The charnel house is located directly behind the parish church of St. Stephen and is without doubt a jewel of late Romanesque architecture that is unparalleled throughout Europe - as confirmed by art-historical literature. The building was erected around 1240/50, probably on the orders of the last Babenberg Duke Frederick II, by a Norman construction company that had previously been active in Jak in western Hungary - where there is an almost identical funnel portal.
Ossuary and chapel
Until 1785, the lower floor of the charnel house served as an ossuary for the exhumed bones from the cemetery that still surrounded the parish church at the time. Its upper floor is actually a cemetery chapel. A flight of steps, restored in a quarter arch, leads to its entrance. The entrance to the charnel house is a jewel in its own right: the magnificent Romanesque funnel portal literally draws the visitor inside and thus into times long past.
Uniquely 11-cornered
The layout of the charnel house is 11-sided, a shape that apparently goes back to a sacred building in Jerusalem. The east apse, oriented towards the light of the rising sun, shows Christ as the ruler of the world, the archangel Michael as the dragon slayer and figures of saints in medieval depictions.
Opening hours
A visit to the chapel room of the charnel house is possible by early reservation: For city tours - Tourist Information Tulln, +43 2272 67566 or E-Mail: tullner-donauraum@donau.com; Individual visit with an authorized person on the parish Tulln - St. Stephan, Tel .: +43 2272 62338-0, opening times parish office: Mon & Thu: 9:00-12:00 and 15:00-17:00 Clock, Wed & Fri: 9:00-12:00 Clock or the association "Rettet den Karner", Karl Heinl, Tel .: +43 676 3069499.
