Wimpassinger Kreuz#

Wimpassinger Cross, giant cross made around 1270/80 (7 x 4.6 m), similar to Tuscan-Umbrian triumphal crosses with the Corpus Christi painted on parchment and figurative scenes in the rectangular parts at the ends of the arms of the cross; thought to be the work of one of the most important Austrian painters of the 13th century. Although the cross showed features characteristic of Italian models, the paintings are typical examples of the mature Zackenstil (Zig-zag Style) with a particular Austrian flavour. The Wimpassing Cross was one of the few known monuments of the last phase before the pre-Gothic period and one of the main works of western art of that time. It was in Vienna's Minoritenkirche Church until 1784 but was transferred to Wimpassing an der Leitha after the church was secularised. In 1939, it was brought to Vienna for restoration purposes and was destroyed by fire in Saint Stephen's Cathedral in 1945.

Literature#