Schwandenholz cemetery

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Schwandenholz cemetery
Franz Fischer's pylon

The Schwandenholz cemetery is a cemetery in the Seebach district in the north of the city of Zurich . It is on the corner of Schwandenholzstrasse and Seebacherstrasse .

history

In 1903 the cemetery was opened under the name In der Heu as a replacement for the congested cemetery of the old Reformed Church in Seebach. When there was high unemployment in the 1930s, the cemetery was expanded as part of an employment program based on plans by Konrad Hippenmeier. When Seebach became part of the city of Zurich as part of the second incorporation, the city took over responsibility for the cemetery. In 1955, a major expansion of the cemetery was planned because a large increase in population was expected in the Seebach and Oerlikon quarters . The expansion plans by architect Werner Stücheli and garden architect Pierre Zbinden were implemented in 1962–1966. The high-rise buildings were also built here. In 1989 the Schwandenholz cemetery was included in the inventory of the garden monument preservation of the city of Zurich.

Area and buildings

Consolation Garden
New community grave

The Schwandenholz cemetery is located at the transition between the forest area of ​​the same name and the Seebach district. Several important roads also meet in its vicinity. Culturally and socially important buildings such as the Reformed St. Mark's Church or the Staudenbühl school house are within reach of the cemetery. The hillside location provides various views of the surrounding area from the cemetery area, which is characterized by the alternation between the local recreation area and settlement areas. The cemetery has a floor plan that approximates an isosceles triangle. Depending on the local circumstances, the main axis of the site runs from east to west. This axis is followed by a wide serpentine , which connects the entrance area and its service and administration buildings with the abdication building at the other end of the cemetery. This rises like an acropolis on the hill of the cemetery. The 13-meter-high pylon by the sculptor Franz Fischer stands in front of the abdication building . The inside of the pylon bears a number of differently shaped crosses that rise along the pylon. The concrete wall of the funeral hall bears a 2 by 3.3 meter relief by the Lausanne artist JP Bloch from 1965, which varies the motif of the tree of life . A third work of art on the cemetery grounds is the strider , a bronze figure by Nelly Bär-Theilheimer at the older communal grave. A special feature is the consolation garden, based on Japanese garden art, next to the administration office and the laying out hall. The historical development of the cemetery is easy to read on the area: the older grave fields are located in the north of the complex. The family graves adjoin them in a south-westerly direction. This area at the edge of the forest was designed as a grove with imposing beech trees. The younger area of ​​the cemetery is on the opposite side of the central axis: the grave fields along Seebacherstrasse were designed as self-contained bays. This design, which was used for the first time in the construction of the cemetery, made it possible to save on walking distances without reducing the intimacy and human scale of the individual units.

Specialty

Like the Eichbühl cemetery in the south of Zurich, the Schwandenholz cemetery also has land reserves for burials in the event of a disaster. This land reserve is clearly visible on both sides of the axis from the main entrance to the abdication building.

  • Relief by JP Bloch

  • The striding from Nelly Bär-Theilheimer

  • Cemetery chapel, interior view

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Schwandenholz Cemetery  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Norbert Loacker, Christoph Hänsli: Where Zurich comes to rest. 1998, p. 125.
  2. ↑ a b Schwandenholz cemetery on the website of the City of Zurich.Retrieved on March 21, 2018.
  3. ↑ Norbert Loacker, Christoph Hänsli: Where Zurich comes to rest. 1998, pp. 125-129.

Coordinates: 47 ° 25 '17.8 "  N , 8 ° 32' 11.8"  E ; CH1903:  682850  /  252891