idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Since January 2025, the tomb of Emperor Otto the Great in Magdeburg Cathedral has been in the focus of extensive conservation measures. Both the contents of the wooden coffin found inside the sarcophagus and the stone sarcophagus itself are currently being examined using state-of-the-art methods in collaboration with renowned national and international institutions and researchers. A first result now comes from the analysis of the marble from which the cover slab of Otto the Great's sarcophagus is made. Investigations by specialists in the provenance of ancient marble from Vienna and Bochum concluded that it is unequivocally marble from Proconnesos (now the island of Marmara, Turkey).
Since January 2025, the tomb of Emperor Otto I in Magdeburg Cathedral has been in the focus of a comprehensive cooperation project between the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Foundation) and the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt to save and restore this culturally and historically significant tomb. Following extensive non-invasive documentation and investigation of the stone sarcophagus, the removal of its marble cover slab was the first step, which took place at the beginning of March 2025.
Proconnesos instead of Carrara – the origin of the marble on the tomb of Otto the Great
It was already known from the start that the cover slab of the coffered limestone trough consisted of a reused antique piece of marble. After its removal, the underside and exact dimensions of the white marble slab, traversed by dark bands, could be documented for the first time.
In order to identify the raw material source, renowned specialists in the field of determining the origin of ancient marbles were involved in the project: Walter Prochaska and Vasiliki Anevlavi from the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Vienna) and Vilma Ruppiene from the Institute for Archaeological Sciences at the Ruhr University Bochum.
The initial findings of this research group shed new light on the capstone. Previous publications had suggested that its material was Carrara or Cipollino marble from the Apuan Alps (Italy) or the island of Euboea (Greece), respectively. However, this conclusion, based on a very small sample, could not be confirmed by the ongoing investigations.
For the new analyses, representative samples were taken from two locations. These consisted of a core sample approximately 1.5 cm in diameter from the white layer and from the dark layer of the slab. Thin sections of these samples were subjected to petrographic analysis under a microscope to determine the mineralogical characteristics of the marble. In addition, the rock was examined for its isotopic and chemical composition. Complex statistical methods were used to evaluate these findings. The results were then compared with a database containing approximately 7,500 quarry samples from deposits in the Mediterranean region, northern Italy, and the Eastern Alps.
The results of all applied analyses clearly demonstrate that the marble of the tomb slab originates from the quarries of Proconnesus (present-day Marmara Island, Turkey). High-quality marble has been quarried here since the Archaic period (7th/6th century BC) to the present day. Proconnesian marble is white and exhibits sharply defined gray bands of varying intensity and infrequent folding. Typically, in antiquity, the pieces were cut so that the banding followed the longitudinal axis. The structure of tightly folded bands with loose and jagged edges running obliquely to the longitudinal axis, as seen on Otto's tomb slab, only became fashionable in late antiquity.
Numerous examples of Proconnesian marble of this type are known from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, and especially from Ravenna. There, Proconnesian marble was used for wall cladding, as flooring, and in the form of columns. Since Otto I spent about ten years of his life in northern Italy, it is highly likely that the tomb slab arrived in Magdeburg from there as spolia. A delivery as a new piece directly from the Proconnesian quarries is highly improbable for logistical and political reasons, especially since it is recorded that Charlemagne had to obtain spolia from Rome and Ravenna because he could not acquire them otherwise.
Background: The Tomb of Otto I in Magdeburg Cathedral – An Endangered Monument
Otto I, the Great (born November 23, 912; died May 7, 973 in Memleben), of the Liudolfing dynasty, is a central figure in European history as the re-founder of the Holy Roman Empire in Western and Central Europe, succeeding the ancient Roman Empire and the reign of Charlemagne. He was the driving force behind Magdeburg's elevation to an archbishopric in 968, to which the city on the Elbe River owed its economic and cultural prosperity. After his death in 973, he was buried in Magdeburg Cathedral in the presence of Archbishops Adalbert of Magdeburg and Gero of Cologne, alongside his wife Editha, who had died in 946. Since the cathedral's reconstruction in the 13th century, the emperor's tomb has been located centrally in the inner choir of Magdeburg Cathedral.
By reviving the Roman Empire, Otto I laid the foundation for the later Holy Roman Empire, making him a central figure in European history. His tomb in Magdeburg Cathedral is therefore a monument of considerable cultural and historical value, extending far beyond the borders of Saxony-Anhalt. Its preservation is of paramount importance to the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, as owner of Magdeburg Cathedral, the Evangelical Cathedral Parish, as user of the church, and the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, the responsible heritage authority. During routine joint monitoring, alarming damage to the tomb was observed last year. Both institutions were therefore compelled to initiate conservation measures for this important monument. Work began in January 2025 and will continue in 2026. The emperor's remains will remain in Magdeburg.
The collaborative project
All work on the tomb of Otto the Great is being carried out in cooperation between the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt and the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, as well as in coordination with the Evangelical Cathedral Parish and the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. The liturgical use of the church will not be affected. Restrictions for visitors to the cathedral will also be kept to a minimum. Thus, both the choir stalls in the High Choir and the 13th-century sculptures of Saint Maurice and Saint Catherine will remain visible. An information panel and a screen presentation at the tomb's enclosure explain the reason for the installation and will be updated as significant new developments and findings emerge. The public will continue to be informed about the progress of the work at appropriate intervals.
The sarcophagus of Otto the Great in the choir of Magdeburg Cathedral.
Source: Christoph Jann
Copyright: Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt
The representative cover slab, removed from the stone case, was examined by Viennese and Bochum spec ...
Source: Andrea Hörentrup
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
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