Hexenkreuz in Kasel

Witch Cross from the Year 1663 near Kasel

Since wood was primarily used as building material in this area, fewer crosses have been preserved than in regions where stone crosses were mainly erected. Nevertheless, one can still find wayside crosses in every village, which are usually lovingly maintained. Between Schloss Grünhaus and Kasel, just before the entrance to the village, there is a chapel on the hillside. Right next to it, under an old pear tree, stands the so-called Witch Cross. It rises 1.60 m high and is made of sandstone. As the only inscription, it bears the year 1663 and the letters D.D.E., the meaning of which is unclear. The ornamental lines on the crossbeam resemble flickering flames, and the corpus carved from the stone is surrounded by these flames. The field name "Auf Hexe" at this location indicates that this is the place where the witch burnings took place. Local tradition confirms this assumption. Furthermore, it is documented that between 1580 and 1630 a larger number of witches were burned in Kasel. This cross should certainly be understood as a kind of gravestone for the innocently condemned, at which prayers for the rest of the souls as well as penitence for the poor unfortunate should be offered. The neighboring Mother of God chapel seems to have been built in this tradition.

Opening hours: freely accessible