Twelve Apostle Stone
The Twelve Apostle Stone (French Pierre des douze Apôtres ; also Breitenstein , Latin Petra lata ) is a prehistoric menhir on the connecting road between Meisenthal , Mouterhouse (both in the Moselle department ) and Wingen-sur-Moder ( Bas-Rhin department ) in the Northern Vosges Nature Park (Parc Naturel Régional des Vosges du Nord). Since the Middle Ages , it has been a border mark between Alsace and Lorraine . The monolith , carved from a single block of red sandstone, is around four meters high.
Its prehistory is in the dark. It is believed that it is a cult stone from the Celtic ("Druidic") times. According to a common practice, this pagan cult stone was "baptized" in Christian times; H. provided with Christian features. The upper part was designed as a crucifixion group (the crucified Christ with two Marys). A simple relief with the twelve apostles was carved out below.
A legend after having Reformer Philipp Melanchthon preached here.
Web links
- Entry on the Twelve Apostles (French)
Coordinates: 48 ° 57 '14 " N , 7 ° 22' 5.6" E