Cross

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Cross

A crutch cross (or crutch cross or hammer cross ) is a common cross with crossbars, the "crutches", at the four ends (four-fold rope cross ).

If the cross is in the slope position (like the St. Andrew's cross ), it is an inclined cross . In heraldry , a division or split of this form in the coat of arms is called a crutch cut .

history

Emperor Michael I of Byzantium , gold coin, 9th century

The cross is an elementary graphic symbol. The oldest evidence can be found in the younger Stone Age in rock carvings , such as a pointed cross with an arch cut as an anthropomorphic figure near La Coruña , northern Spain, dated around 2500 BC. BC, then in China, in antiquity and in Latin American cultures. It is also associated with general solar symbols.

Hammerkreuz also refers to strongly ended forms of Germanic finds, which are also made similar to a paw cross . Crutch cross describes the shape of a crutch .

An early Christian example is the Kaiser-Heinrich-Kreuz , a Romanesque altar and lecture cross (today the Fritzlar Cathedral Treasury Museum of the St. Petri Collegiate Church). As a crusader sign , it was chosen as a symbol by orders of knights such as the grave knights and at times the Knights Templar , and it is also found in the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (as the Jerusalem cross ).

Use in Austria since 1924

2 groschen coin from 1936 2 groschen coin from 1936
2 groschen coin from 1936

Its first official introduction goes back to Federal Chancellor Ignaz Seipel , who chose the cross-shaped cross for the Great Decoration of Honor of the First Republic of Austria . From 1924, at his instigation, it was also minted on the reverse of the Austrian 200 kronen, from 1925 the 2 groschen - and from 1931 the 5 groschen coins.

Crossed flag emblem

1934–1938 the republic was replaced by the Austro-Fascist corporate state . Domestically, he carried the cross flag of the Fatherland Front as an emblem that was equated with the state flag, and a red cross with openwork became a kind of coat of arms of Austria alongside the double-headed eagle . The “pagan” swastika should be contrasted with a “Christian” symbol with the cross .

Other uses of the cross

Character encoding

☩

A Unicode glyph is available for the cross, namely ☩ U + 2629 (9769) CROSS OF JERUSALEM (referred to as "Jerusalem Cross": In English the two names are sometimes equated) in the Unicode block Different symbols .

See also

  • Jerusalem Cross, a cross with four Greek crosses, the main cross of which is sometimes a cross
  • Paw cross , a cross with the cross ends widening outwards
  • Wiederkreuz , quadruple Latin cross

Web links

Commons : Kruckenkreuz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Inge Schwarz-Winklhofer, Hans Biedermann (Ed.): The book of signs and symbols . Verlag für Collectors, Graz 1972, ISBN 3-85365-011-2 .
  2. ^ Inge Schwarz-Winklhofer, Hans Biedermann (Ed.): The book of signs and symbols . Verlag für Collectors, Graz 1972, ISBN 3-85365-011-2 , Prehistory and Early History , p. 14, No. 30 .
  3. ^ Inge Schwarz-Winklhofer, Hans Biedermann (Ed.): The book of signs and symbols . Verlag für Collectors, Graz 1972, ISBN 3-85365-011-2 , Christian symbols , p. 84, nos. 362, 363 (a Coptic and a Gnostic sun symbol, both consisting of double crosses or nails with a central circle).
  4. ↑ a b Irmgard Bärnthaler : The Fatherland Front. History and organization. Europa Verlag, Vienna 1971, ISBN 3-203-50379-7 , p. 27.
  5. ↑ Ulrike Michel: The symbols of the republic. In: Public Safety. No. 11/12, 2006, ZDB -ID 526461-3 , pp. 69-75, ( digital version (PDF; 294 KB)).
  6. ↑ Representation in: Charts U2600 , Unicode Consortium (pdf; 368 kB)