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All Germany Waldsassen The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica

The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica

Skeletons dressed in extravagant 18th century royal costumes cavort in the aisles of this German basilica.

Waldsassen, Germany

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The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica   Jmh2o / CC BY-SA 4.0
The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica   Jmh2o / CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-27   BengtOlof Johansson / Atlas Obscura User
finally get there, under construction (2017)   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
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the basilica   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
outside the Basilica   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
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finally get there, under construction (2017)   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
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the organ   Grave with a view Marjolein / Atlas Obscura User
2018-09-27   BengtOlof Johansson / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In the Waldsassen Basilica in Waldsassen, Germany, the halls of the church are lined with an unusual sort of decoration.

Known as the "Holy Bodies," they are the skeletons of Christian martyrs who were exhumed from the catacombs of Rome between 1688 and 1765. What makes these even more unusual than standard skeletal relics is that these skeletons are dressed in elaborate 18th-century garb, covered in jewels, and generally look like royalty.

Each year, the church celebrates a Holy-Bodies-Fest celebrating these martyrs, with the idea that we too are "Holy Bodies." Beyond this, little about the extravagantly dressed bodies is known. However, one of note is St. Valentinus, who was dressed by brother Adalbart Eder in a biretta and highly decorated deacon's cassock.

The church also has a famous statue of Christ, but his arms were broken off by a soldier. The armless Christ is seen as a symbol of forgiveness and reconciliation, and people make pilgrimages to the church to pray to the "savior without arms."

Related Tags

Relics Basilicas Churches Relics And Reliquaries Ossuaries Sacred Spaces Catacombs And Crypts

Community Contributors

Edited By

Blindcolour, Grave with a view Marjolein, BengtOlof Johansson, Michelle Cassidy...

  • Blindcolour
  • Grave with a view Marjolein
  • BengtOlof Johansson
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • shelldel1977

Published

July 15, 2013

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Sources
  • http://www.praguepost.com/tempo/2514-skeletal-shrines.html
  • http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.pfarrei-waldsassen.de/&ei=XVjnSrTIKsq6lAeGz-X9Bw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBasilika%2BWaldsassen%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DX
  • http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.abtei-waldsassen.de/&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBasilika%2BWaldsassen%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DX&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhieGNv_IeOAAgIAw3R3H75uM-nQPg
  • p.82-84 http://www.thamesandhudson.com/The_Empire_of_Death/9780500251782
The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica
Basilikaplatz 6
Katholische Pfarrei Waldsassen
Waldsassen, 95652
Germany
50.003968, 12.308206
Get Directions

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