The Bocholt Cross (german: Bocholter Kreuz) is a forked crucifix in St. George's Church in Bocholt, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and dates to the early 14th century. It is the oldest and most significant ornament of this church and the focal point of a regional

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

today.

Description

The design of the crucifix was based on the forked cross at St. Maria im Kapitol in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

. The depiction of the body, that is the way in which the wounds caused by the

scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgi ...

are portrayed, is almost identical. It is carved out of fir wood and measures 153 cm (60") in height, the arms of the cross extending higher than the vertical post of the cross. The upright is only a little higher than the head of Christ and there is therefore no titulus. The body is made of walnut and is 102 cm (40") high, the arm span is 97 cm (38"). The arms and head have been separately attached. The smooth 'skullcap' suggests that, originally, there was a wig of hair on the head. As a base for the artwork, the cross (i.e. the body of Christ) is covered with linen and has been hollowed out. In the interior are four

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

, the origin of which is either totally unknown or can only be loosely estimated: a bone wrapped with silk which cannot therefore be identified, two human ribs and a light brown stone, probably from the Holy Land (the hill of Golgotha?) The relic compartment has not been re-opened since the cross was made. The post of the cross was originally painted green, this alluded to the Biblical tree of life symbolism. As a repository of relics the cross was referred to over the centuries as an altar of the Holy Cross. During the

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

restoration in 1860 the Bocholt Cross, as part of a

mercy seat According to the Hebrew Bible, the ''kaporet'' ( ''kapōreṯ'') or mercy seat was the gold lid placed on the Ark of the Covenant, with two cherubim beaten out of the ends to cover and create the space into which Yahweh was said to appear. This ...

was integrated into the

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...

. Today it stands near the communion altar in a pedestal.

Literature

* Hans-Rudolf Gehrmann: ''700 Jahre Bocholter Kreuz''. Faltblatt. Bocholt, 2015
pdf
294 kB). * Pfarrei St. Georg Bocholt: ''Die Geschichte des Bocholter Kreuzes''. Andachtszettel zum Bocholter Kreuz
online
.

External links

{{Commonscat, Bocholter Kreuz

Pressemeldung der Stadt Bocholt dated 28 February 2015

References

Elisabeth Bröker: ''St.-Georg-Kirche Bocholt'' (= ''Kleine Kunstführer''. Heft Nr. 1639). Schnell & Steiner, Munich, . 23 1988. Crucifixes Forked crosses Catholic pilgrimage sites 14th-century artefacts Gothic sculptures History of Christianity in Germany Christianity in North Rhine–Westphalia

Description

See also

Literature

External links

References