Christlieger
Encyclopedia
Christlieger is the name of the only island in the Königssee
. It is located near the northern end of the lake, at 47°35′08"N 12°35′17"E. It is also called Johannesinsel (John's Island or St. John's), after the marble
statue
of John of Nepomuk
that was erected on the island in 1711.
The island is 61 meters long north-south and up to 26 meters wide, with an area of 1260 square meters (0.31 acre
s). On the eastern side, small boats can land, but not the passenger boats going to St. Bartholomä.
The island is part of the municipality of Schönau am Königssee. The land is owned by the Free State of Bavaria
.
. It stands on a hill in the northern portion of the island, on top of a pedestal
about two meters high. The statue was erected in 1711 and donated by Johann Anton Zeitlmayer, director of chancellery and land judge of the Berchtesgaden Provostry
, after all four passengers involved in a boat accident had been rescued. Since the erection of this statue, the island has also been called Johannesinsel (John's island or St. John's). It is believed that previously a statue of Apostle
Bartholomew
was at this location.
s. Their history and meaning is unknown. Next to this part of the island is the boat landing place. At the southern end of the island, a third stone pyramid has been established in the course of the renovation starting in 1810.
, which is accessible through an iron gate from the west. . The grotto has square floor plan, and the side panels have two niches each. At the rear wall a fountain made of red marble, dated late 16th century. It is unknown whether the grotto already existed in 1711 and when the well was erected there.
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
. It is located near the northern end of the lake, at 47°35′08"N 12°35′17"E. It is also called Johannesinsel (John's Island or St. John's), after the marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional...
that was erected on the island in 1711.
The island is 61 meters long north-south and up to 26 meters wide, with an area of 1260 square meters (0.31 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s). On the eastern side, small boats can land, but not the passenger boats going to St. Bartholomä.
The island is part of the municipality of Schönau am Königssee. The land is owned by the Free State of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
Statue
A well-known monument on the island is the statue of John of Nepomuk, patron of against the dangers of the water. The statue is about 180 cm high statue and made of marbleMarble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. It stands on a hill in the northern portion of the island, on top of a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
about two meters high. The statue was erected in 1711 and donated by Johann Anton Zeitlmayer, director of chancellery and land judge of the Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry or the Prince-Provostry of Berchtesgaden was an immediate principality of the Holy Roman Empire, held by a canonry, i.e...
, after all four passengers involved in a boat accident had been rescued. Since the erection of this statue, the island has also been called Johannesinsel (John's island or St. John's). It is believed that previously a statue of Apostle
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
Bartholomew
Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
was at this location.
Platform
The platform on which the pedestal of the statue rests is enclosed by balustrades, and stairs lead to it from north and south. On the eastern side, the platform is supported by a brick wall that has two marble boards attached to it, with the inscriptions referring to the erection of the statue in 1711 and to its renovation in 1811. In front of the wall are two small stone pyramidPyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
s. Their history and meaning is unknown. Next to this part of the island is the boat landing place. At the southern end of the island, a third stone pyramid has been established in the course of the renovation starting in 1810.
Grotto
Under the platform is a grottoGrotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
, which is accessible through an iron gate from the west. . The grotto has square floor plan, and the side panels have two niches each. At the rear wall a fountain made of red marble, dated late 16th century. It is unknown whether the grotto already existed in 1711 and when the well was erected there.
Literature
- Die „Christlieger“ bekommt ein neues Gesicht. Umfangreiche Quellenforschung und viel Fingerspitzengefühl für die Sanierung der Königssee-Insel erforderlich. Berchtesgadener Anzeiger, Nr. 181, 21 September 1991, Berchtesgaden 1991, Berchtesgadener Anzeiger Verlag.
- Elmar D. Schmid: St. Bartholomä am Königssee. Amtlicher Führer, 6. Auflage, München 1991, Bayerische Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen.
- Geschichte von Berchtesgaden, Band 2,1: Vom Beginn der Wittelsbachischen Administratium bis zum Übergang an Bayern 1810, Teil 1: Politik - Gesellschaft - Wirtschaft- Recht, Berchtesgaden 1993, Plenk Verlag, ISBN 3-922590-78-0