German police hunt man who tried to chop down giant border cross

 Wasquewhat/Wikimedia commons

German police say they're seeking a man who's launched a series of attacks on a giant cross near the Austrian border.

The suspect is said to have attempted to cut down the cross on various occasions.

The large wooden symbol is placed on the summit of the Schafreuter mountain which on the border between Germany and Austria. The cross was first attacked in May, then in July and again recently.

The latest attempt was spotted by a helicopter pilot who was flying over the mountain.

Police say they are unsure of the motive behind the attacks but have not ruled out the possibility that they are religiously motivated. 

A German news outlet reported that the suspect police are seeking is "thought to be a man in his mid-thirties, around 1.80 metres tall, and fairly strong... with witnesses saying he had a foreign sounding accent".

If the motive for the attacks on the cross does turn out to be anti-Christian or anti-religious, it will join a long list of attacks on momuments to faith.

Iconoclasm is recorded in the Old Testament and throughout church history and remains an issue in parts of the world.

News
All Nations Christian College to sell campus and move courses online
All Nations Christian College to sell campus and move courses online

The college campus has connections with the 19th century abolitionist movement.

What is the biblical basis of Ash Wednesday?
What is the biblical basis of Ash Wednesday?

18 February 2026 is Ash Wednesday, which traditionally starts the season of Lent. This is the story …

Lent for the weary: rethinking the season as rest, not religious hustle
Lent for the weary: rethinking the season as rest, not religious hustle

Has Lent just become another self-improvement project with a spiritual label?

Bible Society stands by 'Quiet Revival' research
Bible Society stands by 'Quiet Revival' research

Questions about the study have been raised.