German tourist returns stolen skull to Vienna cathedral after 60 years

A decades-old mystery surrounding a stolen skull from Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral has reached a surprising conclusion. An elderly German man, near the end of his life, sent the skull back to the cathedral with a confession, seeking to clear his conscience.

The skull had been taken from the cathedral's catacombs, where thousands of remains are interred, by the man during a visit as a young tourist approximately 60 years ago. For decades, the skull remained with him, an unusual souvenir of a youthful act of recklessness.

Recently, a parcel arrived at the cathedral addressed to an official, containing the skull and a letter. The letter detailed the man's confession of the theft and his wish to make amends. He explained that as his life was drawing to a close, he wanted to find peace by returning the stolen item.

Franz Zehetner, an official at St. Stephen's, reportedly found the gesture moving, despite the peculiar circumstances. While the return brings closure to the story of the theft, experts were unable to identify the skull's original owner or match it to any specific remains within the vast catacombs, which hold bones from various periods of Vienna's history.