The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

name ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'' ("Spinner at the Cross") is the title given to two separate

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n stone-tower sculptures (over 600 years old), one in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and the other in the nearby city of

Wiener Neustadt Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...

. They are related to the story of a wife spinning beside a

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

. Both columns had been designed originally by Meister Michael Knab: "Spinnerin am Kreuz", AEIOU Encyclopedia, 2008, webpage:
aeiou-4456
"Spinnerin am Kreuz - Gothic Shrine, Vienna", 2008, webpage URL: www.tourmycountry.com/austria/spinnerin-am-kreuz.htm. * in Vienna, the stone tower was built in 1375, rebuilt c.1452; * in Wiener Neustadt, the stone tower was built in 1382-84. Both stone-towers were rebuilt or renovated to survive into the 21st century.

Stone tower in Vienna

The first ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'' is located in Vienna's 10th district (

Favoriten Favoriten (; Central Bavarian: ''Favoritn''), the 10th district of Vienna, Austria (german: 10. Bezirk, Favoriten), is located south of the central districts. It is south of Innere Stadt, Wieden and Margareten. Favoriten is a heavily populat ...

), as a legendary old landmark on Wienerberg hill. It was erected in 1375, according to plans by stonemason Meister

Michael Knab Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

, but was temporarily destroyed in 1446. Five years later, in 1451/52 (?), it was re-erected in a new design, still using the old foundations, by Hans Puchsbaum. (He also designed the short spire on

Stephansdom St. Stephen's Cathedral (german: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, ...

cathedral.) The purpose of this limestone pillar was to mark the southern border of Vienna and also provide a navigational landmark for faring folk. Before the limestone bildstock was created, a wooden column had stood at this site, first mentioned in a document from 1296. The stone tower is a tall yet elaborately structured

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

pillar on an octagonal cross-shaped floor plan. The tower is decorated with

pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...

s plus

baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over h ...

s, with groups of figures in the baldachins (The Crucifixion, The Scourging Of Christ, Christ Crowned With Thorns, Ecce Homo). The general area of Wienerberg hill had been used as a place of execution (mostly by hanging) until the year 1747 and during 1804-1868. The Vienna tower has been restored or renovated several times.

Stone tower in Wiener Neustadt

The second ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'' is located in the city of

(

), some distance south of Vienna. The 2nd stone-tower was erected by Meister M. Knab (who designed the first tower), outside of the town (in front of the Wiener Tor gate), during 1382-1384. The tower is 21 m (69 ft) high, consisting of four tapering elements, and richly ornamented with figures. Among the figures are statues of saints, reliefs depicting scenes about the Passion of Christ, and coats of arms. Other figures are relief busts of the

master builder A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer). Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...

and the founder, plus their wives.

Story of the spinning wife

There is a well-known legend that relates the tale of the ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'': : A merchant's wife, after he had left for a Holy Land

Crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...

, had come to the site every day to sit by a cross and work with her spinning wheel, while waiting for her husband to return. As she sat at the cross and prayed for her husband's safety, she also promised to use the money she earned, by spinning wool, to donate a piety column (a Bildstock). : Long after the crusade had ended, her husband had not returned to Vienna. Everyone advised the woman to forget about the man and marry again; however, the faithful wife continued to spin at the cross, and waited until, finally, one day her husband actually did return. In gratitude, the couple endowed the building of the ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'' to thank God for the husband's safe return. In modern times, both towers bear the name ''Spinnerin am Kreuz'' and were built within 9 years of each other.

Notes

References

* "Wien - 10. Bezirk/Favoriten", Wien.gv.at, 2008, webpage (15 subpages)
Wien.gv.at-favoriten
(in German). * "Wiener Bezirke: Favoriten", Wien-Vienna.at, 2008, webpage

(in

;)

External links