Archaeologists excavating the remains of a lost medieval royal palace in Germany have uncovered a 10th-century stone building that may have housed important members of the royal court. The discovery at Helfta, once a residence of Emperor Otto the Great, is providing new insights into how royal power was displayed and how people lived during the early Middle Ages.
The excavations are being carried out by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt near Lutherstadt Eisleben. The latest discoveries, announced this month, include the remains of buildings, workshops, fortifications and numerous medieval artefacts.
A New Building at Otto the Great’s Palace
A view of the 2026 archaeological excavations at Helfta, seen from the southeast. Photo: Johannes Groß / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
The newly discovered structure stands beside the palace building, or palatium, identified during earlier excavations. Archaeologists have dated it securely to the 10th century, making it one of the earliest known secular stone buildings in Saxony-Anhalt.
Measuring approximately nine by five metres, the building had a cellar and a well-preserved entrance staircase. Its precise function remains uncertain, although researchers suggest it could have served as accommodation for noble members of the ruler’s entourage or as the residence of the burgrave, who administered the site when the king was absent.
Another discovery is a stone-paved terrace on the eastern side of the palace. Situated within a courtyard bordered by the palace and church, it may have served as a platform for outdoor assemblies.
Together, these structures suggest that Helfta’s royal complex was designed not only for practical purposes but also to demonstrate the wealth and authority of its rulers.
Rediscovering a Lost Royal Residence
Aerial view showing part of the cemetery of St Radegund’s Church and part of the 10th-century royal palace at Helfta. Photo: Johannes Groß / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
The royal palace at Helfta was rediscovered during archaeological investigations between 2020 and 2023 on a hill known as Kleine Klaus. Earlier excavations identified the remains of a stone palace and the Church of St Radegund, founded by Otto the Great before 969.
The site had an even longer history. A fortified settlement called Helphideburc appears in a ninth-century document, while archaeological evidence includes Carolingian-period burials and earlier defensive structures.
During the 10th century, Helfta developed into an important royal centre. Historical records document visits by Otto the Great, his son and successor Otto II, and the medieval chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg.
Life Beyond the Royal Court
Entrance area and staircase of the 10th-century building at Helfta. Photo: Johannes Groß / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
The latest excavations have also revealed evidence of the people who supported the royal residence. In the southeastern outer bailey, archaeologists uncovered numerous sunken-featured buildings that served as homes and workshops.
These structures were generally three to five metres across, with walls of wattle and daub and roofs made from wood or thatch. Their relatively modest construction contrasts sharply with the stone buildings of the royal complex.
Finds of clay weights, casting crucibles and a lime kiln indicate that the inhabitants worked in textile production, metalworking and the manufacture of lime for plaster and mortar.
Archaeologists have also recovered silver coins dating from the 10th to 15th centuries, earrings, enamelled brooches, iron arrowheads and pottery decorated with characteristic Slavic wave patterns. Among the more unusual discoveries are an almost functional bone flute and a decorated fragment of an antler casket dating to around the year 1000.
A Later Medieval Castle
Fragment of an antler casket decorated with a circle-and-dot pattern, dating to around AD 1000. Photo: A. Kieseler / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
The excavations are also uncovering remains of a castle built during the 12th century by the noble von Hackeborn family, after Helfta’s importance as a royal centre had declined.
This later castle was considerably smaller than its predecessors, with an oval fortified enclosure approximately 50 metres across. Archaeologists have identified foundations of its defensive walls, cellars, timber-framed buildings and a substantial hall-like structure.
The castle may have been the childhood home of Gertrud and Mechthild von Hackeborn, two important figures associated with the medieval religious community at Helfta.
Bringing the Medieval Palace Back to Life
The archaeological investigations are also part of a larger effort to make Helfta accessible to visitors. In August, the government of Saxony-Anhalt announced approximately €8.5 million in federal and state funding to develop the site as a heritage attraction.
Plans include a visitor centre, observation tower and the presentation of excavated foundations. Selected elements of the medieval palace, castle, settlement and defensive walls will also be represented to help visitors visualise the original complex.
“The development for tourism will create a place where history becomes visible and attractive experiences are offered to visitors,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Culture, Rainer Robra.
The latest excavations, directed by archaeologist Felix Biermann, began on 31 August and are scheduled to continue until 24 October, with approximately 20 volunteers assisting the archaeological team.
Top Image: A 10th-century stone building in the centre of the royal palace complex at Helfta. Photo: Johannes Groß / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
Archaeologists excavating the remains of a lost medieval royal palace in Germany have uncovered a 10th-century stone building that may have housed important members of the royal court. The discovery at Helfta, once a residence of Emperor Otto the Great, is providing new insights into how royal power was displayed and how people lived during the early Middle Ages.
The excavations are being carried out by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt near Lutherstadt Eisleben. The latest discoveries, announced this month, include the remains of buildings, workshops, fortifications and numerous medieval artefacts.
A New Building at Otto the Great’s Palace
The newly discovered structure stands beside the palace building, or palatium, identified during earlier excavations. Archaeologists have dated it securely to the 10th century, making it one of the earliest known secular stone buildings in Saxony-Anhalt.
Measuring approximately nine by five metres, the building had a cellar and a well-preserved entrance staircase. Its precise function remains uncertain, although researchers suggest it could have served as accommodation for noble members of the ruler’s entourage or as the residence of the burgrave, who administered the site when the king was absent.
Another discovery is a stone-paved terrace on the eastern side of the palace. Situated within a courtyard bordered by the palace and church, it may have served as a platform for outdoor assemblies.
Together, these structures suggest that Helfta’s royal complex was designed not only for practical purposes but also to demonstrate the wealth and authority of its rulers.
Rediscovering a Lost Royal Residence
The royal palace at Helfta was rediscovered during archaeological investigations between 2020 and 2023 on a hill known as Kleine Klaus. Earlier excavations identified the remains of a stone palace and the Church of St Radegund, founded by Otto the Great before 969.
The site had an even longer history. A fortified settlement called Helphideburc appears in a ninth-century document, while archaeological evidence includes Carolingian-period burials and earlier defensive structures.
During the 10th century, Helfta developed into an important royal centre. Historical records document visits by Otto the Great, his son and successor Otto II, and the medieval chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg.
Life Beyond the Royal Court
The latest excavations have also revealed evidence of the people who supported the royal residence. In the southeastern outer bailey, archaeologists uncovered numerous sunken-featured buildings that served as homes and workshops.
These structures were generally three to five metres across, with walls of wattle and daub and roofs made from wood or thatch. Their relatively modest construction contrasts sharply with the stone buildings of the royal complex.
Finds of clay weights, casting crucibles and a lime kiln indicate that the inhabitants worked in textile production, metalworking and the manufacture of lime for plaster and mortar.
Archaeologists have also recovered silver coins dating from the 10th to 15th centuries, earrings, enamelled brooches, iron arrowheads and pottery decorated with characteristic Slavic wave patterns. Among the more unusual discoveries are an almost functional bone flute and a decorated fragment of an antler casket dating to around the year 1000.
A Later Medieval Castle
The excavations are also uncovering remains of a castle built during the 12th century by the noble von Hackeborn family, after Helfta’s importance as a royal centre had declined.
This later castle was considerably smaller than its predecessors, with an oval fortified enclosure approximately 50 metres across. Archaeologists have identified foundations of its defensive walls, cellars, timber-framed buildings and a substantial hall-like structure.
The castle may have been the childhood home of Gertrud and Mechthild von Hackeborn, two important figures associated with the medieval religious community at Helfta.
Bringing the Medieval Palace Back to Life
The archaeological investigations are also part of a larger effort to make Helfta accessible to visitors. In August, the government of Saxony-Anhalt announced approximately €8.5 million in federal and state funding to develop the site as a heritage attraction.
Plans include a visitor centre, observation tower and the presentation of excavated foundations. Selected elements of the medieval palace, castle, settlement and defensive walls will also be represented to help visitors visualise the original complex.
“The development for tourism will create a place where history becomes visible and attractive experiences are offered to visitors,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Culture, Rainer Robra.
The latest excavations, directed by archaeologist Felix Biermann, began on 31 August and are scheduled to continue until 24 October, with approximately 20 volunteers assisting the archaeological team.
Top Image: A 10th-century stone building in the centre of the royal palace complex at Helfta. Photo: Johannes Groß / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt.
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