Kreuzigungsgruppe Aachen, Religious sculpture in Aachen, Germany.
The Kreuzigungsgruppe Henger Herrjotts Fott is a bronze group by Bonifatius Stirnberg standing on a circular cobblestone base between Wirichsbongardstraße and Schildstraße. A four-metre cross carries a life-size Christ figure with a large crown of thorns; at its foot crouches an old woman in a wide robe looking up, and before her kneels another hooded woman leaning into the first one's lap, her face hidden.
The monument was created by artist Bonifatius Stirnberg and officially inaugurated on August 27, 1989. Its establishment marked a moment of artistic renewal in Aachen's urban landscape at the end of the 20th century.
The name "Henger Herrjotts Fott" (behind the Lord's backside) comes from Öcher Platt: the city's better-off society gathered in front of the cross, while poorer residents lived behind it. Sculptor Bonifatius Stirnberg called his work "Osen Herrjotts Hazz" (our Lord's heart), meaning God keeps a heart for the poor quarter. Since 1986 a three-day street festival is held around the sculpture each year.
The group stands on the square between Wirichsbongardstraße and Schildstraße, which has carried the official postal address "Henger Herrjotts Fott" since 2003. The bronze plaque with the 1897 photograph and inscription is set into the cobblestone ring at the foot of the cross, so look down as well as up. The site is an open public square, reachable on foot from Elisenbrunnen and Theaterstraße.
The sculptor Bonifatius Stirnberg titled the work "Osen Herjotts Hazz" (Our Lord's Heart), meaning God has a heart for the poor quarter; locals kept the older name. An oval bronze plaque set into the cobble ring shows the lost 1897 stone group and records the 1792 cross, the 1941 loss and the 1989 re-erection.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,004 contributors worldwide.