Curiosities and rarities
· Vanalinn
The Mummy of St Nicholas’ Church
The body of Duke Charles Eugène de Croÿ dried into a mummy at St Nicholas’ and became a public curiosity for generations.
After Duke Charles Eugène de Croÿ died, debts and legal disputes delayed his burial. In the dry conditions of St Nicholas’, his body did not decay in the usual way but became naturally mummified. The preserved corpse remained a curiosity shown to visitors for generations. The story reveals very different attitudes towards human remains, debt and public display, and how a dead man could become one of the city’s attractions.
Practical information
Address: Niguliste 3
The mummy is no longer on public display. In the museum, look for information about his story and the church’s historic burial spaces.