Station: [07] Slavic burial culture

Slavic burial culture changed over the course of time. Corpse burial replaced fire burial around the 6th century. And in the 10th century Christianization of the west Slavic regions intensified. The Slavs built a church on the Oldenburg fort grounds where they buried the upper classes who had adopted Christianity. The graveyard on the ramparts has a range of special features. To the right on Board Number 18 you can see the wagon box grave. This is a burial custom typical for Scandinavia and, apart from in Oldenburg, is only to be found in Ralswiek on Rügen in the Slavic regions.

Another special feature can be seen in cabinet Number 19 behind you. Here you can see the grave of a prince richly furnished with gifts. He was buried in an oversized tree coffin made from an oak log: the relics bag made of silk mingled with golden thread and gold-plated jingles reveals the embracing of Christianity. Other valuable gifts such as the sword and the tokens show that the prince had not completely rejected the old faith, since these types of gifts were not usual for Christians.