Thousands of souls rest here. This is the Fünfundenkreuz in Freiburg’s Stühlinger district. A somber monument it stands a testament to a tragic chapter in Freiburg’s history.
The Fünfundenkreuz a dark-lacquered wooden cross bears five metal plaques. Each depicts one of Christ’s wounds. The artist remains unknown. The head resembles Veronika’s Veil. Three plaques show the crucified hands and feet. A central plaque depicts the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Below hangs a plaque inscribed beneath a skull and crossbones. It’s all protected by an ornate canopy.
The cross’s origins trace back to around 1816. But evidence suggests burials in this area date as far back as 1680. The inscription on the lower plaque leaves no doubt about the events it commemorates. It reads “Around this cross rest thousands of sons of the German Fatherland who fell ill on their way through Freiburg during the war years 1813-1814. Remember these poor souls in a devout Our Father. O Lord grant them eternal rest.”
During the Napoleonic Wars Freiburg became a transit point. It also served as a collection point for Allied troops. Austrians Bavarians Württembergers and Russians. An estimated 500,000 soldiers needed provisions. Poor sanitation led to outbreaks of cholera and typhus. Mass graves were dug near today’s Metzgergrün and the Eschholz area. To prevent the spread of disease. The cross was likely erected in 1816 by the Adelhausen Monastery.
As Freiburg expanded the Fünfundenkreuz’s location changed. It moved multiple times. It was seen as an obstacle. Someone proposed moving it to the west choir wall of the new Herz-Jesu-Kirche church. In 1907 the cross was deemed materially and artistically worthless. A minor relocation happened in 1908. Heinrich Brenzinger restored it in 1920. He provided a concrete base in 1925. The Freiburg-Stühlinger local association took care of it. In the 1950s it was moved to its current spot. The entrance of the former Kreispflegeanstalt a mental health facility. West of Eschholzstrasse.
This humble cross. This Fünfundenkreuz reminds us of the suffering and sacrifice. The silent testament to a terrible cost of war and disease. A quiet tribute to those lost so many years ago. Remember their souls.