiral staircase with 200 steps leads, the view falls over the landscape of the Lower Harz, to the Brocken in the Hochharz, to the Großer Inselsberg and to Magdeburg , where the towers of the Magdeburg Cathedral can be seen. The Josephshöhe, on which the Josephskreuz stands, is included as No. 215 in the system of stamping points of the Harz hiking pin; the stamp box is located next to the kiosk by the observation tower. Next door is the Bergstüb'l Josephskreuz excursion restaurant .
gallery
front
back
Head of the Joseph Cross
Ascent to the Joseph Cross
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c The Joseph Cross on the great Auerberg - Stolberg , on harz.de
- ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
- ↑ a b Stolberg im Harz - The Joseph Cross on the Auerberg , from November 27, 2012, on harz-saale.de
- ↑ On the history of the Josefskreuz, on bergstuebl-josephskreuz.de
- ↑ Harz hiking pin: stamp point 215 / Josephshöhe (Auerberg) (Josephshöhe) , on harzer-wandernadel.de
- ↑ Bergstüb'l Josephshöhe , on bergstuebl-josephskreuz.de
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 34 ′ 50 ″ N , 11 ° 0 ′ 20 ″ E