Funeral at the medieval leprosy hospital found in Lubeck –

A tomb connected to a medieval bulb was found in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Last week, he encountered human skeletons while building a new “bike highway” outside the medieval city gates. First, the police were called, and when they determined that it was not a crime, archaeologists stepped in to dig. They found the graves as part of the cemetery of St. Jürgen’s Hospital.

The former Lübeck St. Jürgen Leper House and its associated churches and cemeteries are located directly in front of the outer mill door in the south of Hansac. The complex may have originated in 1260, when Bishop John III of Tralau issued a general order for lepers in the diocese of Lubeck. This is likely to be prepared at the request of the Lübeck Council in preparation for a colony of lepers like Lübeck. This is consistent with the statute issued by Bishop Burchard in 1294, which states that lepers are kept as “Murantibus Murantibus” (outside the walls of the city of Lübeck). The complex was destroyed in the so-called Warrenwever uprising of 1534, and was not rebuilt until 1540 and 1542, before being completely demolished about 90 years later, paving the way fortifications in the city.

Several previous excavations in the area, often stimulated by utilities or construction projects, have encountered graves in leprosy ward cemeteries. The traction of the bone was removed, examined and analyzed, but surprisingly, DNA and orthologic analysis has not found any direct evidence of leprosy. The bones found in the cemetery represent the cross-section of the population of the city, rather than any particular group, age or gender dominant. Archaeologists believe that St. Jürgen may have served as a hospital for terminally ill patients, not just lepers.

The previous burial was discovered in 2018, and although construction has been underway since then, a new grave was not discovered until this month. New discoveries prove that the cemetery extends further east than it is realized.

As we all know, these are individuals, and the grave pits to the west towards the west are about 1.30 meters below the current surface. The faint remains of the wood indicate that the deceased was buried in jagged logs. As in 2018, graves will be scientifically recorded, excavated and inspected. Only in this way can these burials be clear at the time when those funerals were excavated and whether they confirm or supplement the discovery or provide further new insights.