Pestfriedhof Leiberg

The sandstone plague cross from the 17th century commemorates the plague during the Thirty Years' War. It is located near the village of Leiberg at the plague cemetery. The fenced-in site still exudes a mystical atmosphere today.

The Thirty Years' War was raging and "The Black Death" arrived in the small village in August 1635. According to legend, only seven people from Leiberg survived. Over 400 victims were buried deep in the Leiberg forest. The last of the dead were buried on St. Bartholomew's Day, and since then the people of Leiberg have celebrated their St. Bartholomew's Day every year on August 24. At Pentecost, a procession takes place from St. Agatha's parish church to the plague cemetery two kilometers away.

Leiberg belonged to the parish of Wünnenberg in the 17th century. The people of Wünnenberg had barred their town gates and thus access to the cemetery for fear of infection. So the people of Leiberger laid their plague dead to rest in the earth of "Fornholte". Fornholte was a medieval settlement that was destroyed around 1390. The tradition of the tragedy is documented in detail on site in the "Iron Book".