“Remember your mortality.” This somber message echoes from the Gebeinhaus War memorial. It stands as a stark reminder of life’s fleeting nature.
The Gebeinhaus War memorial, or ossuary, is on the north side of the Freiburg Minster. This area was once the city’s main cemetery, first documented in 1146. Most Freiburg residents found their final resting place here on this walled churchyard.
The upper class preferred burial inside the Minster or in monasteries. They paid significant fees for this privilege. These fees helped finance the Minster’s construction, especially the choir begun in the mid-14th century. Being close to holy relics meant being closer to God’s grace and resurrection.
The Gebeinhaus War memorial itself was part of a two-story chapel. This chapel was dedicated to Saints Michael and Andrew. Documents mention it as early as 1314. After about eight years, remains were exhumed cleaned and stored in the Gebeinhaus. This freed up space in the crowded churchyard. The sight of ancestors’ bones reminded the living of their own mortality.
Excavations show not all remains were exhumed. Older burials were often under newer ones. Sometimes, gravediggers placed older bones on top of new coffins.
Around 1570, the Chapel of St. Michael and Andrew underwent significant renovations. The “Pergamentplan” shows the chapel, a large cemetery cross, and the “Bäckerlicht.” The Bakers’ Guild donated the “Bäckerlicht”, a stone lamp, in 1508. They maintained the eternal light within.
Emperor Maximilian ordered cemeteries closed in Austrian city centers in 1512. He feared the spread of disease. Freiburg initially resisted. But in 1514, a new cemetery was built behind the Nikolauskirche. It was consecrated in 1515. Burials still took place in the Minster until 1784. Emperor Joseph II finally prohibited them. The cemetery wall fell a year later.
The Andreaskapelle was likely damaged during the French siege in 1744. It was demolished by 1753. The Bäckerlicht was also removed. Its Gothic column was later used in the Minster’s choir. In 1786, the cemetery cross was moved to the Old Cemetery.
In 1973, construction workers accidentally uncovered the chapel’s undercroft. Inside were human bones stacked two meters high. After archaeological examination, the site was covered with concrete slabs. The chapel’s outline was marked in the pavement.
The Gebeinhaus War memorial, though hidden beneath the square, serves as a lasting reminder of Freiburg’s history and the cycle of life and death. It encourages reflection on our shared mortality.