F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1993/1. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1993)

EGYHÁZTÖRTÉNET ÉS MŰEMLÉKVÉDELEM - S. Lackovits Emőke: Az útszéli keresztek és szobrok egyháztörténeti jelentősége: a vallásos világnézet hordozói

of Lake Balaton the bulk of the monuments was made in the 19th century however, and there are many even from the 20th century. When erecting a cross, the person had to start a fund, the interest of which should be enough to maintain and repair the cross or statue. When this did not happen, the future of the object remained uncertain. In the 18th century these funds were administered by parish priests, from the 19th century on diocesan foundation cases were established to fulfill this task. Early crosses were carved from wood, but beside them also existed crosses made of quartz-sandstone and red sand-stone. There was also a combination of wood and cast iron, stone and cast iron cross and corpus. The masters were local stone masons working within a 40—60 km territory. On simple crosses only the representation of Christ was to be found, but in many cases accessory figures were added. This type is known in Europe from the 12th century. The accessory figures are the Virgin, or the Virgin, St. Mary Magdalene and St. John the Evangelist. In some cases at the foot of the cross there is a Pieta, or in the base the Holy Sepulchre with angels. There are crosses with accessory figures of important patron saints of the community, such as St. Florian, St. Vendelin, etc., or the patron saints of the persons ordering the cross, such as St. Anne, St. Joseph, etc. From artistic point of view the crosses have four large groups: I. Made in the first half of the 19th century with brilliantly formed figures. Dramatic vivacity, a detailed way of representation with emotional strength can be observed on them. II. Made in the second half of the 19th century, are variegated, often overcrowded with figures and details. III. Memorials from the turn of the century and the years following. They have no unified characteristics. IV. They were made in the 20th century, they have nothing in common with the basic types and bear mixed characteristics of style. With a very few exception the statues stand in villages, public places, vineyards. The reason of their erection was decided by the way of living of the community, the structure of their work and economic scale of values. The most popular statues were those of St. Florian, the Holy Trinity, St. John of Nepomuk, St. Vendelin and St. Donat. Open air sacral statues had a cultic meaning by consecration. Following this they had a special role in popular religious life; they were scenes of piousness and evoking it, and they had a moral message. People passing them expressed their honour in some forms. They were resting places for pilgrims and points of orientation for strangers. There were days of the ecclesiastic year when the members of the community visited them for liturgie purposes. Such events were Rogation Day, Palm Sunday, Easter Week, the dawn of Easter, Corpus Christi, All Souls' Day, and the month of the Virgin. In time of drought people were praying for rain in front of them. The persons taking care of these objects were who had ordered them themselves, or their family members, perhaps pious women. Even today they are painted - in German villages with colour — decorated with flowers by them.