Wayside cross Iven
The wayside shrine was erected in gratitude for the success of the Iven couple’s endeavours; it is an expression of their deep-rooted piety.
„Ivesch Krütz“,
‘Ivesch Krütz’, as the wayside cross is called, was built in 1904.The inscription on the back says:
Monumentum hoc erectum est Anno MDCCCCIV
ab Huberto Iven
aedium Fabro ex Birkesdorf
nato in Schophoven
d 20. Febr. 1861 et
Christina Stiel
eius uxore nata
in Schevenhütte
19. Apr. 1870
Translation:
This monument was erected
in the year 1904
by Hubert Iven
Bricklayer in Birkesdorf
born in Schophoven
on 20 February 1861 and
Christina Stiel
his wife was born
in Schevenhütte
19 April 1870
Originally, the wayside shrine stood between two lime trees at a crossroads in the Schophovener Feld, called ‘In der Pützlage’.
After more than 100 years, the wayside shrine had to make way for the Inden II open-cast lignite mine. It was restored in 2007 and re-erected here at the entrance to the village. On 16 September 2007, the cross was solemnly blessed at its new location as part of a large village festival.
Windmills
are rarely found in the Jülich Börde. However, there was a windmill in Schophoven that was used to make paper. A letter from 1820 to Baron von Goltstein auf Merödgen describes the planned location near the Schlichbach stream on the footpath from Schophoven to Viehöven.
In 1823, Heinrich Sturm from Jülich built this windmill for paper production. It was built of stone, with an adjoining garden and a peat bakery, which existed for less than half a year. The ‘Chronik der Bürgermeisterei Pier’ states ‘[…] The paper factory also has a weak operation, which is very regrettable, as on the other hand many people could find work there. […]’
Heinrich Sturm was obviously not very successful economically, because on 6 February 1830, seven years after the mill was built, he had it auctioned off. It came into the possession of Peter Dohmen from Kirchberg, but only briefly, as it was sold again on 10 August 1835. After that, the information is lost.
The windmill stood where the course of the Schlichbach stream crossed under the road from Schophoven to Viehöven. The entry ‘Am Häuschen’ on the map is the last trace of this paper mill, which received the necessary process water from the Schlichbach.