Enghausener Kreuz, 9th-century wooden sculpture in Enghausen, Germany.
The Enghausener Kreuz is a wooden sculpture from the 9th century that stands 232 centimeters tall and features a Christ figure mounted on a wooden cross structure. The work combines a carved corpus with carefully crafted details, including an ornately designed footrest.
The work was created between 890 and 900 and originally came from the Benedictine church of St. Kastulus in Moosburg. It was later moved to its present location in Enghausen, where it documents the religious history of the region.
The cross shows Christ fastened with four nails, standing on a footrest shaped like a demon's head. This representation reflects early medieval religious artistic traditions in Germany.
After restoration work between 2004 and 2006, the cross remains in the Filialkirche in Enghausen, where it is protected by security systems. Visitors should note that this artwork is housed within a church building and should be accessed accordingly.
On 10 September 2006 the cross hung on the back wall above Pope Benedict XVI's cathedra at the open-air Mass in Riem, Munich, during his fourth apostolic journey. The Freising diocesan museum had wanted the piece for its sacred art collection, but a bishop's ruling kept it in Enghausen, whose church was then fitted with a new alarm system.
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