In the Alps, you see a cross on almost every mountain. Why is that?
Why are there crosses on top of mountains? In the Alps, you see a cross on almost every mountain. Why is that?
Firstly, the cross indicates where the top of the mountain is, in case you missed it. In addition, a Gipfelkreuz has several functions; in the 13th century, they were mainly for indicating borders. Also, such a cross has a religious significance; they are placed on mountain peaks in Catholic countries or mountain areas for a reason. Nowadays, a summit cross also has some more modern functions; it is a lightning rod, is equipped with weather measuring devices or contains a guest book of the local tourist office.
Marking the mountaintop
Around the world, mountain peaks are marked with flags, stupas, piles of stones or crosses. Crosses are often on the peaks of Catholic countries or mountain regions, such as the Alpine countries of Austria, Switzerland and Italy, and in the mountains of the United States and Poland. The crosses are often made of wood or metal. Mountaineers and hikers like to take selfies with the cross as proof that they have reached the mountain summit.
History of the Gipfelkreuz
In the Alps, crosses were dragged up the mountains since the 13th century, mainly as boundary markers. It was not until the 19th century that almost all mountain peaks above the tree line were fitted with a simple, wooden cross. This is partly because mountain hiking and mountain climbing became popular as a leisure activity. Being the first to place a cross was quite an achievement. Of course, there were also religious motives behind this. A cross is obviously a Christian symbol. The church's view was that you felt closest to heaven on a mountaintop. After the First and Second World Wars, many new mountain crosses were erected. These often complicated and expensive operations were set up by local communities in memory of soldiers who died, or to celebrate the safe return home of local men. Today, they still have religious significance for some people. For others, they simply mark the top of a mountain. Also, a Gipfelkreuz is no longer placed by order of the church, but by a local tourist office, mountaineering club or mountain rescue. They are no longer carried to the top, but are often placed on the mountain peak by helicopter.
Under fire
Not everyone apparently agrees with the presence of Gipfelkreuzen. Some wooden crosses have been destroyed. A number of groups believe that an overtly Christian symbol has no place in our multicultural society. Therefore, other symbols are used, such as pyramids or obelisks.
