Ever felt watched in the woods? The Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock is a testament to gratitude and a dash of eerie folklore. Let’s delve into its story.
Here stands the Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock. It is nestled in Heidelberg’s Stadtwald. This isn’t just any roadside shrine. It marks a tale of survival and divine intervention.
Our story begins in 1747. Heidelberg’s Stadtforstmeister Leonhard Schreiber found himself caught in a fierce storm near the “Drei Eichen”. Lightning crackled. A terrifying bolt struck a tree right next to him. Schreiber prayed to Saint Nicholas for protection. Miraculously, he survived unharmed.
Out of gratitude, Schreiber built this very Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock. As a trained stonemason, he even crafted the statue of Saint Nicholas himself. The inscription reads “O heiliger Nicolaus bitt für uns. Auffgebawet von Leonhardo Schreiber zu der Zeit Stattforstmeister im Jahr 1747”.
The Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock’s statue depicts Saint Nicholas. He wears the traditional garb of a Catholic bishop. A miter adorns his head and a crosier is in his hand.
But the story of the Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock doesn’t end there. Around 50 years later, some drunken youths from Gaiberg vandalized the statue. They knocked off the head.
Local legend says justice was swift. The main culprit fell off a ladder at home exactly one year later at the same hour. He broke his neck. His accomplice confessed fearing a similar fate.
For years, the Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock stood headless. After the Second World War, a soldier returned from Russian captivity. He vowed to restore the statue if he survived. In 1950, sculptor Helmut Waldherr from Wiesloch carved a new statue from a Mannheim ruin sandstone block. Oberbürgermeister Hugo Swart dedicated it.
To prevent further vandalism, the statue now sits behind a protective iron grid. A seat invites reflection. A wooden plaque displays a poem by Marianne Fuchs. She is the wife of city forest administrator Oswald Fuchs.
Today, the Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock stands as a serene spot. It’s a place to contemplate faith, gratitude and perhaps a touch of divine retribution. The VRN bus line 39 brings visitors to the “Drei Eichen” park lot. From there, it’s just a short walk to this peaceful monument. The Sankt Nikolaus Bildstock continues to watch over the forest. It reminds us of a stormy day and a promise kept.