German man mails back skull pilfered from St. Stephen’s Cathedral catacombs 60 yrs ago, seeking peace before death. Archivist calls it touching repentance.
Newsroom (06/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) A German tourist has anonymously returned a human skull he stole from the catacombs of St. Stephen’s Cathedral approximately 60 years ago, citing a desire to clear his conscience in his final days.
The package arrived unannounced at the desk of cathedral archivist Franz Zehetner, containing the skull and a explanatory letter. “There was suddenly a large, tied-up parcel on my desk with no specific sender,” Zehetner told reporters. “It’s not something you expect.”
The sender, identified only as a man from northern Germany, wrote that he took the skull “as a young tourist on a guided tour of the catacombs” decades earlier. “Now, at the end of my life, I want to come to terms with myself,” he stated.
Zehetner described being “touched and moved” by the gesture, noting the thief’s careful preservation of the remains over the years rather than discarding them. “The thief has not only made amends for his youthful exuberance, but has done a work of respect for the dead,” he said.
The skull, whose original owner’s identity remains unknown due to its age, has been re-interred in the catacombs. These underground vaults hold the remains of about 11,000 individuals, primarily from the 18th century, including high-ranking Viennese families.
Zehetner praised the act as a profound example of belated repentance, emphasizing that the man honored the deceased despite his initial wrongdoing. The incident underscores that redemption can come even after a lifetime, serving as a poignant reminder to right past wrongs.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Aeletia
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