Kölnhofer Cross (Wayside Shrine)
Location
The Kölnhofer Cross, also known as the Friesacher Cross, stands at the junction of Friesacher Straße and Kölnhofallee in St. Veit an der Glan. The wayside shrine rests on a tall pedestal with a round-arched opening, bearing the year 1602. The current gable and the roof-like helm were added in the 19th century.
Design and Structure
Positioned on a traffic island, the shrine stands out due to its distinctive architecture. Above an octagonal shaft rises a canopy-like structure supported by four small columns. Inside it, a cast-iron crucifix is mounted, facing southwards towards the railway station.
The columns support a barrel vault with cut-in lunettes, whose outer round arches are framed. Above this sits a finishing plate with a subtle cornice, which is gable-roofed on all four sides and topped with a cross. The slender, eight-sided metal roof adapts to the shape of the gables below and is crowned by a finial with a cross. The form of this roof structure is reminiscent of the “Lieding Funeral Lantern”.
The crucifix was last professionally restored and securely reinstalled in the shrine in 2014.
Historical Background
The cross is thought to have originally marked the boundary of the town or the surrounding castle lands, similar to the Schwarzfurter Cross.
In earlier times, the Kölnhofer Cross served as a station during the annual Corpus Christi processions, which traditionally followed a large route from the parish church to the Schwarzfurter Cross and continued on to this location. This custom was upheld until around the mid-20th century.
Labelled Parts of the Wayside Shrine (Kölnhofer Kreuz)
