Angel children in Engelszell Abbey

The Engelszell Collegiate Church in Engelhartszell impresses with its baroque design. The small glass coffin boxes on the side are a peculiar impression. Admittedly, I don't visit churches very often and so I can't estimate how widespread this presentation is in Catholic churches.
The small glass coffins contain small skeletons that are part of a collection of so-called "angel children skeletons". These skeletons come from unbaptized or deceased infants, traditionally referred to as "angel children". The angel children skeletons in the collegiate church in Engelhartszell are the remains of children buried in the Engelszell monastery during the Middle Ages. The skeletons were discovered in the church during renovation work in the 19th century. Little is known about the exact circumstances of their burial and the identities of the children, but the skeletons are considered part of the history and tradition of the Engelszell monastery.
In some regions, especially in predominantly Catholic areas, these children were often buried in separate burial grounds because they were not baptized and therefore, according to belief, could not go to heaven. The display of the skeletons in glass cases in churches or chapels is a ritual or spiritual process that expresses the belief in the innocence and purity of these children.