In the Hallstatt Charnel House you can see around 1,200 skulls, most of them carefully inscribed and beautifully decorated with floral ornaments. About 700 of these skulls are even painted.
The tradition of skull painting began here around 1720, although skulls had already been placed in the charnel house since the early 1600s as a kind of “second burial.” Contrary to long-held belief, this was not primarily due to a lack of space in the cemetery, but rather a family tradition. Graves were never cleared on a large scale.
Usually, the deceased would remain buried for 10 to 20 years before the skull was removed. The gravedigger would then clean it, and it would be left outdoors in sun and moonlight to bleach naturally. Afterwards, the skull could be decorated—each artist adding their own style, though different painting patterns can be traced to particular periods.
Today, new skulls are only rarely placed in the charnel house. However, this is still possible on request—for both Catholic and Protestant Christians, who continue to share the same cemetery. A meaningful symbol of ecumenical harmony
