Tales from the Vienna church crypts

 St Stephens (Stephansdom) church in Vienna started being built in 1137 . Up until the 1700’s there was a cemetery surrounding the church. In about 1718 the cemetery

was closed and a crypt was built beneath the church. Between 1745 and 1783 over 10,000 people were buried in the crypts beneath the cathedral.

Well the crypts got filled to the brim and were walled off. Apparently this caused quite a bad smell. Only a small group of people were allowed into the crypts.

When the crypt got full, prisoners were sent in to stack the bones to make more room. There are cavernous ossuaries (container or room where bones of the dead are put) full of skulls and bones. 

The crypts have two sections. One part is for the bishops and in the past, nobility. In other words the rich and powerful. That area has caskets and urns. The other part is much darker and contains ossuaries where the skulls and bones are. This where the common folk ended up.

There is a tour where you can go down there and look at the whole thing, including looking down to see the skulls and bones. All for the low price of $5. Did I go down there? No. I’ll pass.