Kreuzigungsgruppe

Kreuzigungsgruppe stands where the west gable of the former abbey church once rose in Germany. Carved in 1498, the late Gothic scene presents Christ on the cross, with Mary and John beside him. Linden wood gives the figures expressive faces, open hands, and a powerful sense of grief. Adelheid von Besselich donated the work to honour the old abbey, and her family crest remains behind the cross.

The figures survived the abbey church’s demolition and a brief relocation before returning to their original setting. Most of the sculpture remains original, although restoration replaced the figure on the left-hand cross. Christ’s wide-flung arms, open mouth, and windblown loincloth create the scene’s strongest dramatic focus. A rocky base evokes Golgotha, with carved bones and a small skull beneath the cross.