A Guide to the Brno Ossuary

Brno Ossuary is the second largest burial chamber of bones in Europe after the Paris Catacombs.

It holds the remains of around 50,000 people from around the Moravian city, who would have been interred there over several centuries.

It’s a fascinating insight into the history of Brno and Central Europe, one of the best-preserved examples of what was once a frequently used means of burying the dead.

The Ossuary exhibition also has some amazing artefacts, including items buried with the dead and some beautiful painted coffins dating from the 18^th century.

The Ossuary of Brno was essentially an overflow storage space for the dead of medieval (and later) Brno.

Locals who died were initially buried in the Cemetery of St James’ Church, somewhere above and very close to the Ossuary site. The Church and Ossuary are in Brno old town.

However due to its small capacity, bodies had to be exhumed after 10 to 12 years, and the bones moved down to the Ossuary site.

We know the Cemetery existed in the early 13^th century so the Ossuary would have been opened some time after this.

During the Middle Ages the bones of victims of the plague and cholera were brought to Brno Ossuary.

Soldiers killed during the Thirty Years War would also have been interred there.

The Ossuary was still being used as late as the 18^th century. The entrance was paved over around 1784 and, over the ensuing years, it was forgotten by locals.

The crypt and Ossuary were reopened and rediscovered in 2001, with many of the bones covered in mud following flooding.

The site was gradually restored and remodelled over the following decade, with the bones of around 50,000 people being replaced in the underground chambers.

There is a small exhibition space close to the entrance and ticket office, and this includes some golden and other precious Christian ornaments buried with the dead.

The crypt – which extends below the square and church above – is made up of three separate chambers, each including thousands of skulls and bones.

Many of the bones are stacked densely to resemble pillars, and one of the chambers is a Chapel of the Dead which reminded me of the Chapel of Bones, Evora in Portugal.

One of the most powerful images at the Brno Ossuary is the neat stack of skulls in rows in a small alcove.

Many of the bones in the Ossuary offer clues to their fate. Some of the bones have a strong yellow coloration, indicating they may have been victims of cholera.

And the bones with a red tinge would have succumbed to the bubonic plague.  

Two remarkable painted coffins from the 18^th century are also on display. Although the crypt was primarily used as an Ossuary, some individual burials also took place there in the years before its closure.      

The Ossuary is beautifully presented, with solemn music composed specifically to accompany visits.  

It’s quite different to the more famous Kutna Hora Bone Church, another Czech Republic ossuary in Eastern Bohemia.  Also known as the Sedlec Ossuary, the bones in the chapel in Kutna Hora are used for decoration, including a chandelier, a coat of arms and other ornamentation.

The arrangements in the Brno Ossuary are more restrained and sober.

See Also: Chapel of Bones Evora – memento mori chapel in one of the great ancient cities of Portugal

The Brno Ossuary is located next to St James Church (Kostel svateho Jakuba in Czech). It’s on the corner of Jakubské náměstí and Rašinova, in Brno Old Town.

It’s a three-minute walk along Rašinova from Náměstí Svobody, the city’s main square.

Assuming you have arrived in Brno by train, coach or bus from the airport, you’re only a short tram ride or walk from the Ossuary of St James.

Brno Station (Brno hlavní nádraží) is the hub of the Brno city transport network, with several busy tram stops around the station. Trams 4 and 9 run closest to Brno Ossuary. The stop for these is directly opposite the train station, so if you arrive by coach, you need to walk a few minutes to find the correct stop.

Tram tickets are available from machines on the platforms, or from on board the trams. The machines on the platforms are card or coin-operated- the latter take Czech crowns (koruna) only – no euros.

You only need to travel two or three stops to reach the Brno Ossuary, so a 10-minute ticket is sufficient. You can either alight at Náměstí Svobody and walk the short distance to the Ossuary (Kostnice) or continue to the Česká stop and walk back down the road from there.

The Ossuary is to the right (south) of the church, with a separate entrance. You descend a flight of steps to enter.

Brno Ossuary Photos

The St James Ossuary is one of several Brno underground attractions worth visiting. The closest in terms of subject matter is the Brno Capuchin Crypt, less than ten minutes’ walk away near Brno Cathedral. Here the bodies of donors to the Capuchin Convent have been preserved in glass cases. It’s not for the squeamish – many of the partly-preserved bodies seem to be frozen in an anguished last moment, contorted in a final agony.

I suggest spending at least a few hours exploring medieval Brno. Climb the Old Town Hall Tower to get your bearings, and enjoy exceptional views over the Baroque church towers, Brno Spilberk Castle and the stunning Gothic Brno Cathedral on the hill above.

Don’t miss the climb to the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill. The exterior is 14th-century Gothic, embellished by twin spires from the 19^th century. You can climb these for extraordinary views of the surrounding streets below and the landmarks of Brno.

Brno also has some exceptional 20th-century architecture. There are some gorgeous flourishes of Art Nouveau, but you’ll find more in the way of Functionalist architecture from the 1920s. This reached its culmination in the World Heritage-listed Villa Tugendhat on a hill commanding an outstanding view of Brno.

Brno deserves a minimum of two or three days of your time, and the Brno City Museum in Špilberk Castle is worth an afternoon of it. While there, take time to walk some of the ramparts and climb the lookout tower for one of the finest views of Brno.