The princely crypt – the burial place of the ducal family of Weissenfels – is located under the altar of the palace church and is accessible via an iron hatch in the floor.
During funerals, the dead were transported into the church on a funeral carriage. The horses were then led back out through the sacristies, and the carriage was pushed back to the door. The coffin was placed on a bier in front of the altar, surrounded by figures, candles, and other specially made funeral decorations. After the funeral service, the coffin was lowered down the stairway on a winch. Once in the crypt, it was carried to its assigned place.
Some of the coffins are richly decorated with inscriptions, figures, and allegories; others have a simple design and are made of wood. The many children’s coffins in the crypt testify to the high child mortality rate in the period, even in princely families.
A total of 38 members of the Weissenfels ducal family are buried here. Others are buried in Barby, Dahme, and Leipzig/Erfurt.