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After the Church of St. John, which is also called Klaipeda Cathedral, some foundations, such as the grave of the mother holding the child on her breast, were destroyed by archaeologists.
“It just came to our attention then. But really, the story is different. Children’s funerals always evoke different feelings,” said Raimonda Nabažaitė, director of the LNK research group.
Findings in other tombs were also surprising.
“An adult individual is buried with earrings, archaeologically it is called a burial. There are details that have accompanied the deceased on an eternal journey. In the case of Klaipeda and in the case of these investigations, this is the only case, ”said R. Nabažaitė.
Most tombs, as befits Lutherans, are modestly furnished. The most beautiful part of wooden caskets – metal handles. Only one of them is exclusive: its upper part is decorated with fabric. Coins, albeit small, were also found: shillings and graces. How the money got to the graves of the modest Lutherans is a mystery.
“Perhaps it was tradition to throw a coin along with the lands, closing the grave of the grave. However, we still do not know such historical sources, ”said archaeologist Monika Rapkevičiūtė-Lisauskienė at LNK.
Several coins have also been found near the dead, but they are believed to have fallen when the coffin lids collapsed.
“Those coins are perhaps more spread out, below ground level. Because when there were victims. Or people in the 80 years that they were buried actually lost a lot of those coins, so they stayed there. They were of a very small denomination, ”he explained.
The coins suggest that the graves of the inhabitants of the cemetery and of the church under the ground from the beginning of the 18th century, because by the end of that century burial was already prohibited. This year 57 graves were found in the church and a total of 63 during the investigation.
“Once the remains have been lifted, we will take them to Vilnius for anthropological research. And they will remain at the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine. Until we have the opportunity to bury him in the probably restored church, ”said R. Nabažaitė.
Even more remains are likely to be found next year as archaeological digs slide down the aisle. St. John’s Church is called Klaipeda Cathedral, it was even visited by Queen Louise of Prussia. Here also relatives of the philosopher Emmanuel Kant were baptized. So famous people can also be buried here.
The history of the church dates back to the 13th century, when a parish was established on the tributary of the Dangė River.
The construction of the Church of San Juan in the center of the city was completed in the early 18th century. The 75-meter church tower was the tallest in Klaipeda.
He replaced the lighthouse with the ships sailing towards the harbor. The great fire that followed devastated the church. But with the efforts of the townspeople, he revived.
And during World War II, the church was destroyed and did not remain after the war.
A few years ago, it was possible to rebuild the church according to the ancient drawings of the first Prussian royal architect.
They were found by a Lithuanian expatriate living in Germany.
The restoration of the Church of San Juan was recognized as an important project for the state. The church is expected to be rebuilt by 2027.
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