Heiligkreuzkapelle Hechingen, Chapel in Hechingen, Germany

The Heiligkreuzkapelle is a small Gothic chapel on the southern edge of Hechingen, standing next to the town's cemetery. It has pointed windows, a steep roof, and stone walls that follow the typical lines of Gothic construction.

The Heiligkreuzkapelle was founded in 1403 by Friedrich XII, Count of Zollern. It was built in connection with a local legend about a servant who shot at a crucifix and was executed for the act.

The chapel sits at the edge of Hechingen's cemetery and today also serves as a gathering place known as the Heiligkreuzcafé, where people meet to talk and rest. A large outdoor terrace lets visitors sit outside among the old stone walls, making it a space used both for reflection and for everyday social life.

The chapel is on the southern side of Hechingen town and easy to reach on foot. The outdoor area can be visited at any time, while access to the interior depends on when the café is open.

The founding legend, in which a servant shoots at a crucifix to become a marksman who never misses and is then beheaded, appears in the Malleus Maleficarum of 1487 and in the chronicle of the Counts of Zimmern. Two painted panels of 1729 show the story; the shrine that held the crucifix is in the Hohenzollerisches Landesmuseum in Hechingen.