Penitence cross of Šimon Nitzka, Stone memorial cross near Ostrolovský Újezd, Czech Republic

The Penitence Cross of Šimon Nitzka is a tall granite cross-stone about 180 cm high and 55 cm wide, standing by road II/156 between Strážkovice and Veselka in the Ostrolovský Újezd cadastre. It has a slightly widened base, a tapering shaft and an oval head carved with a Greek cross and partly legible inscriptions. The stone leans forward and is flanked by two larches.

The granite cross was commissioned by the widow of Šimon Nitzka, a swordsmith robbed and murdered on 3 October 1577 during an ambush on merchants travelling to the Trhové Sviny fair. The Budějovice chronicle records the investigation: Ondřej Plemátl was arrested in November 1577, confessed in 1581 and died in prison on 17 June 1581; his companion Johanka was drowned the next day.

The cross is called a Smírčí kříž, a peace cross, a type of monument once common in Bohemia. It was commissioned by the widow of the swordsmith Šimon Nitzka, murdered in a highway robbery on 3 October 1577. The stone still stands at the original roadside site, now flanked by two larches.

The monument sits in open countryside and is accessible by walking paths, which makes visiting possible in regular footwear. Plan your visit for dry weather since the ground can be slippery after rain.

The stone stands about 180 cm tall and leans forward. Its oval head, chipped at the top, carries a Greek cross and a partly legible inscription; the widow of the murdered swordsmith Šimon Nitzka had it made after robbers killed him on 3 October 1577.