Summit Cross

Page Type: Album

Image Type(s): Scenery, Panorama

Page By: Sebastian Hamm

Created/Edited: May 7, 2006 / Jan 30, 2007

Object ID: 192514

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The cross on the summit.

In many cultures it is common that special places are marked by a sign.
These signs could be cross, flags, stones or something else. People come to these places to pray or find internal calmness and peace. On the other hand the place should be marked of occupation.

In the 19th and 20th century it becomes common to places cross on the summit.

The beginning could be seen in the fact that the Romans builded holy signs at the top of passes, like the Großer St. Bernhard-Pass.

The first summit-cross was build on top of the Kleinglockner, the fore-summit of Grossglockner in 1799.

At the end of the 19th century the myth of the mountain disappear and the cross becomes a more touristy relevance.

The famoust german summit-cross was build on the Zugspitze summit in 1871. Visitors wanted to get a picture of the summit with a cross. These nowadays japanese attidude belongs also to the german speaking and christian region in the alps. In this region are the most of the summit-cross.

The first painter who produced an artwork including a summit-cross was the german Casper David Friedrich. His piece of art "Kreuz im Gebirge" was painted 1808/09 in Dresden.