Penitential Cross in Stargard

The Penitential Cross in Stargard is a stone cross of 1542, carved from a single block of limestone. According to the Wikipedia entry it is the largest penitential cross in Europe and the second largest in the world.

A single block of limestone

The cross was made in a local workshop from Gotland or Öland limestone. It measures 3.77 metres, of which about 2.77 metres projects above the ground, is 15 centimetres thick and weighs about two tonnes. At the place with the inscription a fossil of a nautiloid can be seen in the stone.

The inscriptions of 1542

The obverse bears an image of the crucified Christ and an inscription in Low German, a plea for mercy for Hans Billeke, with the date 1542. On the reverse a longer inscription about his death was carved, which Polish literature translates in different ways, sometimes contradictory ones. For that reason the course of the event remains disputed.

Conservation

At the turn of 2004 and 2005 the cross underwent thorough conservation. It was meant to halt the deterioration of the limestone, restore the legibility of the inscriptions and relief, and secure the monument.

Practical information

• The cross stands at the fork of the roads to Chociwel and Maszewo, on the left side of the road, about a kilometre east of the Wałowa Gate.
• The monument stands by the road, and entry is free, with no tickets or opening hours.