History » 1914 - 1919 » Period of Development » Panel with the Iron Crosses
Development of the Shrine 1914-1919
The panel with the Iron Crosses
As Nr 13 of the MTA magazine of 15 November 1919 shows, the same Pallottine Father also designed the wooden panel for the war decorations of the soldier Sodalists: “It was designed by Fr Rexter PSM and made by Mr Neuen and Gelhard. The total cost was 600 Marks.”
The report in the MTA on putting up this memorial panel with the military decorations for bravery was really down-to-earth:
“… we rejoice in the warm love for the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt that all 257 retreatants took home with them – to Wiesbaden and Krefeld, Mainz and Dortmund, Bonn, Ahrweiler, Dillingen and Merzig. During the war we experienced under the most difficult conditions what a wonderful effect genuine love for Mary has. Our memorial panel and the panel for the Iron Crosses bear eloquent witness to it. The latter has been hanging in our shrine since July 1919. The reverend Sisters, who have worked in the kitchen since the beginning of the war, donated an oak garland for them.”
The panel with the Iron Crosses is more like a cupboard closed by a pane of glass. It was always felt that the depth of this cupboard was not properly thought out, because it projects far into the room. So it was certainly an aesthetic gain when this cupboard was taken down and reduced in depth by about 10 cm. This happened during the spring cleaning of the shrine in one of the closing years of the 20th century.
