For a long time it was unclear where the former royal palace Helfta was located. Now archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the luxurious palace.
Eisleben (dpa/sa) – Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the palace of the rediscovered royal palace Helfta near Eisleben from the 10th century. “The main building of the Palatinate was large, at least 20 meters long and 7 to 12 meters wide,” said project manager and archaeologist Felix Biermann about the presentation on Monday. “The foundations and the partial basement are clearly visible.”
The formerly two-storey building was divided into several large rooms. The building stood northwest of Radegundis Church. The sandstone walls were mortared and the walls carefully plastered. There were several entrances, including a staircase leading to a basement. “There is much to suggest that we are looking at the main building of that imperial court, Curtis imperialis zu Helpidi, which was mentioned on June 6, 969 in a document issued by Otto the Great in Azzano in Umbria (Italy),” said Biermann. At that time, the emperor transferred the Helftaer church, which he had donated, to the diocese of Merseburg.
A complex heating system proves the living comfort of the building around 1050 years ago. At a time when residential buildings were built of wood and clay, the building must have made a great impression on contemporaries. This is where the rulers resided when they were in Helfta. The building was already demolished after the turn of the millennium, when the place lost its importance for the emperors.
The remains of a burned wood-earth wall and a moat almost 6 meters deep and a good 15 meters wide come from the fortification of the early medieval castle. Early medieval pit houses, ovens, hearths, granary pits and a cellar were also discovered. The excavators also found brooches, costumes and jewellery, coins, large quantities of pottery and animal bones. Numerous settlement pits from the pre-Roman Iron Age, 2750 years ago, also came to light.
In the late 9th century, Helfta is mentioned as “Helpide” and “Helphideburg” in the Hersfelder Zehntverzeichnis, a tax list of the Hersfeld Imperial Abbey. In the 10th century, the presence of Ottonian rulers proves the function of the place as a royal court and royal palace. Two stays by Emperor Otto the Great (912-973) and his son, Emperor Otto II (955-983) are documented.
After the collapse of the church after the Reformation, it was not clear for a long time where the imperial palace was actually located. In 2009 it was found by geophysical investigations. Accordingly, the Palatinate was not directly in Helfta, but on a hill nearby, which is called “Little Klaus”. The excavations started in the summer of 2021.
