Aschaffenburg old town cemetery

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Mourning hall in the cemetery
Entrance area
Philipp Dessauer's tomb
Art Nouveau tomb of the Corps Hubertia student union

The Aschaffenburg old town cemetery is one of nine burial sites in the Lower Franconian city ​​of Aschaffenburg and at the same time its main cemetery. The old town cemetery is the oldest and largest cemetery in the city, where funerals are still held regularly today.

location

The cemetery is located in the center of Aschaffenburg within the city ring on Güterberg. The Jewish cemetery of Aschaffenburg is adjacent to the old town cemetery .

The cemetery has a total size of approx. 36,000 m² and is home to the graves of around 5,000 deceased.

history

By order of the Prince Primate Karl Theodor von Dalberg , who resided in Aschaffenburg, the church yards at the Mother of God Parish Church and St. Agatha were to be closed around 1800 ; the church yard at the monastery was already closed in 1723.

They had already invested 4,000 guilders in the "Seegarten-Projekt" (in front of the Wermbachtor) outside the city wall, but had to give up, because at a depth of 120 centimeters they came across water veins that ran through the whole area. For example, the city of Aschaffenburg acquired Merkel's garden property on the Güterberg in a land swap. On July 18, 1809, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Hieronymus Karl Kolborn consecrated the new burial place in Aschaffenburg with great solemnity for all parishes .

Already in the afternoon the student Johann Philipp Will, a son of the then Department Prefect Carl Joseph Wilhelm von Will, was buried in the new cemetery. The prefect played a key role in the planning and construction of the cemetery. The grave was located "across from" the parents' grave, which was built in 1817 and which still exists today; the son's grave was destroyed by the war in 1945. Auxiliary Bishop Kolborn (1816), members of the Dalberg family and important personalities also found their final resting place here.

The cemetery has been expanded several times over the years.

During the Second World War , the cemetery was hit by Allied bombs several times. The morgue, built in 1913, was badly damaged and was restored to its original shape by 1991. The bell that was intended to be melted down during the war was found again, but today a donated new bell rings at burials.

In 1948 the city of Aschaffenburg decided to close the old town cemetery with the establishment of the forest cemetery in the unfortunately district . Row and children's graves were no longer allocated, 250 graves were leveled, and there was a grace period for family graves (so-called eternity graves). This decision was partially repealed, but remained with "a final closure until the year 2000". The abandonment was confirmed in 1973, in April 1984 the city council overturned its vote.

“The reasoning led to the growing importance of district cemeteries compared to central burial sites, but also protection as a cultural monument. It is right to strengthen the weight of the city districts and to counteract the mass growth and increasing anonymity. In addition, the consideration of the monumental character and the historical significance demanded the preservation. "

Graves of famous personalities

The following famous personalities are buried in the old town cemetery.

In the cemetery there are numerous grave monuments and crypt chapels from classicism to late art nouveau (tomb of the Corps Hubertia ) and historicism; as well as graves of soldiers from wars of the 19th century, a cemetery of honor with graves of those who died in the two world wars, who lost their lives in the fighting for Aschaffenburg. The central memorial with a figure of the risen Christ was created in 1923/24 by the Würzburg master sculptor Ludwig Sonnleitner (1878–1947).

See also

literature

  • Monika Spatz: Stones tell a story - a tour of the old town cemetery in Aschaffenburg. 1st edition. Verlag RegioKom, 2009, ISBN 978-3-9810660-7-4 .
  • Peter Körner "So that the dead don't kill the living" Materials on 200 years of Aschaffenburg old town cemetery (1809 to 2009) Aschaffenburg 2009 Geschichts- und Kunstverein eV ISBN 978-3-87965-112-2 .

Web links

Commons : Altstadtfriedhof Aschaffenburg  - Collection of images

Coordinates: 49 ° 58 ′ 16.1 ″  N , 9 ° 8 ′ 46.3 ″  E

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Franz Haus, Chronicle of the City of Aschaffenburg, handwritten copy of Aschaffenburg 1818 StAA
  2. ↑ The Prefect of the Principality of Aschaffenburg Knight of the Civil Order of Merit of the Crown of Bavaria Carl Joseph Wilhelm von Will dedicates this monument to his beloved wife Anna Margaretha Francisca née Theodori, who died with the same happy and joyful 32-year marriage, born on September 19, 1761 on April 7th, 1817. You rest in peace with the opposite son Johann Philipp, born 1790, died July 8th 1809, who was first buried in this churchyard
  3. ↑ Main-Echo from 26./27. September 2009 p. 19
  4. ↑ Main-Echo of June 8, 1973
  5. ↑ Main-Echo of April 3, 1984
  6. ↑ Peter Körner "So that the dead do not kill the living" Main-Echo 14./15. July 1982