Ohlsdorf Cemetery, Hamburg, Germany

Ohlsdorf Cemetery is the fourth-largest cemetery in the world. Most of the people buried at the cemetery are civilians, but there is also a large number of victims of war from various nations. It was established in 1877 as a non-denominational and multi-regional burial site outside of Hamburg. The cemetery has an area of 391 hectares (966 acres) with 12 chapels, over 1.5 million burials in more than 280,000 burial sites and streets with a length of 17 km.

During World War I over 400 Allied prisoners-of-war who died in German captivity were buried here in, as well as sailors whose bodies had been washed ashore the Frisian Islands. In 1923 the remains of British Commonwealth servicemen from 120 burial grounds in north-western Germany were brought to Hamburg. Further dead Commonwealth soldiers of World War II and of the post war period were buried here too.

There are six memorial sites for the victims of the Nazi era. The remains of some 38,000 victims of Operation Gomorrha, the bombing campaign that took place from July 24 to August 3, 1943, lie in a cross-shaped, landscaped mass grave.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Johan Hall (10 months ago)
Friedhof Ohlsdorf is breathtakingly beautiful and a visit is highly recommended. As it is the fourth largest cemetery in the world, you could easily spend days looking at everything there is to see here.

Irma Zandl (10 months ago)
One of the most beautiful (and unique) cemeteries I have visited. It's the biggest rural cemetery in the world (and the fourth-largest overall). I didn't know what a rural cemetery was (also known as a garden cemetery) so had to check Wikipedia. It's a style of cemetery that became popular in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built a few miles outside of the city, far enough to be separated from the city, but close enough for visitors. They often contain elaborate monuments, memorials, and mausoleums in a landscaped park-like setting. Statues and memorials included depictions of angels and cherubs as well as botanical motifs such as ivy representing memory, oak leaves for immortality, poppies for sleep and acorns for life. The Ohlsdorf cemetery is almost 1000 acres with 12 chapels, 11 miles of streets and 2 city-run bus lines with 25 bus stops in the cemetery. It employs over 200 full-time gardeners. 2 million people from all over the world visit the cemetery every year and 40% of all burials in Hamburg take place there.

Triana Espino Sanz (2 years ago)
The most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen. Peaceful place, huge… autumn colors are ??❤️?

Ville Häkkinen (2 years ago)
Beatiful and peaceful cemetery with so much to see. Beatiful memorials and nature. Walking and wandering here will leave you peaceful.

Yeasir Arafat Zaman (2 years ago)
Really nice place to take a walk or cycling. It is the largest garden cemetry of the world. There are busses running inside the cemetry to take you from one chapel to another. It is very beautiful in spring and autumn with all the beautiful colours. You can find beautiful birds and animals like squirrels and rabbits in there. If you are not in favour of cemetry, don't worry. You can always stay on the main roads where it seems like a park, and you won't feel like you are in a cemetery.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross

The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Ohlsdorf Cemetery

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross