Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took. 

The Ruffinihaus is a commercial building on Sendlinger Strasse in Munich’s old town, made up of three connected sections arranged around a triangular courtyard. It rises four stories and features bay windows and stucco decoration across its street-facing facades.

Read More: Check out all ghostly legends from Germany

It doesn’t look like it now, but once, it used to be an execution ground. And from this, ghost stories come out at night. 

East corner facing the Rindermarkt, with the Ruffiniturm fresco.

The Raven Stone Executions

Gabriel von Seidl designed the Ruffinihaus between 1903 and 1905, building it on the site of the medieval Ruffiniturm, a tower that had been part of Munich’s old city defenses. The tower was demolished to make way for the new building, which kept the name of the structure it replaced.

Diagonally opposite the Ruffinihaus , at the corner of Sendlinger Straße and Färbergraben, is a relief of a horse with the inscription “Rappeneck”. However, according to older records, it is actually the “outer Rabeneck” – a name that refers to the raven, a bird of death associated with gallows sites.

In the Middle Ages, execution sites were often called “Raven Stone” because of the ravens that swarmed around them. The house at what is now Roseneck was called the “inner Raven Corner” as a counterpart to this. After the city expansion in the 13th century under Louis the Strict, the execution sites were placed outside the new city walls.

Raven’s Stone Execution Grounds: The name Rabenstein (Raven’s Stone) derives from the phenomenon of ravens and other carrion birds regularly circling execution sites. This phenomenon can be found in many cities in Germany.

Next to the house at Rappeneck, the executioner’s house is said to have once stood on Sendlinger Straße, with the execution site behind it, in an open field. Indeed, old documents also refer to the houses at the corner of Färbergraben and Hofstatt as “am Rabenberg” (at the Raven Hill). The execution site is believed to have been located precisely where the Hofstatt (farmstead) now stands.

The Skeletons Haunting the Night

Over the years, the ground has been disturbed several times as the city grew and buildings were built on top of it. Bones were found during excavations, as those hanged were usually buried on the spot. Some claim that the area is haunted, and the executed are supposedly seen there at night, carrying their heads in their arms.

Today, strange beings are said to appear at the site every few months and then crumble to dust back to the earth, translucent figures with gaping mouths, as their final scream and words.

Newest Posts

• 

  The Headless Undead in the Ruffinihaus Courtyard16. October 2026

  Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.

• 

  The Ghost of Könizwald, Bern: The Ghost of General Robert Scipio von Lentulus15. October 2026

  Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?

• 

  The Alter Südfriedhof Cemetery and the Ghost of the Munich Eskimo Tragedy14. October 2026

  One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.

• 

  The Uhaml Forest Spirit of Without a Face13. October 2026

  In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.

• 

  Gwrach y Rhibyn – The Hag of the Mist Haunting the Welsh Waters12. October 2026

  In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood. 

• 

  The Hofbräuhaus and the Ghost of A Munich Man in Heaven11. October 2026

  Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.

• 

  The Demonic Omen of Disaster at Mödling Castle Hill10. October 2026

  Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.

• 

  The Brewer Haunting Nockherberg and the Beer Garden in Munich9. October 2026

  Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.

• 

  The Girl in the Tower of the Munich Frauenkirche 8. October 2026

  After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.

• 

  The Cursed Weilheim Plague Chapel7. October 2026

  What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?

• 

  The Restless Spirit of The Utburd Child Ghost in Norway6. October 2026

  Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences. 

• 

  The Banshee: Ireland’s Wailing Spirit of Death5. October 2026

  Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?

References:

Ruffinihaus – Heritage commercial building at Rindermarkt, Münchner Altstadt, Germany

Schauriges München: Grusel-Tour durch die Altstadt

München: Das sind die gruseligsten Orte der Stadt | Regional | BILD.de