Old cemetery (Obersontheim)
The old cemetery in Obersontheim ( Schwäbisch Hall district ) was laid out in 1602 and was used until the early 19th century. Because it could no longer be expanded, the new cemetery, just a little southwest of it, was inaugurated in 1815.
location
The former cemetery is located southwest of the Evangelical Church , between the church and today's cemetery, on a hillside property that rises slightly to the southwest.
history
The inhabitants of Obersontheim were originally buried in Untersontheim , where the parish had been parish since ancient times. After the construction of the church, consecrated in 1587 under Friedrich VII. Schenk von Limpurg, the community received its own cemetery a few years later on the property to the south-west of the church. While the Limpurg taverns had their burials in the church, the subjects and some officials from abroad as well as various nobles were buried in the cemetery.
The old cemetery was partially walled, but mainly surrounded by a hedge. In 1715 the northern corner of the cemetery was redesigned when two sisters of the noble Gaisberg family were to be buried there. They had requested a funeral in the church while they were still alive. Since the Limpurg taverns, which should have agreed but had died out in 1713 and their legal succession had not yet been finally clarified, the Gaisberg sisters were denied church burial. The relatives therefore agreed with the political community that a self-contained Gaisberg burial site should be set up on the step below the burial officials' graves. The current terracing of the site in this area is still due to this redesign.
When the large wooden outside staircase was added to the church in 1750, the access to the cemetery had to be redesigned, as there was hardly any worthy space for funeral parties between the rectory and the outside staircase.
Around 1800 the cemetery became too small for the place. The parish garden was in the way of an extension to the south or east. Further to the south-west there was enough free arable and garden space, but the municipality could not reach an agreement with the immediate residents, so that the cemetery was finally abandoned and today's cemetery was created a few hundred meters southwest.
Until around 1830, a few grave sites were still recognizable in the old cemetery, soon afterwards half of it was added to the parish garden. In the late 19th century, the plots were re-parceled out. Today the old cemetery can only be partially recognized as such. The areas of its former extent that were added to the parish garden have been planted with fruit trees for a long time. Due to their terracing, the remaining areas still reveal the former division and remnants of the paths. Two old grave slabs from Gaisberg's funeral have been preserved, next to which a seating group has recently been set up. Two obelisk-like tombs of Obersontheim officials from the 18th century were moved to the new cemetery.
literature
- Emil Schleehuber: The Evangelical Church in Obersontheim . In the Obersontheim home register - citizens write for citizens , Obersontheim community, Obersontheim 2000
Coordinates: 49 ° 3 '22.8 " N , 9 ° 53' 51.6" E