Carstanjen mausoleum

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The eastward access to Carstanjen mausoleum of the by-Sandt-Ufer seen from

The Carstanjen mausoleum in the Plittersdorf district of Bonn was the largest private mausoleum on the Rhine and is considered unique in terms of cultural history and architecture. The original family crypt, visible from Bonn's banks of the Rhine, between Auerhofstrasse and Von-Sandt-Ufer in the Plittersdorfer Auengrund, is now used as a public urn grave . The building, modeled on the Roman Pantheon, is a listed building.

history

The banker and entrepreneur Wilhelm Adolf von Carstanjen (1825-1900) left the building in 1895/96 as part of an expansion of its country manor house Carstanjen as a tomb for himself and his family build. The design for the building from 1889 came from the church architect and cathedral builder August Hartel and Skjøld Neckelmann . The royal government architect Johannes Kleefisch was involved in the construction of the tomb .

Adolf von Carstanjen died a few years after completion and was the first family member to be buried in the mausoleum. Five years later, his wife, Adele vom Rath (1834–1905), was also buried here. This was followed by Majorate Moritz von Carstanjen (1860–1916), his brother, Robert von Carstanjen (1866–1940), and - in 1980 - Gisela Freifrau von Rheinbaben, née von Carstanjen (* 1892). Martin von Carstanjen (1925–2005) was also buried here in 2005 as the last member of the family; for the first time in urn form.

The neglected and poorly secured property deteriorated into the 2000s. In addition to water ingress and natural erosion of the building, there was vandalism: graves were broken into, grave slabs smashed, angel figures destroyed, windows smashed and walls painted with graffiti.

The first performance of the play "The Blood Brothers" by Christoph Klimke is said to have taken place in 1997 in the still unrenovated mausoleum .

Todays use

The pastor of the Catholic parish of St. Andreas and Evergislus in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Wolfgang Picken, developed the idea of ​​converting the monument as a “citizen's grave” in 2005. A Christian urn burial place for the public was to be created here through the Rheinviertel community foundation he founded . After the death of the heir of the complex, Martin von Carstanjen, the idea could be realized: In 2005, the estate administrator of the family, Martin Hamm, initiated the establishment of the “von Carstanjen” foundation , a dependent endowment of the Rheinviertel community foundation . The endowment has the task of maintaining and using the mausoleum. The project was financed from the inheritance of Martin von Carstanjen. The renovation of the property and the conversion into the urn burial site (EUR 200,000) was financed by foundation funds. The architect responsible for the redesign was Dieter Husmann from Bonn.

In June 2006 the renovated "Von Carstanjen Mausoleum" was opened. Opening the Bonner played Beethoven orchestra led by Roman Kofman the Eroica -Sinfonie of Beethoven and Feuerwerksmusik Handel. The then North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers took part as patron of the event. In May 2007, the community foundation formally took over the mausoleum as owner and carrier and leased the property to the parish of St. Andreas and Evergislus, which has since operated a burial site with a capacity of up to 3,000 urn graves. The corresponding funeral services are held in the rotunda of the mausoleum. The urns are then buried in the burial chambers of the building's crypt . The names of those buried here are marked on metal plates on the building (balustrade) and in the park. The park can be entered during the opening times of the neighboring St. Evergislus Church . The mausoleum is only opened for funerals and memorial services. In exceptional cases, concerts are also held here. A grave site for 15 to 25 years costs between 1100 and 1800 euros; after the time has elapsed, the ashes should be scattered in the park. Around 90% of the proceeds from the mausoleum are intended to finance projects run by the community foundation. By September 2015, the urns of more than 300 people had already been buried in the mausoleum.

Sports educator Ernst J. Kiphard and chaplain Thomas Schneeberger are among those buried here .

Architecture and equipment

The free-standing, temple-like round building made of light sandstone with a column portico and a rear extension stands on a stage-like, almost one meter high, rectangular stone pedestal with balustrades . The tomb is surrounded by a rectangular plot of around 4,000 square meters, which is surrounded by a forged lattice fence. The area can be entered through two iron, double-winged gateways with side doors. From the Rhine side, a two-part, stately staircase leads to the domed building; from Auerhofstrasse along the Evergislus Church, access is via a more modest, curved path. The antique-looking building is equipped with stylistic elements from the architectural direction of historicism , the four-column portico with triangular gable is designed neo-antique.

The rotunda is designed in detail both inside and out. It is enclosed on both sides by voluminous sandstone columns of an ionic order , above which there are circumferential relief bands with organic and geometric motifs and ornamented inscriptions. The interior, divided into twelve axes, shows epitaphs and screed mosaics . The dome is designed with a drum , coffered decoration and dome lantern . In the lower part, the dome has twelve round windows, following the axis structure. Together with the lantern window, the rotunda receives plenty of sunlight. The two-leaf entrance gate is made of bronze. In the interior there are two semi-sculptural marble profile busts of the founder Adolf von Carstanjen and his wife Adele. On a huge metal base plate is the inscription: "Think of us with love - Adolf von Carstanjen - 1897". This plate can be lifted, the coffins used to be lowered through the floor opening.

Another (inner) bronze gate covers the exit to the crypt; she wears crest decoration and the inscription: "They rest in peace and we follow." Two columns makers flank the door. A double-track descending staircase leads to the crypt. There are two more pillars at the entrance. The crypt, which is partially embedded in the platform of the facility, is rectangular. Eight double pillars support the compact dome with star ornaments and the rotunda above it. The crypt has 22 burial chambers, which are laid out in underground tunnels that extend beyond the building's floor plan. They are separated by marble tablets, the inscriptions of which are barely legible. The morning star , which is surrounded by a laurel wreath and also adorns the dome, is shown in the floor mosaic . From here, ribbons of rays lead to the individual burial chambers.

See also

Web links

Commons : Mausoleum of Carstanjen  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Edgar Bauer, A Count's Grave Becomes Civil , July 20, 2006, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger
  2. ↑ a b The Bonn mausoleum of Carstanjen serves as the final resting place for 3000 people , October 31, 2007, website of the city of Bonn
  3. ↑ List of monuments of the city of Bonn (as of March 15, 2019), p. 9, number A 3687
  4. ^ Mausoleum of Carstanjen , website of the Association for Home Care and Local History Bad Godesberg eV
  5. ↑ a b c Mausoleum for 3,000 urn graves , June 6, 2007, Bonner General-Anzeiger
  6. ↑ life data according to Helmut Vogt, Carstanjen family, entrepreneur , Rhenish History Portal, Rhineland Regional Council
  7. ↑ Elisabeth Einecke-Klövekorn meets Helge Tramsen - Nick, Jim and Cavaradossi , December 8, 2011, Kultur - Das Magazin, issue 53 (1/2009), on the website of the Theatergemeinde Bonn
  8. ↑ a b c d "Von Carstanjen Foundation"
  9. ↑ a b Joachim Heinz, From the family crypt to the citizen's grave: The largest mausoleum on the Rhine looks back on a short past and a promising future , April 1, 2006, RuhrWort , No. 13, p. 8
  10. ↑ Roland Juchem, "Bonn Camillo" against the red pen hangover , Paulinus weekly newspaper in the diocese of Trier
  11. ^ Rüttgers: Activities of the community foundation are exemplary , June 20, 2006, Bonner General-Anzeiger
  12. ↑ Alfred Schmelzeisen, concert in Mausoleum Carstanjen “Music for Eternity” celebrates its premiere , May 26, 2013, Bonner General-Anzeiger
  13. ↑ Peter Dittmar, Paths to the Columbarium: The Anonymous Burial Becomes Farewell to Faith , November 23, 2007, Welt Online
  14. ↑ Open Monument Day: Mausoleum of Carstanjen open to visitors , website of the Rheinviertel community foundation
  15. ↑ July 2010: The "father of psychomotor skills" Ernst Jonny Kiphard has died ( memento of the original from September 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.psychomotorik-bonn.de archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Website of the Psychomotor Association Bonn
  16. ↑ Remembrance of the dead and burial in Bad Godesberg: Chaplain Thomas Schneeberger died , August 11, 2016, Blick Aktuell, Die Heimatzeitung
  17. ^ Literature on German art , issue 60, Deutscher Verein für Kunstwissenschaft, Deutscher Verlag für Kunstwissenschaft, 1996, p. 131 (Snippet)
  18. ^ Entry by Hermann Josef Roth on the Carstanjen mausoleum in the " KuLaDig " database of the Rhineland Regional Association , accessed on August 1, 2017.

Coordinates: 50 ° 42 ′ 5.4 ″  N , 7 ° 9 ′ 56.3 ″  E