In the Nicolas Church of Wiuwert you can find one of the world’s wonders: mummified people that have existed for over three centuries. They have become mummified because of the natural circumstances within in the crypt which they were buried in. Scientists have yet to find out what the cause of this mystery is. In the year of 1609 the crypt was built beneath the choir of the church for the noble family of Walta. They lived in a castle nearby the village. In 1675 a group called the Labadisten came to live in the Walta castle and some of them were buried in the crypt as well.

In 1765 carpenters came upon the well preserved bodies in the crypt and discovered ‘The secret of Wiuwert’. Since then people have come to see this miracle. Scientists still can’t provide an explanation of this preservation. Different investigators have found out that there is a constant low temperature and high humidity in the crypt. The continuous air flow may also be an important factor.

Some people believe there are other reasons for this mystery including the earth’s radiation or gasses coming from the soil however we still don’t know. The birds on the ceiling are the proof that this mummification process in the crypt is still ongoing…