Crosses were erected to commemorate an important event or to confirm one's religious commitment. They were built in gratitude for saving a life or receiving grace. They were also boundary markers that marked the end and beginning of a village or as road signs. Karawaks protected against epidemics. In Poland, there is also a custom of erecting crosses by the roads to commemorate tragic deaths in road accidents. Crosses are made of various materials. An example are crosses with Christ cut out of sheet metal. They were mainly created in the period from the second half of the 19th to the mid-20th century.