Between 2021 and 2023, the long-lost royal palace of Helfta near Lutherstadt Eisleben (Mansfeld-Südharz district) was systematically investigated by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt.
The excavations led to the rediscovery of St. Radegund’s Church, founded by Otto the Great before AD 968, and to the identification of the imposing palace complex in which the Ottonian rulers resided during their stays in Helfta—findings of exceptional historical significance.
The investigations focused on the hill known as “Kleine Klaus,” located just outside Lutherstadt Eisleben. Earlier local historical and archaeological research—including geophysical surveys conducted by the LDA—had already demonstrated that the Ottonian royal court documented in written sources and the Carolingian Helphideburg mentioned in the Hersfeld tithe register were situated on the neighbouring elevations of “Große Klaus” and “Kleine Klaus.” Building on these preliminary findings, the excavations produced remarkable results.
In 2021, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the Radegundis Church on the Kleine Klaus. Established by Otto the Great and dedicated to the Thuringian princess and saint Radegundis, the church underwent multiple construction phases.
In its final form, it was a cruciform, three-aisled basilica measuring over 30 metres in length. Between the 10th and the 12th/13th centuries, more than 250 burials were interred within the church interior and in the adjoining cemeteries to the north and south.
Equally significant was the discovery in the following year of the Palatium—the representative principal building of the imperial palace complex. Located immediately northwest of St. Radegund’s Church, this elongated rectangular structure was constructed of mortared and plastered sandstone masonry and dates to the reign of Otto the Great.
Measuring 21.5 by 7 metres, it originally included an upper floor and was equipped with an advanced and efficient warm-air heating system. At a time when most residential buildings were simple post-built structures or sunken-featured houses, such a monumental and comparatively luxurious stone building can only be interpreted as a palace. It likely accommodated the royal household during their stays in Helfta and also served as a prestigious hall for official functions.
Further fortifications and a rectangular tower can be attributed to a High and Late Medieval castle, which is also mentioned in writing between the 12th and 15th centuries.
“The archaeological investigations, which are expected to begin in late summer 2026, will focus on further structures of the Ottonian palatinate and the Carolingian castle, the early to late medieval fortifications, further Carolingian and Ottonian graves, and the extensive outer baileys where the common people lived and worked,” said the LDA.
Sources : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt
