Michaelskapelle, Gothic cemetery chapel in Oppenheim, Germany
Michaelskapelle is a two-storey former cemetery chapel behind the Gothic Katharinenkirche, with a vaulted cellar that served as an ossuary between 1400 and 1750. In that cellar the remains of up to 20,000 people were kept, visible today through an iron grille. The chapel was rebuilt in 1889 after the fire of 1689 left it a ruin.
The chapel's construction date is uncertain: it may have begun in the early 11th century, though other reports point to the 14th century. From 1400 to 1750 its vaulted lower level served as an ossuary holding the remains of up to 20,000 people. A fire in 1689 left the building a ruin until it was rebuilt in 1889 during the restoration of the neighbouring St Catherine's Church.
This chapel is dedicated to Archangel Michael and its position behind the main church shows its role as a burial place for the community. The dedication reflects the spiritual importance it held in medieval religious life.
Visitors can view the remains through a metal grate and observe what is visible from ground level. To explore deeper areas and learn more details, joining a guided tour is recommended.
At the centre of the bone pile sits a skull coated entirely in gold, left behind after a television shoot; it is a real human skull.
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