Longinus Cross
The Longinus Cross is a special form of the Arma-Christi cross , which occurs mainly in the Black Forest , but also occasionally in other areas of southern Germany. In addition to the tools of the Passion, Longinus crosses show the figure of Longinus as a rider on the side of the crucified Jesus . The crosses are mainly made of wood and about 3–4 meters high. They often have a hipped roof , which is similar to the roofs of the Black Forest farms, as well as a back wall on which the Arma figures are attached.
history
The history of the Longinus Cross is closely linked to the pastoral work of the orders of the Jesuits , Capuchins and Cistercians active in the Black Forest . The popular missionaries of these religious communities erected mission crosses on which the arma were represented as a sign of Christ's passion. The connections between the Upper Austrian parts of the Black Forest and the imperial capital Vienna , where the Holy Lance was kept, could have played a special role here . The shape of the mission cross was eventually adopted for private field and house crosses .
The peculiarity of the Longinus cross, the depiction of the figure of Longinus as a rider under the cross, can probably be explained by the popularity of Longinus as a peasant patron. On older crosses, the figure is usually depicted in the uniform of a Baden dragoon , often accompanied by the saying "Verily, this was God's son" (according to Mk 15.39) affixed to a wooden sign. Many Black Forests served as cavalrymen in the wars of the 19th century due to their versatility in handling horses and created a souvenir of their own military times after their return home with the Longinus crosses.
As a rule, nothing is known about the carvers of the crosses. Style comparisons, however, allow individual artists to be distinguished, and names are also known in isolated cases. The crosses of the so-called "Herrgott-Mattheubis", which came from the Schonach area, are of great artistic quality . The figure of Christ was often ordered from professional sculptors while the rural population carved the Arma objects themselves.
Longinus crosses are still occasionally made today. The older crosses are listed as minor monuments.
literature
- Friedbert Andernach and Martin Ruch: Arma Christi- and Longinuskreuze in the Archdiocese of Freiburg. Blue rider under the cross. Editions du Signe, Strasbourg, 2001, ISBN 2-7468-0423-9 , 50 pages ( review )
