Wilzenberg High Cross

Literally a cross to look up to. A whole history preceded this cross.
The first 28 meter high wooden cross was built in 1972 on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the monastery and the city of Grafschaft.
After the wooden cross surprisingly fell over in July 1980, it was rebuilt within a month in a slightly shorter length. In the years that followed, however, more and more damage occurred to the wooden structure. Due to the increasing repair costs, it was decided to completely renovate it in 2015. A steel structure was chosen. The new summit cross was erected on August 7, 2015.
Some technical data: The location and height of the cross remained unchanged. The cross weighs approximately 5 tons. The crossbeams are 8.50 meters long.

The 28 meter high cross was erected in 1972 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the monastery and the town of Grafschaft by the local Catholic parish in laminated wood construction. It stands above the free altar on the way to the Wilzenberg tower. After it unexpectedly fell over in July 1980 due to a frayed retaining rope, it was rebuilt within a month in a slightly shorter length. In the years that followed, however, there was increasing damage to the wooden structure. Due to the upcoming repair costs, the church council decided to completely renovate in spring 2015 after an assessment by a structural engineer. This time a steel construction was chosen. The new summit cross was erected on August 7, 2015. The location and height of the cross remained unchanged. The cross weighs about 5 tons. The crossbeams are 8.50 meters long. The exchange cost around 35,000 euros.

The history of the cross is also interesting. A section of the old wooden cross is nearby for clarity.