Abdij van Schlehdorf, Duitsland 1863 - 1868

Johann Friedrich Stiehm captured this stereoscopic view of the Schlehdorf Abbey in Germany using photography in the 19th century. Dominating the foreground is the graveyard, marked with numerous crosses. As potent symbols of Christianity, the crosses signify sacrifice, redemption, and the intersection of the divine and earthly realms. The cross, however, is not unique to Christianity. Older iterations of the symbol appear in ancient cultures, representing the cosmos or the meeting of different forces. The swastika, for example, now laden with negative connotations, was once used to convey ideas of good fortune and life. This underscores the capacity for symbols to mutate, burdened with new emotional and cultural baggage over time. These crosses can be seen as visual anchors, deeply embedded in our collective memory, inviting contemplation on mortality and spirituality.