Road Cross Original

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- This cross located near Binsfeld was erected on Aug. 6, 1985, to honor a local priest who died at the age of 75 after returning from a parishioner’s death bed. The priest’s cross is one of the first in the Eifel area to be built like a memorial stone rather than the slim crosses of the past. (U.S. Air Force photo by Iris Reiff)

Road Cross Restored

Road Cross

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- This cross can be found along the Binsfeld “Auf dem Aulend” road and was built in 1631 by a family with the name Dietzen. It was erected in memory of the family’s child who suffered from disease. For many years, the community prayed at the cross to protect people and animals from diseases and epidemics. They often left food at the shrine for the poor and sick. (U.S. Air Force photo by Iris Reiff)

Road Cross

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- This cross, dating back to 1551, located on Binsfeld Georgstrasse, served as a postal station for the postal route of Liege, Belgium, and Vienna, Austria. It was here that the post wagon exchanged horses and delivered and received mail. (U.S. Air Force photo by Iris Reiff)

Road Cross

Roadside crosses offer glimpse of Eifel history

Published March 9, 2010
By Iris Reiff
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- What is the significance of the shrines and crosses sitting along the roads throughout the Eifel area? This question has been asked many times by Americans residing in the community.

The tradition of erecting shrines and crosses along roads or in open fields dates all the way back to Roman and Germanic times. The Roman crosses had a different meaning than the ones built later, but all had a Christian background. Until 460 B.C., the Romans believed demons gathered at road crossings to mislead and irritate travellers.

Calling upon the "roads gods," the locals made sacrifices and built crosses to chase away the demons. Other shrines built at the time marked people's property or served as a location for court trials. While most of the ancient crosses have disappeared over the years, there are still a large number of Christian shrines today that are a symbol of Christ's redemption. Some were built in memory of deceased friends and family members, while others mark accident locations.

Today, people still lay wreaths or flowers at the crosses in honor of the victims. Crosses with engraved skulls and crossbones were built as memorials for the dead, often in honor of a father or son who didn't return from war. Another type of cross was built for pilgrims and prayers. People came and prayed here for a variety of different reasons, such as a good harvest.

In the community of Binsfeld, there are two crosses. The first is a plague cross that was built by a family by the name of Dietzen in 1631. It was erected in memory of the family's child who suffered from disease. For many years the community prayed at the cross to keep away diseases and epidemics from people and animals. They often left food at the shrine for the poor and sick.

The second cross, dating back to 1551 and located on Georgstrasse, served as a postal station for the postal route of Liege, Belgium, and Vienna, Austria. It was here that the post wagon exchanged horses and delivered and received mail. Not far from the former Herforst military housing area on a forest road sits the Wenzelhausen wolf cross. Here, many people fought battles with wolves. In celebration of their survival, the people later erected a cross. Binsfeld and the immediate neighbourhood alone has 17 road crosses, which were all built between 1551 and 1820. Wittlich County has a total of 600 crosses, each one with its own unique history.