A GERMAN homeowner was left gobsmacked when he found a 900-year-old boulder carved with a famous Christian figure centimetres beneath his home.
Peter Wittenberg, from Klotzow village, unearthed the 3ft rock showing a person with a cross on their body while renovating his home.
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Local experts are drawing links between the carved rock and Otto von Bamberg, the Bishop credited with bringing Christianity to the Pomerania region, which forms part of modern-day Germany.
“The significance of this find cannot be overestimated. The new find from Klotzow is the only one that could show a Christian dignitary,” German state archeologist Dr. Detlef Jantzen said in a statement.
The town may also have played a role in Otto von Bamberg’s missionary journeys and even if it’s not him, every portrayal of a follower of Christ from that era has value, Jantzen added.
Every portrayal of a follower of Christ from that era has value, even if it is not Bamberg.
The study team responsible for the finding believes that the stone was probably relocated into Klotzow in the 1800s.
There are only five such ones in the surrounding area but its true origin is still a mystery.
“We will now try to find out more about the original location of the stone,” said Jantzen.
Officials said homeowner Wittenberg “deserves thanks and the highest recognition” for quickly alerting German authorities.
Minister of Culture Bettina Martin said: “With this exceptionally significant find, we can add another important piece to the mosaic of our country’s history.”
“The fact that a picture stone from this period has now been found exactly 900 years later is an extremely fortunate circumstance.”
It comes after a dad hit the jackpot after finding a rare item stuffed in the wall of his home, but his rookie mistake ended up costing him thousands.
David Gonzalez discovered a comic collector’s dream worth more than 15 times the property he had just purchased.
The 44-year-old happened to stumble across a 1938 Action Comics #1 edition with its cover splashed with a brand-new hero called Superman.
It was found among old newspapers in the ceiling insulation of his home in the small western Minnesota town of Hoffman.
“I knew it was worth money,” David told Star Tribune back in 2013.
And the dad-of-four couldn’t be more right, as the vintage comic was sold for a whopping £138,000 [$175,000].
But little did David know that one little mistake would cost him almost half of his fortune.
Vintage comic comics may fetch astronomical amounts of money, with a near-pristine edition of that specific comic going for millions.
One ranking 8.5/10 on the scale raked in $3.25 million [£2.55 million] in April 2021, The Daily Star reports.
But the 44-year-old construction worker was so thrilled about his find that he accidentally tore the cover.
As a result, experts downgraded the ultra-rare comic all the way to just 1.5 on the scale instead of its potential score of 3.
“That was a $75,000 tear,” Stephen revealed to David.
But the dad said he wasn’t too bothered about ripping the cover.
“I am a humble working guy, so I didn’t get too excited when I found it with old newspapers stuffed in the walls,” he said.
Who was Bishop Otto von Bamberg?
BISHOP Otto of Bamberg (c. 1060-1139) was a prominent medieval German cleric and missionary, best known for his efforts to Christianise the Pomeranians in the early 12th century.
He was appointed the bishop of Bamberg, a diocese in Bavaria, in 1102 and became influential both in the ecclesiastical and political spheres of the Holy Roman Empire.
Otto played a significant role in church reform, particularly aligning with Pope Gregory VII’s reforms aimed at strengthening the independence and moral authority of the Church.
Otto served under Henry IV and Henry V, advising them on political and ecclesiastical matters.
His diplomatic skills were well regarded, which earned him significant influence within the imperial court.
His most renowned achievement was his two missions (1124–25 and 1128) to Pomerania, a pagan region in what is now parts of Poland and Germany.
At the request of Bolesław III Wrymouth, the Duke of Poland, Otto led efforts to convert the Pomeranian people to Christianity.
He baptised thousands of people, established churches, and is credited with peacefully spreading the Christian faith in the region.
Otto was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church in 1189, and he is venerated as a saint, particularly in Bamberg and Pomerania.
