The Gehilfersberg is a hill in the ''

Landkreis Fulda The Fulda District (; ) is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the north-east of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Wartburgkreis, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Rhön-Grabfeld, Bad Kissingen, Main-Kinzig, Vogelsbergkreis. History T ...

'',

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is part of the Rhön hills and lies northwest of the village of

Rasdorf Rasdorf is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. Geography Rasdorf is situated within the ''Kuppenrhön''-part of the Rhön hills, at the border of Hesse and Thuringia. Neighbouring communities Rasdorf borders in the no ...

. The

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

peak is located close to the range known as " Hessian Skittles" (''Hessisches Kegelspiel'') but there are diverging views on whether it should be counted as one of the nine hills "officially" part of the "nine pins". On the peak is a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

pilgrimage chapel ''St. Marien und Vierzehn Nothelfer'', dedicated to Virgin Mary and the

Fourteen Holy Helpers The Fourteen Holy Helpers (german: Vierzehn Nothelfer, la, Quattuordecim auxiliatores) are a group of saints venerated together by Roman Catholic Christians because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against ...

, construction of which began during the reign of Johann Bernhard Schenk von Schweinsberg (1623-32), Abbot of

Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. History ...

to replace an earlier chapel that had been destroyed. It was consecrated in 1681. Initially, a figure of Christ (the holy ''Gehülf'') was revered, but the focus shifted to the Fourteen Helpers over time. From the 18th century, the Gehilfersberg was one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in eastern Hesse. Seven stations mark the

stations of the cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

leading up from Rasdorf. There is also a fortified cemetery (') at the top. On 11 May 1996, the Catholic chapel was destroyed by arson. However, it was quickly rebuilt and rededicated by Bishop of Fulda

Johannes Dyba Johannes Dyba (15 September 1929 – 23 July 2000) was a German prelate of the Catholic Church who led the Diocese of Fulda from 1983 until his death. He spent his earlier career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Johannes Dyba w ...

on 19 May 1997. More recently, a part of the wooded slopes has been designated as a burial forest.

References

{{Hesse-geo-stub Hills of Hesse