''Christ of the Ohio'' is a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

of Jesus Christ in Troy, Indiana in the United States. It is located on Fulton Hill, which overlooks the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

Description

The statue depicts Jesus Christ standing with his arms stretched upwards towards the sky. He wears a me'īl. He is barefoot and has a beard. It is made of white portland cement mixed with crushed pink stone. The statue is said to weigh 6,300 pounds (lbs). The statue is placed on top of a pedestal, made of stone from

Saint Meinrad Meinrad ( la, Meinradus, Mainradus; 797 – 21 January 861 AD) was a hermit and is a Roman Catholic and Orthodox saint. He is known as the "Martyr of Hospitality". His feast day is 21 January. Life Meinrad was born into the family of the Count ...

and cement, with the following engraving on the front: :CHRIST :OF :THE :OHIO :AD :1956 :The statue is located on the east side of Troy on the Ohio Riverfront. It resides near a bend in the river and has been used as a beacon for boats since its dedication. It can be seen from Indiana State Road 66. It resides 75 feet above the road.

Herbert Jogerst

Herbert Jogerst was a German prisoner of war during World War II. He was incarcerated in Morganfield, Kentucky at Camp Breckenridge in 1943. He worked on sculptures as a prisoner and impressed the camp

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

, Peter Behrman, who was a priest at the

St. Meinrad Archabbey Saint Meinrad Archabbey is a Catholic monastery in Spencer County, Indiana, USA, was founded by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland on March 21, 1854, and is home to approximately 79 monks. The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology ...

. Jogerst returned to Germany in 1948 and struggled to find work as an artist. He contacted Behrman for assistance and St. Meinrad Archabbey commissioned Jogurst to create some sculptures. Jogerst died in 1993.

History

While working on commissioned works for St. Meinrad, Jogerst met Dr. Nicholas A. James, while James was visiting the Archabbey. James commissioned Jogerst to create the statue for his summer home. The home, which is known as "Grandma's House," was located on the banks of the Ohio River. The work was dedicated on May 1, 1957. Grandma's House was eventually sold and the statue was purchased by the town of Troy.

Condition

''Christ of the Ohio'' was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! survey in 1993 and was described as being "well maintained" by surveyors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christ Of The Ohio Buildings and structures in Perry County, Indiana Outdoor sculptures in Indiana Tourist attractions in Perry County, Indiana Statues of Jesus 1956 sculptures

Description

Herbert Jogerst

History

Condition

See also

References