The Macabre Human Bone Church of Sedlec, Czech Republic

The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

We had dreamed and discussed a trip to what Veronica happily calls “The Motherland” for a long, long time.

A recent trip to Europe finally afforded us that opportunity. In our little rented car that we named Benny, we tooled into the Czech Republic with almost no idea what to expect.

Actually, it would be impossible for anyone to expect what we found in the little town of Sedlec — an ancient chapel that came with a very disturbing secret.

Creepy headstones at the graves of The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

It had been used as an ossuary, or mass burial site. Strange, yet not completely out of the ordinary.

But inside the walls of this seemingly peaceful little church is a gallery so ghastly, it must be seen to be believed.

We had heard stories about this place, but words — nor pictures — can begin to explain what it was like walking through the doors.

This chandelier at The Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic contains every bone in the human body

This chandelier at The Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic contains every bone in the human body

Human bones from tens of thousands of people adorn the walls and ceiling, in inexplicable formations.

Strings of skulls and femurs of the dearly departed hang like garlands over the arches and doorways.

Stacks, pyramids, signs, crucifixes, candelabras and a coat of arms surrounded us, all made from the skeletons of the long deceased.

This chandelier at The Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic contains every bone in the human body

We — and every other visitor present — simply gaped in amazement.

Then we noticed the creepy centerpiece of this macabre masterpiece, a massive chandelier containing at least one of every bone in the human body.

It’s hard to say how long we stood staring, time seemed to come to a grinding halt inside the tomb.

What would make someone conceive of such a grizzly undertaking? The tale takes us back to the 1200s:

The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

Before the church became an ossuary, there was a conventional cemetery outside.

In the 13th century, the abbot of Sedlec, Henry Heidenrich, brought back some dirt from Golgotha (the hill where Jesus Christ was crucified) he acquired on a pilgrimage to The Holy Land and sprinkled it over the cemetery.

Suddenly the cemetery became the place to be buried if you lived in Bohemia.

Cherub angel with trumpet and skull

Making the idea of this spot as a final resting place even sweeter, a legend arose that if one was buried here their remains would decompose in just three days.

Who wouldn’t want to avoid – as the ossuary’s literature puts it – “the lengthy process of gradual decomposition?” Soon all of Central Europe wanted in on the action.

Sedlec Ossuary is the common grave of about 40,000 people

When the plague of the 14th century hit, the burial ground had to be significantly enlarged.

In 1318 alone, thirty thousand people were buried in the cemetery.

Around this time the chapel became an ossuary, but was heavily damaged in 1421 during the Hussite Wars. In 1511, large areas of the graveyard were decommissioned and bones from those graves were stacked in and around the ossuary.

Crown adorning one of the four pyramids of human bones

By the time renown architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl was commissioned to restore the ossuary, in the early 1700s, tens of thousands of souls had been laid to rest in it.

Santini’s unique mixture of the Gothic and Baroque styles were employed in the redesign and stand today.

Although a bit of bone decorating was going on prior to this, Santini kicked it into high gear. Using the hodgepodge of bones laying around, he constructed six enormous pyramids and affixed golden crowns atop them.

The Sedlec Ossuary near Kutna Hora, Czech Republic

The visitors guide states that the decor “may not be quite intelligible nowadays. We might be mistaken when considering the Ossuary’s decoration as mere bizarreness. It makes deep sense in the context of the stirred baroque piety.

Baroque piety or not, this seems to be the only place where people thought it made any, much less deep, sense.

The Schwarzenburg family coat of arms made of human bones at the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic

In the late 1700s the ossuary was sold to the Schwarzenburg family who decided to turn woodcarver František Rint loose inside.

Using two of the six pyramids, he constructed the highly disturbing Schwarzenburg coat of arms. The “leftover” bones were reburied.

It is Rint’s work that struck us speechless.

Close up of the coat of arms in the Sedlec Ossuary

There’s a bird (whose wing looks as though it may be made out of a hand or foot) pecking the eye of a Turkish soldier, symbolizing a war victory.

Rint even “signed” his name in bones on a wall, for a little added flair.

Nearly as bizarre as the ossuary’s decor, is way the literature is worded. Someone seems to have turned somersaults justifying the ossuary’s unique ornamentation:

Jan Blazej Santini-Aichl vision

It’s guessed that the Ossuary is a common grave of about 40,000 people.

This work reminds us of the fact and the worth of eternity. God has concluded a covenant that puts us under an obligation to responsibility towards God and our neighbors.

The observance of the covenant will be appreciated when we die.

What? Well this should clear things up:

Sedlec Ossuary is the common grave of about 40,000 people

In the corners of the lower chapel your attention can be caught by giant pyramids made of bones.

These bones are stowed up without being bound together.

The human bones represent multitudes which none can count facing the God’s throne.

Or maybe not.

The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

It was time to get out, there’s only so much time we could comfortably spend in a grave.

We were having a strange feeling of desecration gnawing at the back of our minds.

Should busloads of tourists really be tromping through this tomb? The measure of respect for the dead seemed to be fairly lost in the crowd, not to mention the cheesy skull trinkets and souvenirs offered on the way out.

Ah yes, some things remain the same throughout our travels…

Exit through the gift shop.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See all of our adventures in the Czech Republic!


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38 thoughts on “The Macabre Human Bone Church of Sedlec, Czech Republic”

  1. These 40.000 people bones in Church so its ART place
    if these in a Mosque that mean Muslim are BARBARIC and SAVAGES and Islam is Inhuman

  2. I consider myself a connoisseur of macabre and offbeat, but this goes beyond anything I’ve ever dreamed of. It’s like a mashup of Bodies: The Exhibition and The Killing Fields memorial in Cambodia – both I’ve seen once and never care to again. Great post.

  3. We’re in the Czech Republic for the next 2 months and we intend to visit this monastery on a day trip from Prague. Think I’ll keep it a surprise for Spanky and freak her out!
    Good job,
    Frank (bbqboy)

  4. I don’t think there are too many places that are so similar to this, but we’ve certainly seen a catacomb or two that were certainly noteworthy.

    There’s also a similar open air catacomb in a kind of cave in Naples that this really reminds me of.

  5. This is somewhere I would not want to miss…. I think we spend so much time in our culture now avoiding the thought of death – so it’s no wonder a place like this really sparks out interest.

  6. I believe the Macabre Human Bone church is one of the must-visits before we die.. and I haven’t. The photos are totally amazing. I can’t wait to witness this myself and enjoy the rest of the country.

  7. I rather like this idea, using remains in an artistic and, I think, beautiful way. Make more sense to visit the actual remains of a dead person that staring at a headstone and plot of ground. I never understood the reason for burying the dead in the ground to decay and be eaten by bugs and worms, yuk. That’s why I want to cremated. I’d prefer a “Viking” funeral but I don’t think that’s legal anywhere. I’ve heard of places that can mix your ashes with artificial reef material so you can become part of the ocean. Perfect for me, I’ve always wanted to be a mermaid in my next life!

  8. Oh my word that is INSANE! I thought the catacombs in Lima were creepy, but this place takes creepiness to a whole new level! So strange that people make art out of dead people… when I was in the Peru ones I kept thinking “each one of these skulls is one dead person” soooo many dead folks!

  9. What a highly unusual place. I got a kick out of this:

    “It’s guessed that the Ossuary is a common grave of about 40,000 people. This work reminds us of the fact and the worth of eternity. God has concluded a covenant that puts us under an obligation to responsibility towards God and our neighbors. The observance of the covenant will be appreciated when we die.”

    HUH???

  10. Needless to say, this is disturbingly creepy. I don’t think I can put that much appreciation for a tomb that houses around 40,000 dead people. I mean, the architecture and all is amazing, but it feels a bit uncomfortable to walk inside a structure made of dead people’s bones. And I can’t believe that a place that’s supposed to be the place of rest for the deceased is now a tourist destination. But, I guess it offers us a lens in which we can see the “bizarrity” of the ancient people.

  11. Very creepy! I went to a bone chapel in Portugal nowhere near as big as this one, but I could just feel chills.

  12. Oh wow – and I thought the monastery in Lima with the bone collection in the catacombs was confronting. The bones were all put together in groups of skulls, limb bones, etc. completely mixed up skeletons. Seems so wrong to me. But art with human skeletons is something different all together. Something about it really bothers me!

  13. Chezkoslovakia is one of the places I would love to visit. I am thrilled that you went even to see that (shudder) church. 🙂 Maybe sometime in the near future. Happy travels!

  14. This sounds like a very interesting place in a very unusual way! I have heard of other ossuary's in Europe but have not had the chance to visit one yet. I am looking forward to reading more about your trip to Czech republic especially your impressions on driving.

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