Steinerne Kreuz (Stone Cross) Memorial

This stone crossroads was built in the 19th century and is characterized by 3 prefabricated sandstone steps.

There are several versions of the origin of the stone cross.
One of them is the following:
A rich merchant named Hardy drove with his daughter in a carriage during a storm on the old high road above the Lauerhof. Suddenly the horses refused and all persuasion was of no use.
Suddenly a mighty forest tree fell on the road, directly in front of the vehicle and blocked the journey. The carriage occupants were unharmed. Out of gratitude for having escaped a disaster, the merchant had a tree carved out at the scene and a Madonna placed in it.
After this tree had to be felled later for safety reasons, the “stone cross” with the inscription “In the cross is salvation” was erected on the same spot.
Every year on Ascension Day, Catholics from the parishes of Otterberg, Otterbach and Schneckenhausen make a pilgrimage to pray together at the Stone Cross.
(Author: Erhard Rohe)

“Each of these crosses can tell its own story and what prompted people to erect “their” cross at this point. (...) These wayside crosses were erected as visible signs and attract the attention of many people. The cross is a symbol of life. It stands as a sign of our Christian hope and wants to direct our gaze to Jesus Christ, who has overcome death (...). The cross is part of our life as it was in the life of Jesus.
So I wish that many people … visit the crosses, whether as places of stillness and breathing space before God, whether as places for community gatherings, prayer and praise to God.”
(Text source: Dean Rainald M. Ollig
in: “Crossroads. Small sacred monuments as a sign of popular piety")