Spire with weathercock

This spire made of sheet iron is some 2.2 m high. A forged ornament in the shape of a diamond sits on the top, with the cut-out silhouette of a cockerel above it. A cross forms the upper end as a religious symbol. This object was made in the late 18th century; it was originally placed on the Catholic chapel in Grissenbach, east of Siegen. The cockerel is a so-called weathercock, meaning a weather vane used to indicate the direction of the wind. Weathercocks can often be found on churches, as the cockerel is a symbol of vigilance, repentance and human weakness in the Christian tradition. The first time a cockerel was mounted on a Christian church was probably in Brescia, Italy, in the 9th century.