A skeleton discovered in a simple wooden coffin inside the official sarcophagus of 10th-century ruler Otto I in Magdeburg Cathedral almost certainly belongs to the emperor, officials said at a presentation at the city’s university hospital.
“With a probability bordering on certainty what we have here in front of us are indeed the mortal remains of Otto the Great,” Harald Meller, director of the Saxony-Anhalt State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Archaeology, said, standing beside a remarkably complete 1,050-year-old skeleton.
Evidence supporting the identification includes:
– The bones are those of a man who died at about 60 years old.
– Isotopic and physical analyses indicate a well-nourished man of elite status.
– Muscular markers are consistent with habitual horse riding in a saddle.
– Healed injuries point to an active life that likely included combat.
– DNA tests show a close genetic relationship with Heinrich II, the last Ottonian Holy Roman Emperor, who was a grandson of one of Otto’s brothers; Heinrich II’s remains lie in Bamberg.
Otto I (born 912, died 973) became ruler of East Francia and Duke of Saxony, inheriting his father Henry the Fowler’s lands in 936. He married Edith of England, a half-sister of Anglo-Saxon king Aethelstan, and continued unifying German territories. His defeat of a Magyar invasion at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955 earned him the epithet “the Great.” After conquering the Kingdom of Italy in 961, Pope John XII crowned him Holy Roman Emperor in 962, a title he held until his death around age 62. Historians credit Otto and his father with helping establish Germany’s prominence in Europe from the 10th to the mid-13th century. Magdeburg honors his legacy with an annual King Otto the Great Prize for contributions to European unity and thought.
The sarcophagus in Magdeburg Cathedral long marked Otto’s burial site. Severe damage to the limestone tomb last June required conservators to open the inner wooden coffin for restoration, providing the chance to examine its contents. Alongside the skeleton, researchers found textiles—including a red shroud of probable Byzantine or Spanish silk and a blue-dyed blanket with silver threads—eggshell fragments, fruit pits, and a 13th-century Magdeburg coin known as a Moritzpfennig. Evidence suggests the coffin had been opened and altered several times over the centuries.
Forensic analysis found the man had lost three teeth from force trauma and suffered severe gum disease. Vascular changes near the base of the skull and throat may have contributed to his death. Conservation work on the sarcophagus continues in the cathedral; the bones will remain in Magdeburg before being placed in a restored coffin.
Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Sven Schulze praised the research, saying the ability to analyze the remains with modern methods highlights the region’s scientific strength. The findings and presentation were edited by Sean Sinico.