The cross for the forest workers

A single erratic stone stands upright on a stone base, balanced in the quiet of the Klötzer Forst. It is crowned by a black iron cross - a heavy, somber silhouette against the canopy of the Altmark trees.

This is the Eisernes Kreuz. It was raised after the First World War to honor the forest workers and woodsmen who died in the war. The inscription on the stone face reads 'Zum Gedenken der gefallenen Forstleute und Waldarbeiter'.

Deep in the forest, the memorial sits at a junction where several paths meet. It serves as a waypoint for hikers and cyclists on the Altmarkrundkurs route. Nearby, the land offers several shelters and places to rest, inviting a moment of pause in the greenery.

A few meters southeast of the cross, the Bismarckeiche stands as a silent companion. Here, the history of the land feels tangible in the moss and the old growth, a place where the work of the past remains anchored in the earth.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons