Penance cross in Przeczów

The history of penance crosses goes back to the Middle Ages. They were always a symbol of crime, erected by murderers as part of their penance on the site where they took the life of another. The penance cross was not the only punishment – the perpetrator also had to cover the cost of the funeral and, of course, face trial. They also had to take care of the material needs of the victim’s family, and pay a contribution to the Church. The murderer had to go on a pilgrimage to a holy place, such as Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) or Jerusalem. The penance cross came to Poland from the West. In Europe, there are around 7 thousand penance crosses, and around 600 in Poland. The majority of the crosses are located the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, but they can occasionally be found elsewhere. Penance crosses were often erected in forests and on fields. In later years, they would often be moved to cemeteries or the vicinity of churches. This was the fate of the penance cross in the church in Przeczów, which used to stand in the forest between Mikowice and Radzieszyn; its history can be read from the German inscriptions.