In the Interest of Poor Taste, Here’s 9 Times Human Skeletons Were Used in Architecture
I’m not sure they’re resting in peace. More like resting as a piece of decor.
Basilika Waldsassen, Germany
In this basilica, you can see the bodies of past Christian martyrs, glammed up for their sacrifice and made an essential part of the vibe. Doesn’t it feel like one of them only lies, and one only tells the truth?
Sedlec Ossuary
The basement of a church in the Czech Republic was overflowing with 40,000 people’s worth of bones after they ran out of burial space. So, they did what anyone would: hire a woodworker to turn them into decorations, including a chandelier. Perhaps the grimmest form of upcycling I’ve ever seen.
Basilica of St. Ursula, Germany
The walls of the “Golden Chamber” of St. Ursula’s Basilica in Germany are covered with the bones of past believers. Now, lining up bones like 3D wallpaper is macabre enough, but once you start using them to form words? That can’t be cool with their spirit.
Ossuary of the Sanctuary of St. Bernard, Italy
Like other entries on the list, this is an ossuary, somewhere where the bones of people past would be honored and displayed when cemeteries were full. That said, I’m not sure how your skull embellishing wall molding next to 20 others feels like an honor. It’s even worse if bits of your skeleton were clearly used as filler.
Bone Chapel, Portugal
Again, I understand what an ossuary is, but I have to think they were desperate for space when they explained that having your dad's corpse hanging off a wall haunted-house style was a burial method approved by God. It feels more like the Franciscan monks that built this place were just sick of having to take skeletons apart after the first couple thousand.
Chapel of Skulls, Poland
Which God are we praying to again in here? Oh, the regular Christian god. And we’re doing it in the Chapel of Skulls? Hold on, are we the baddies?
Paris Catacombs, France
Look, it’s not like I’m expecting catacombs to have no bones in them. But arranging real human bones and skulls into patterns like some sort of post-mortem Lite-Brite? A bit much, Paris.
Karner Eggenburg, Austria
The rest of these at least have the excuse of being from a long time ago, when you couldn’t toss a rock without hitting a rotting skeleton. This ossuary-slash-lawn-ornament was restored and re-stacked as recently as 1992.
Come on man, this looks like it would be out front of Hell’s best public high school.
