Archaeologists in Zurich recently made a spooky discovery during construction work near the Grossmünster. 84 skeletons dating from as early as the Middle Ages were uncovered, with most being buried less than a metre from the streets above.

Construction work reveals old Grossmünster cemetery

Our story starts when the local council announced that new water and gas pipes needed to be laid in the Ober and Niederdorf of the old town. This work would pass right in front of the Grossmünster at Grossmünsterplatz.

However, before the work had even begun, experts told the local authorities that workers would likely come across a cemetery during the excavations. While the full extent and location of the burial ground were unknown, archaeologists accompanied the construction work as a precaution.

Skeletons at Grossmünsterplatz date from as early as the Middle Ages

Now, the Archaeology Department of Zurich revealed in a statement that they had found the cemetery in front of the Grossmünster. Between September and October 2024, archaeologists painstakingly discovered, removed and documented the remains of 84 people, which were buried along a 40-metre trench along the southwest facade of the church.

Experts estimate that the skeletons date from the medieval period right up to 1786. The bodies themselves were discovered lying horizontally with their arms placed at their side or crossed. Other than some wire said to have come from burial shrouds, no other ceremonial items were found.

Unknown skeletons just 50 centimetres from pavement above

In what will prove spooky for anyone who has walked passed the Grossmünster or had a beer with friends overlooking the Limmat at Grossmünsterplatz, experts confirmed that the bodies were only buried half a metre below the surface of the street.

For now, the skeletons will be kept in a specially blessed storage facility before being analysed in 2025 - individual bones not part of the skeletons have already been buried in Sihlfeld. Other notable finds during the work around the church include the floors of several medieval buildings, implying that the area around the historical site was once packed with houses.

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