Annenkirchhof (Dresden)

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Annenkirche and Kirchhof 1769

The Annenkirchhof was a cemetery in the Wilsdruffer Vorstadt (today part of Dresden ), which was consecrated in 1578 and secularized in the 1830s. It is the first of four Annenfriedhofs in Dresden, which also include the Neue Annenkirchhof (2nd) as well as the Old (3rd) and New Annenfriedhof (4th).

history

The Annenkirchhof was laid out in 1578 in front of the Wilischer Tor at the Annenkirche , which was under construction . Up to this time, the residents of the communities Gerbergasse , Poppitz and Fischersdorf as well as the villages of Naußlitz , Roßthal , Löbtau , Dölzschen and Coschütz had buried their deceased in the cemetery of the Bartholomäus Hospital , consecrated in 1473 , where the sick, the poor and, until 1568, the plague corpses Dresden were buried. The cemetery was too small due to frequent plague epidemics and the growth of the communities in the 16th century, and the idle times around 1577 therefore became so short that "often still partly uncorrupted bodies have to be dug up" for new burials. In addition to the church, Elector August therefore also gave the congregations a place for "a quiet, peaceful burial".

The inauguration of the cemetery took place before the church consecration on March 9, 1578. After 1501 (cemetery of the Dreikönigskirche ) and 1571 ( Johanniskirchhof der Johanniskirche ) it was the third cemetery to be established in close proximity to the city of Dresden in the 16th century. The first burial in the Annenkirchhof took place on the day after the inauguration. Chronicler Anton Weck emphasizes the fact that the woman buried was called Anna, just as the foundation of the Annenkirchhof goes back to the dedication of the Electress Anna . The Annenkirchhof served as a cemetery for the dead in the surrounding communities. Residents of Dresden could also be buried here. In order to save space, the paths of the cemetery were laid out so narrow that they were only the width of a “very narrow path”. Only a narrow sidewalk was left at the church. The parishes grew steadily and so the church had to be enlarged from 1618 to 1619 and the churchyard expanded in 1620. For the enlargement of the churchyard, surrounding gardens were bought and attached. In addition, the churchyard was given a wall.

From 1712 to 1718 the Annenkirche was rebuilt and enlarged again, so the church was given a "large and spacious arch [...] on the west side, which allowed at least 1500 people a larger space." large part of the Annenkirchhof. Since it was now too small, the Annenfriedhof was laid out as a successor at the instigation of the pastor of the Annenkirche Johann Christian Schwartz as early as 1712 on what was then Neue Gasse (later Josephinengasse, now Josephinenstrasse) . Burials continued to take place in the churchyard, even if the uses fell significantly after the church was rebuilt (1765–1769). In 1781, Schnabel, the pastor of Annenkirche, caused a scandal when he dug pits in the churchyard to grow white mulberry trees. The reason was an electoral order from 1770, according to which pastors should plant mulberry trees in church yards to promote silk production . When the pits were excavated in the densely populated cemetery, numerous graves were destroyed and bones unearthed. Legal proceedings followed and the tree planting was prohibited.

It is believed that the cemetery was hardly used for burials at the end of the 18th century, so no burial in the cemetery has been known since around 1794. With the consent of King Anton , the cemetery was closed in 1828. The secularization of the churchyard was discussed in 1830. The Annenkirchhof was secularized between 1830 and 1833, so plans are known from 1833 to lease the site of the former cemetery.

In 1827, in view of the imminent closure of the churchyard, a list of the grave sites that had been preserved was created. At that time, eleven candle arches had survived, but some of them were built over. In addition, 20 tombstones from before 1800 were preserved.

literature

  • The old Annenkirchhof . In: Hans Joachim Kluge: Dresden's cemeteries and grave monuments in the time of the wars of freedom and romanticism . Baensch, Dresden 1937, p. 21. (= Eberhard Hempel (Hrsg.): Research by the Art History Institute of the Technical University of Dresden . Volume 1)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Carola Schauer: Death and Burial in Dresden. Part 1 . In: Stadtmuseum Dresden (ed.): Dresdner Geschichtsbuch No. 15. DZA, Altenburg 2010, p. 28.
  2. ↑ a b deed of donation from Elector August, March 9, 1578. Quoted from Gustav Böttger : The history of the Annenkirche in Dresden: Eine Säcularschrift . Adler and Dietze, Dresden 1860, p. 8.
  3. ^ Anton Weck : What churches and graveyards can be found here in the suburbs. I. The church at Annen / located in front of the Wilsdorffer Thore in Poppitz . In: Anton Weck: The Chur-Fürstlichen Sächsischen widely-called Residentz- and Haupt-Vestung Dresden description and presentation . Froberger, Nuremberg 1680, pp. 266-267.
  4. ↑ The cemeteries of the Annengemeinde . In: Franz Dibelius : The Dresden Annengemeinde . Teubner, Dresden 1878, p. 20.
  5. ^ Gustav Böttger: The history of the Annenkirche in Dresden: Eine Säcularschrift . Adler and Dietze, Dresden 1860, p. 15.
  6. ^ Gustav Böttger: The history of the Annenkirche in Dresden: Eine Säcularschrift . Adler and Dietze, Dresden 1860, p. 16.
  7. ↑ The cemeteries of the Annengemeinde. In: Franz Dibelius: The Dresden Annengemeinde. Teubner, Dresden 1878, p. 21.
  8. ↑ The old Annenkirchhof . In: Hans Joachim Kluge: Dresden's cemeteries and grave monuments in the time of the wars of freedom and romanticism . Baensch, Dresden 1937, p. 21.

Coordinates: 51 ° 2 '54.9 "  N , 13 ° 43' 39.9"  E