In the heart of Freiburg, Germany, a rescue excavation beneath a future finance school has uncovered a 14th-century pottery workshop and a collection of clay toys, offering a rare glimpse into medieval family life.
The discovery was made in the city’s Neuburg quarter, a district first laid out shortly after 1240 under Count Konrad of Freiburg. Archaeologists working on the 4,000-square-meter site, located near the Black Forest, have uncovered paved medieval streets, pottery kilns, and more than 40 figurines depicting women in headdresses, men in caps, horses, and mothers holding infants. These objects, once simple playthings, now tell a deeply human story from seven centuries ago.
A Medieval Suburb Frozen in Time
Beneath layers of modern rubble, including remnants of the university hospital destroyed in World War II, archaeologists found remarkably intact walking surfaces and boundary walls from Freiburg’s first urban expansion.
“This gives us a large-scale window into a meticulously planned medieval suburb,” said Dr. Bertram Jenisch of the State Office for Cultural Heritage.
Excavation leader Benjamin Hamm highlighted the emotional value of the toys:
“They remind us that even in an age marked by plague and conflict, children still played and imagined their own worlds.”
First Evidence of Freiburg’s Medieval Kilns
The dig marks the first time Freiburg’s medieval pottery kilns have been documented. Archaeologists believe one craftsman specialized in producing toys, a rarity in the archaeological record of the region. These findings not only enrich the city’s cultural history but also shed light on trade and daily life in medieval Germany.
Rescue Excavations Preserve the Past
The Freiburg dig is part of Germany’s “Rettungsgrabung” program — rescue excavations carried out under tight deadlines before construction projects erase ancient layers. While a new building will soon stand above the site, the carefully documented finds will remain as a testament to Freiburg’s urban and cultural evolution.
A Universal Story
The clay toys resonate beyond archaeology: they remind us that joy, imagination, and childhood have always transcended time and place.