At the end of Druidenstraße in Herkersdorf, passing the Heilig-Kreuz Church, you will find the beginning of a worth seeing and even artistically designed Way of the Cross, which meanders up to the right of an old water gallery over a length of about 600 metres to the National Geotope Druidenstein and shows the Passion of Jesus Christ. The construction of a total of 14 stations in the form of small grottos goes back to the Catholic Crossroads Building Association Herkersdorf (today the Catholic Church Building Association Herkersdorf-Offhausen e. V.) founded on 23 March 1919.
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At the end of Druidenstraße in Herkersdorf, passing the Heilig-Kreuz Church, you will find the beginning of a worth seeing and even artistically designed Way of the Cross, which meanders up to the right of an old water gallery over a length of about 600 metres to the National Geotope Druidenstein and shows the Passion of Jesus Christ.
The construction of a total of 14 stations in the form of small grottos goes back to the Catholic Crossroads Building Association Herkersdorf (today the Catholic Church Building Association Herkersdorf-Offhausen e. V.) founded on 23 March 1919. Out of gratitude for the many men from the villages of Herkersdorf and Offhausen who had returned from the First World War, the association began its work in the founding year with the participation of 45 members, with the aim of creating a unique Way of the Cross. The designs for the grottos were made by Peter Becher, a building contractor from Herdorf. Crystallized minerals, mainly donated by Herdorf miners, were used to decorate the Stations of the Cross. Old records of the association mention a certain Leo Sayn (Herdorf), who brought these ores with a cart from the Hellertal to the grottos at the Druidenstein. The association was also extremely imaginative with regard to the financing of the establishment of the Way of the Cross. From 1920 to 1923, during Lent, the Herkersdorf Passion Plays were performed with amateur actors in the hall of the former restaurant "Sigambria" in churches (at the location of today's shopping market in Siegstraße), which even attracted national attention. All of the profits made were used to build the Kreuzweg complex, so that the foundation stone for the first grotto was laid on 14 October 1923. The following years were due to the overall economic situation in the country and the resulting monetary devaluation, so that the project stalled somewhat. Nevertheless, the association continued to pursue its goal ambitiously, mainly with theatre performances, so that the 14th station with the burial of Jesus could be completed after intensive efforts and the entire Way of the Cross officially inaugurated on 16 October 1927 with large resident participation. A large procession moved in the direction of Druidenstein and Pastor Lellmann from churches not only took over the solemn consecration of each individual station, but also held a sermon at the foot of the natural monument. The number of members of the Kreuzwegbauverein had grown to 160 by the end of the 1920s.
From 1985 to autumn 1992 the stations of the Way of the Cross were extensively renovated. The annual care and maintenance of the facilities is carried out by today's Kath. Kirchbauverein. The good custom of a procession takes place in each year at Ascension Day, to which numerous believers from near and far meet and ascend together to the Druidenstein.
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Druidenstraße
57548 Kirchen-Herkersdorf
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