Station: [107] Heiligenhäuschen

The Heiligenhäuschen, a small, shrine-like house, in front of you is St. Anthony’s Chapel. The curved gable is typical of the Baroque period. Inside the chapel, in a niche above the altar, hangs the portrait of St. Anthony, the patron saint of plague victims. The chapel was built in the 17th Century for lepers, who had to live outside the city walls. Usually, such small chapels were donated by an individual or family, as a public declaration of their faith or to fulfil a vow. However, marksmen brotherhoods were also sponsors of such little houses, which can be found in many places in Xanten. Later, they served as places of reflection and silent prayer as well as neighbourhood meeting places. Moreover, they were a sacred blessing for pilgrims en route during their pilgrimages. In the 19th Century, the chapel was adorned with the holy figures of Victor and Helena. You can learn more about Victor and Helena at the Xanten Cathedral stations. The St. Anthony Chapel lies just outside the historic centre. 120 meters to the south, you’ll reach the Cleves Gate, which is not far away from the Monastery Museum and the Siegfried Museum. If you look to the left, you can see the building of the Roman Museum in the Xanten Archaeological Park. The Archaeological Park marks the site, which in Late Antiquity was one of the most important Roman cities on the Rhine.