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Stolen Stephansdom Skull Returned After 60 Years, Reburied With Dignity

Cathedral archivists say the remains cannot be linked to a named person.

Overview

  • An unmarked package arrived at St. Stephen’s Cathedral containing the long-missing human skull.
  • A letter inside, attributed to an older man from northern Germany, confessed to taking it as a young tourist during a guided tour.
  • Dom archivist Franz Zehetner called the gesture a work of respect for the dead and said he was moved by the admission.
  • Staff reported that matching the skull to specific remains is no longer feasible due to the vast ossuary and 18th-century secondary burials.
  • The cathedral received the parcel in late October and carried out a respectful burial, with reports indicating the matter is now considered resolved.