Krzyż Pokutny

#1691 among destinations in Poland

Memorial

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Map

Gallery

Facts and practical information

The penitential cross in Stargard is located at the junction of the roads leading to Chociwel and Maszewo, on the left side of the road, about 1 kilometer east of the Wałowa Gate. It is the largest penitential cross in Europe and the second largest in the world.

It was made in a local workshop from a single block of Gotland or Portland limestone. Its total height is 3.77 meters, and thickness is 15 cm. The cross weighs about 2 tons. Limestone consists mainly of calcite, accessory to clay substance and amorphous free silica. A boat fossil is visible in the structure of the limestone at the site of the inscription.

The obverse of the cross bears a high-quality image of the crucified Christ and an inscription in Lower German: God be merciful to Hans Billeke, year 1542.

On the reverse side of the cross there is an inscription which is variously translated in Polish literature e.g.: In 1542 Hans Billeke was killed with an iron rod by Lorentz Mader - his mother's sister's son or: In 1542 Hans Billeke finally murdered his nephew's murderer with an iron axe.

At the turn of 2004/2005 the cross underwent a thorough conservation to stop the deterioration of the limestone, restore the legibility of the inscription and relief, and protect the object for the future.

Alternative names: Coordinates: 53°20'47"N, 15°3'30"E

Location

Western PomeranianPoland

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Day trips

Krzyż Pokutny – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: St. Mary's Church, Stargard Mill Gate, Reymonta - Cmentarz Wojskowy, Stargard.

0.8 miSW
Church
St. Mary's Church
21 min walk • St. Mary's Church, also known as the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, stands as an architectural masterpiece in the heart of Krakow, Poland. This Gothic church, with its towering spires reaching for the sky, is one of the most iconic landmarks of...
0.6 miSW
Arch
Stargard Mill Gate
17 min walk • Mill Gate is an old entrance to the city of Stargard, in Poland, which functioned also as a watergate on Ina river. In medieval times the watch lowered a portcullis into the river for the night, which secured Stargard harbour, situated behind the fortification, from intruders.
1.4 miNW
Cemetery
Reymonta - Cmentarz Wojskowy
35 min walk • Stargard War Cemetery - a cemetery located in Stargard on Reymonta Street. The cemetery was established in 1914 as a burial place for Russian soldiers. Currently 5004 Polish, Russian, Soviet, French, Yugoslavian, Italian, Moroccan, English...
0.9 miSW
Locality
Stargard
24 min walk • Stargard is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2021, it was inhabited by 67,430 people. It is situated on the Ina River. The city is the seat of the Stargard County, and, extraterritorially, of the municipality of Stargard. It is the second biggest city of Szczecin agglomeration.
1.1 miSW
Church
Kościół Ducha Świętego
29 min walk • Holy Spirit Church - a neo-Gothic building erected between 1874-1877, on the site of the original hospital church founded in 1364. Located outside the city walls, it belongs to the Stargard Zachód deanery.
0.9 miSW
Church
Kościół klasztorny Joannitów pod wezwaniem św. Jana Chrzciciela
22 min walk • St. John's Church - Gothic church dominating the Stargard skyline with its soaring tower.
1 miSW
City gate
Baszta Morze Czerwone
25 min walk • Red Sea Tower in Stargard - a Gothic tower, part of the city fortifications in Stargard. It is located at the intersection of Warowna and W. Łokietka Streets in the Old Town. It was built in the second half of 14th century. It is 34 meters high.
0.5 miSW
City gate
Brama Wałowa
14 min walk • Embankment Gate - medieval town gate in Stargard, western Pomerania. A gate built in the north-eastern part of the town fortifications, at the exit to Maszewo. One of the four medieval town gates, located on Bolesława Chrobrego Street in Stargard.
0.5 miSW
Forts and castles
Dom Bractwa Strzeleckiego
13 min walk • Shooting House - a house located in Stargard on the edge of Panorama Park, on Protective Street.
0.9 miSW
Park
Park Jagielloński
23 min walk • Jagiellonian Park, located in the eastern part of Stargard's Old Town, on the Ina River, is part of Stargard's Planty Park, bordered on the north by Castle Park and on the west by Popiel Park.
1 miSW
Memorial
Cerkiew Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła
25 min walk • Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul - an Orthodox parish church in Stargard. It belongs to Szczecin deanery of Wrocław-Sczeciń diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.