Saint Barbara (original statue)

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Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, is often depicted in iconography with a variety of attributes, including a palm branch, a chalice, and a sword. However, she is typically shown with a tower. According to legend, Barbara's father, Dioscorus, imprisoned her in a tower as punishment for converting to Christianity. A lightning bolt split the tower walls, allowing Barbara to escape, but she was later caught and sentenced to death. Dioscorus personally executed the sentence with a sword, only to be struck by another lightning bolt immediately after, turning him to ash on the spot. Since the 17th century, Saint Barbara has been the patron saint of those who work with explosives, such as miners, who adopted her as their patroness. In Limburg, the worship of Saint Barbara began shortly after World War I, introduced by foreign miners working in the region's mines. The feast day of Saint Barbara is December 4, a day off for miners.