German police said Friday they had found the bodies of "probably seven" babies in an apartment after being alerted by a woman in the southern state of Bavaria.

"Officers found several bodies of infants. The police and prosecutor...believe that there are probably seven dead," police said in a statement.

Police added that they have as yet been unable to question the previous resident of the apartment in the town of Wallenfels, a 45-year-old woman.

Forensic investigators are currently examining the corpses, police said, adding that the process could take some time "due to the poor condition" of some of the bodies.

"A result is not to be expected before the beginning of the coming week," said police.

Investigators had first revealed the grisly find late Thursday, with local press reporting that two bodies of babies were uncovered in the afternoon.

Germany has seen several infanticide cases in recent years.

Last May, a woman was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for killing two of her children and hiding them in a freezer.

In October 2013, in Bavaria, the bodies of two babies from the 1980s were found during construction works.

And in the worst post-war infanticide case the country has seen, a 42-year-old woman was convicted in 2008 of killing eight of her newborn babies. (AFP)