Archaeologists Unearth Site Believed to Be the Deathplace of Otto the Great

Archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt have been tirelessly excavating the former imperial palace and the Benedictine monastery in Memleben, a central German town, since 2017. Their efforts this year yielded remarkable findings – offering a significant breakthrough in our understanding of history. For the first time, tangible archaeological evidence of the Palatinate of Memleben, the as-yet unlocated place of death of Emperor Otto the Great and his father Henry the Fowler (919-936), has been uncovered.

The site was subsequently transformed into a monastery church by Otto the Great's son, Otto II. A mysterious foundation discovered in the cloister of the monastery church has ignited speculation about its potential link to the burial of Otto the Great's heart and internal organs.

Memleben monastery. In the right part of the picture, the monastery garden, under whose border the predecessor building of the monumental church continues. Photo by Thomas Jäger / Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt

The Memleben monastery itself stands as a pivotal historical site in the region, with its ruins of the 13th-century monastery church showcasing the transition from late Romanesque to early Gothic architecture. This church underscores the historical significance of the place: Emperor Otto I, famously known as "The Great," passed away in Memleben in 973, as did his father in 936. Otto II and his wife Theophanu went on to establish a Benedictine monastery at the site in honor of the emperor, which was first documented in 979 and remained one of the most important monastic institutions in the Ottonian Empire. Despite its loss of independence in 1015, when Henry II placed it under the control of the East Hesse Benedictine monastery of Hersfeld, Memleben remained a vital place of remembrance for the ruling family.

Recent research focused on three specific areas near the church built by Otto II: the northeast side apse, which partly served as a cemetery, the cloister area at the northern aisle, and the connection between the side aisle and the cloister on the western transept.

In 2022, the remains of a stone structure that predated the church were discovered directly adjacent to the northern side apse of Otto II's monumental church. This marks the first architectural evidence predating the construction of the basilica, dating back to the times of Henry the Fowler and Otto the Great. The building was approximately east-west oriented and measured around 9.20 meters in width. The extent to the east has yet to be determined, as it is concealed beneath today's monastery garden. The western side of the building features an opening over five meters wide, which appears to have had two portals originally. The building, dating back to the 10th/11th century, is notably older than the church it was found near.

Excavation section in the area of the cloister on the north side of the monumental church. On the right side of the picture, the remains of the foundation of the hitherto unknown, enigmatic building in the cloister. Photo by Holger Grönwald / Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt

The interior of this earlier building reveals a robust rubble pavement that served as a substructure for a lime plaster floor, remnants of which are still preserved in small sections. The exceptional quality of the 10th-century building suggests that it may have been a sacred or representative structure of the Palatinate of Memleben. Regardless of its precise function, this discovery marks the first time that archaeological evidence confirming the residence and death site of Henry and Otto has been uncovered.

A written source from the 16th century associates the mysterious building in the cloister area with the reburial of Otto the Great's heart. According to Thietmar von Merseburg's chronicle, Otto the Great's viscera were buried in Memleben's St. Mary's Church the night after his death, while his embalmed body was transported to Magdeburg. This newly discovered building might have been a sanctuary for the temporary storage and veneration of this relic, or it could have served as the tomb of a high-ranking person from the medieval period.

Further investigations of the densely occupied cemetery at the northeast apse of Otto II's church also unearthed numerous burials, shedding light on the historical significance of this site.

To better understand the floor plan and building history of Otto II's church, researchers examined the area outside the northern aisle, providing insights into the western transept, the foundation of which is interlocked with the nave to the east. This information complements earlier findings about the construction sequence, with the eastern apse and eastern transept being the first components built. Subsequently, the two eastern side apses and the nave and western transept were constructed simultaneously.

This year numerous burials were examined in the densely occupied cemetery at the northeast apse of Otto II’s church. Photo by Thomas Jager / Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt

Severe fire traces were also evident on the foundation during the excavation, indicating a targeted uncovering and burning during the building's demolition. This suggests that the laborious dismantling of individual stones was avoided in favor of a more efficient method of collapsing large sections of the masonry with fire. This demolition process can be dated to the 14th century, offering valuable insights into the church's history.

In summary, this year's archaeological excavations in Memleben have yielded crucial findings, most notably the discovery of a stone-built predecessor to Otto II's church. This 10th-century building's exceptional quality is of significant historical importance, as it provides tangible evidence of the authentic location of the Palatinate, a site of immense historical significance for the founding of the Holy Roman Empire and the deaths of the rulers Henry I and Otto I. The collaboration of various institutions and scholars has been instrumental in uncovering this vital piece of history, further enriching our understanding of the past.

This year's research excavation took place from August 21st to September 29th and was a collaborative effort between the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt, the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (HA), and the Kloster und Kaiserpfalz Memleben Stiftung, with the participation of students from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg im Breisgau. The focus of the investigations was on the church from the time of the monastery's founding in the 10th century and its immediate surroundings.