Spinnerin am Kreuz

Vienna · Austria · Urban site

Vienna's gallows stood beside the column for centuries — and the shadow of the condemned is said to lie over the hill still.

Right beside the Gothic column stood Vienna's place of execution for centuries, with gallows and breaking wheel on the crest of the Wienerberg. From here the condemned took their last look at the city before the rope was drawn tight, and the shadow of the executed is said to lie over the rise still. Only in 1747 was the gallows moved away.

The column itself was raised in 1451–52 by the cathedral master mason Hans Puchsbaum and carries one of the city's best-loved legends: a newly married wife is said to have waited here day after day for her husband, who had gone on crusade, passing the years by spinning. With the spinning money she had the stone monument raised, and after three years the couple met again at the column. A love legend and a gallows hill on the same patch of ground.

FAQ

Where is Spinnerin am Kreuz located?

Spinnerin am Kreuz is in Wien, Austria.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Florian Demmer · CC BY-SA 3.0 at · Wikimedia Commons