The first man who put the first cross is unknown and Lithuanian believe that the first cross on the cross hill was set during the Lithuanian-Pole rebellion in 1831. Kryžiu kalnas itself is an ex-fortress hill of Jurgaiciai or Domantai
kryziu kalnas
Historically, after confederation Poland-Lithuania broke down in 1795, Lithuania became a new part of Russian empire. This fact was unhappy Pole and Lithuanian and they raised their weapon to get their victory back and the family of the warrior centralized their spiritual support from the Kryžiu kalnas hill.
kryziu kalnas
2 attacks were launched by Lithuanian and Pole in November 1831 and, 31 years later, in January 1863. These 2 attacks failed and killed thousand warriors from the Polish site and Lithuanian. That huge lost of live which had inspired the born of the crosses hill for the first time.
Kryziu kalnas
kryziu kalnas
In 1918, after the political structure of east Europe collapse, Lithuanian used the hill once more to spiritually support their family who fought for the independent of Lithuania. The war itself was causing another lost of live and making the hill received the new visit of new crosses from other families
For more than a century, the site has become the memorial center of Pole and Lithuanian to remember their father, relatives, husband, or Son who died for the freedom of their country. Hundreds of Jesus Christ Cross, Virgin Merry statues and rosaries has crowded this place since the early 1900s. They stick the crosses into the land of the hill to remember who was taken from their family. It is sad that there were many Lithuanian and Pole family who could not get the dead body of their family back after the war over.
Kryžiu kalnas has become the spiritual symbol of Catholic people around Lithuania and the site has around 50,000 crosses on this hill. The real number is known but it can be guarantee that the site is the only hill in the world with this so much Jesus crosses. I think the title “The amazing Hill with the most Cross in the world” is suitable for the Kryžiu kalnas.
0 comments:
What do you think?