Press release from the State Office for Monument Conservation: medieval church discovered at BfS site

Aerial view of the church Source: Archäologisches Büro Anzenberger & Leicht GbR

In the course of construction work on the site of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) in Oberschleißheim, archaeologists have discovered the remains of a hitherto unknown medieval settlement. The discovery includes house foundations, stoves, pit houses and earth cellars dating from the 9th to 13th century AD and sheds new light on the settlement history of the Munich area.

The archaeological excavations provide rare and comprehensive insights into the development and organisation of settlements dating from the High Middle Ages in the region. It is particularly remarkable that the settlement and its church are not listed in any historical maps or written sources, making this discovery all the more important. Archaeologists uncovered the layout of a church with a retracted apse in the centre of the settlement, as well as around 20 graves around the church building. Below the former church floor were indications of another burial pit, whose secrets are yet to be revealed.

One of around 20 graves Source: Archäologisches Büro Anzenberger & Leicht GbR

"In the Early Middle Ages, burial in the interior of a church was rare and reserved for people of higher status", says Dr Jochen Haberstroh, Deputy Head of the Department of Natural Monument Conservation at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Conservation (BLfD). "The discovery of this settlement helps us better understand the history of the city of Munich and its development", continued Dr Haberstroh. "Remains of Early Medieval settlements have been repeatedly found in the Munich gravel plain in recent years due to increased construction activities, but the sheer abundance of this find makes it particularly revealing."

Once the archaeological work is completed, a new building will be built on the site for the BfS's over 200 staff at its Neuherberg location. The foundation ceremony is scheduled for November 2024. The contracting authority is the Institute for Federal Real Estate (BImA).

"The excavations and their exciting results show that the location in the north of Munich was already attractive in the past – and that there is still much to be explored. As the future users, we're delighted that the new building has helped bring this important piece of history to light", says Inge Paulini, President of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).

Further research is needed to establish why this former settlement in the Neuherberg district of Oberschleißheim was abandoned in around the year 1300. Scientists are now seeking to unravel this mystery using scientific methods for the analysis of soil samples and the examination of graves. Although the archaeologists are just beginning their work, it is already clear that this find will have a lasting impact on the understanding of medieval history in the Munich area.

(Press release from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Conservation on 6 August 2024)