The bonehouse

World famous collection of skulls

The Hallstatt ossuary is already in existence on the lower floor of Saint Michael’s Chapel in the 12th century. Over 1,200 skulls can be found here. Just under 700 of them are painted, ordered according to family and bear the date of death.

What is behind this peculiar collection of skulls, probably the only one of its kind? In the medieval cemetery there simply is not enough room and space constantly has to be made for new burials. For this reason skulls and bones are systematically exhumed from around 1720.

After around 15 years they are removed from the grave and the skulls cleaned and painted. Apart from revealing the date of death the paint is an indication of when a skull is brought into the bonehouse. The oldest skulls are decorated with dark wreathes, while those from the beginning of the last century can be identified by their ivy twigs, Latin inscriptions and narrow cross.

And the tradition continues: if specified in their will, the inhabitants of Hallstatt can also have their skull brought into the ossuary after 10 years in the grave. The youngest skull is from 1995.