Summit cross on Bocholt's Rodelberg remains standing

An unusual summit cross on Bocholt's Rodelberg hill has attracted a lot of attention in recent days. It is now clear that a group of Bocholt citizens erected it themselves - and the city has now anchored it securely. The cross will thus be preserved and has become a small excursion destination.

The origin of the wooden cross on the so-called Rodelberg in Bocholt is clear: a group of five friends erected the cross on their own initiative - according to their own statement, it was a spontaneous idea. "It was basically a whim at a birthday party", says Pierre Martin from Bocholt, who built and provisionally erected the cross together with his friends from the Doppelkopf club.

The word "Rodelberg" was carved into the cross, as was the exact "summit height", which was determined by a member of the group, reports the Bocholt native: at 44.5 metres above sea level, it is probably one of the lowest summit crosses in Germany, estimates Pierre Martin.

After the cross was reported on in the local media, it attracted many interested citizens. "We were surprised at the waves the topic made", says the Bocholt resident. The city of Bocholt responded after being contacted by the group and decided to make the cross stable on site.

Two employees from the waste disposal and service company (ESB) aligned the structure on Wednesday morning and anchored it permanently in the ground, where it can now continue to be viewed by brave "summit strikers".