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Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church)
40,000 human skeletons decorate a church in the Czech Republic. Chandeliers of bones. Pyramids of skulls. A coat of arms made from human remains. The Black Death and Hussite Wars provided the materials. The dead became art. They say some still move.
1278 - Present
Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
500000+ witnesses
The Sedlec Ossuary is decorated with 40,000 skeletons.
The History
1278:
- Abbot brought holy soil
- From Jerusalem
- Cemetery became desired
- Black Death filled it
- 30,000 buried
The Ossuary
Created 1870:
- František Rint
- Woodcarver hired
- Arranged bones artistically
- Created decorations
- From human remains
The Decorations
Made of bones:
- Chandelier (all bones)
- Coat of arms
- Skull pyramids
- Chalices
- Garlands
The Activity
What’s reported:
- Bones shift
- Sounds at night
- Presence felt
- Cold spots
- Unease
The Scale
40,000 people:
- Black Death victims
- Hussite Wars dead
- Centuries of burials
- All displayed
- All watching
Today
Current status:
- Major attraction
- 200,000 visitors yearly
- Photography allowed
- Still consecrated
- Still eerie