Ohlsdorf Cemetery ( or (former) ) in the Ohlsdorf quarter of the city of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, Germany, is the biggest

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries, which tended to be churchyards. Rural cemeter ...

in the world and 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. The cemetery notably includes the Old Hamburg Memorial Cemetery (''Althamburgischer Gedächtnisfriedhof'', formerly ''Ehrenfriedhof'') with the graves of many notable Hamburg citizens.

History and description

In 1877 the Ohlsdorf Cemetery was established as a non-denominational and multi-regional burial site outside of Hamburg. The cemetery has an area of with 12 chapels, over 1.5 million burials in more than 280,000 burial sites and streets with a length of . There are 4 entrances for vehicles and public transport is provided with 25 bus stops of two bus lines of the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund. The cemetery is not only used as a burial ground, but also as a recreational area and

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

. With its impressive mausoleums,

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

bushes, its ponds and birds, sculptures and funerary museum, about two million people from all over the world visit the cemetery every year. About 40% of all burials in Hamburg take place in Ohlsdorf Cemetery; in 2002 there were 1600 interments and 4300 urn burials. Two hundred thirty gardeners take care of graves and all facilities.

Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

One of four permanent Commonwealth cemeteries in Germany, the Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery is located near chapel 12 (Kapelle 12) of the Ohlsdorf Cemetery. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

over 400 Allied prisoners-of-war who died in German captivity were buried here, as well as sailors whose bodies had been washed ashore on the

Frisian Islands The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or the Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the northwest of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denm ...

. In 1923 the remains of British Commonwealth servicemen from 120 burial grounds in north-western Germany were brought to Hamburg. Further deceased Commonwealth soldiers of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and of the post-war period were buried here too.

Memorials for the victims of Nazism

There are six memorial sites for the victims of the

Nazi era Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

, the "Monument for the Victims of Nazi Persecution" (); the monument, "Passage over the River Styx" () for the victims of the Hamburg firestorm; the "Memorial Grove for the Hamburg Resistance Fighters", which includes a memorial erected on the initiative of the

Sophie Scholl Sophia Magdalena Scholl (9 May 1921 – 22 February 1943) was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active in the White Rose non-violent German resistance to Nazism, resistance group in Nazi Germany. Raised in a politically engag ...

Foundation, the "Ehrenfeld Hamburg Resistance Fighters"; the "Cemetery for Foreign Victims", erected in 1977 to honor the victims of

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

and

forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

; and the ("memory spiral") erected in 2001 in the "Garden of Women", as a memorial for the female victims and opponents of the Nazi regime. An additional memorial site was erected in 1951 at the nearby Jewish cemetery, Ilandkoppel, the "Monument for the Murdered Hamburg Jews".

Memorial for the victims of Nazi persecution

The "Monument for the Victims of Nazi Persecution" lies across from the "new crematorium". Erected in 1949, it has a stele with a marble slab lying in front, engraved with the names of 25 concentration camps. The adjacent graveyard has 105 above-ground urns and 29 buried ones containing the ashes of victims and German concentration camp soil. This memorial evolved from what was established there during a week-long remembrance in November 1945.

Monument for the victims of the Hamburg firestorm

The remains of some 38,000 victims of Operation Gomorrah, the bombing campaign that took place from July 24 to August 3, 1943, lie in a cross-shaped, landscaped mass grave. In 1952, a monument by

Gerhard Marcks Gerhard Marcks (18 February 1889 – 13 November 1981) was a German artist, known primarily as a sculptor, but who is also known for his drawings, woodcuts, lithographs and ceramics. Early life Marcks was born in Berlin, where, at the age of 18, ...

called "Passage over the River

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

" was erected in the middle of the site.

Memorial grove for the Hamburg Resistance fighters

To the right of the main entrance on Bergstraße, is the memorial grove for the Resistance fighters from Hamburg, 1933–1945. Located here since September 8, 1946, this memorial is the burial site for 55 anti-fascists who were either executed by the Nazis or died in custody. A bronze sculpture, created in 1953 by Hamburg sculptor Richard Steffen (1903–1964), stands at the entrance to the grove. A stone wall borders the grove, on which are the words of the Czech Resistance fighter and journalist, Julius Fučík, executed in 1943, "Mankind, we loved you – be vigilant".

Cemetery museum

Individuals with a strong interest in preserving the Ohlsdorf cemetery formed the (Society for the Promotion of the Ohlsdorf Cemetery), and opened the (Museum of the Ohlsdorf Cemetery). The museum is dedicated to raising public interest for the Ohlsdorf cemetery, and for promoting historical and contemporary funeral culture. The collection in the museum, on display since 1996, focuses mainly on the history of Hamburg's cemetery culture. Since the Ohlsdorfer cemetery was opened in 1877 as the first American-style park cemetery in Germany, it is of significant importance to the European cemetery culture. The museum has old maps and tools, as well as urns and some of the cemetery's oldest tombstones.

Notable burial sites

Part of the cemetery are three plots of the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

(CWGC), which were used as burial sites for British Commonwealth and Allied servicemen of both World Wars. There are more than 2473 identified casualties commemorated by the CWGC.

Notable burials

Notable people buried at Ohlsdorf include the following: * Anny Ahlers (1907–1933), opera singer *

Hans Albers Hans Philipp August Albers (22 September 1891 – 24 July 1960), also known by his nickname “der blonde Hans” (The Blond Hans), was a German actor and singer. He was the biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1960 and one of the m ...

(1891–1960), actor * Wilhelm Amsinck (1752–1831), mayor of Hamburg * Albert Ballin (1857–1918), German shipping magnate * Monica Bleibtreu (1944–2009), Austrian born actress *

Hermann Blohm Adolph Hermann Blohm (23 June 1848 – 12 March 1930) was a German shipbuilder and company founder of Blohm+Voss. Life Blohm was born in Lübeck to merchant Georg Blohm. He studied at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Together with Ernst Voss he fo ...

(1848–1930), German shipbuilder * Hertha Borchert (1895–1985), actress * Wolfgang Borchert (1921–1947), author and playwright *

Hans von Bülow Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (; 8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for establishi ...

(1830–1894), conductor, pianist and composer * C. W. Ceram (1915–1972), journalist and author *

Wilhelm Cuno Wilhelm Carl Josef Cuno (2 July 1876 – 3 January 1933) was a German businessman and politician who was the chancellor of Germany from 1922 to 1923 for a total of 264 days. His tenure included the beginning of the occupation of the Ruhr by ...

(1876–1933), German chancellor * Ida Ehre (1900–1989), actress * Neville Elliott-Cooper (1889–1918), World War I recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

Heinz Erhardt Heinz Erhardt (; 20 February 1909 – 5 June 1979) was a German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet. Life Heinz Erhardt was born in Riga, the son of Baltic German Kapellmeister Gustav Erhardt. He lived most of his childhood at his gr ...

(1909–1979), actor and comedian * Renate Ewert (1936–1966), actress * Jan Fedder (1955–2019), actor * Willy Fritsch (1901–1973), silent-film era actor *

Helmut Griem Helmut Griem (6 April 1932 – 19 November 2004) was a German film, television and stage actor, and director. Biography Born in Hamburg, Griem was primarily a stage actor, appearing at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, the Deutsches Schauspielha ...

(1932–2004), actor * Gustaf Gründgens (1899–1963), actor *

Carl Hagenbeck Carl Hagenbeck (10 June 1844 – 14 April 1913) was a Germans, German merchant of wild animals who supplied many European zoos, as well as P. T. Barnum. He created the modern zoo with animal enclosures without bars that were closer to their natur ...

(1844–1913), merchant of wild animals and inventor of the modern zoo * Albert Hehn (1908–1983), actor * Gustav Hertz (1887–1975), physicist and Nobel Prize winner *

Heinrich Hertz Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (; ; 22 February 1857 – 1 January 1894) was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. Biography Heinri ...

(1857–1894), physicist * Michael Jary (1906–1988), composer * Carlo Karges (1951–2002), songwriter and guitarist * Wolfgang Kieling (1924–1985), actor * Christian Graf von Krockow (1927–2002), writer and political scientist * Richard Kuöhl (1880–1961), sculptor *

James Last James Last (, ; born Hans Last; 17 April 1929 – 9 June 2015) was a German composer and big band leader of the James Last Orchestra. Initially a jazz bassist, his trademark "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and ...

(1929–2015), composer and big band leader * Alfred Lichtwark (1852–1914), art historian, museum curator, and art educator *

Hanns Lothar Hanns Lothar (born Hans Lothar Neutze; 10 April 1929 – 11 March 1967) was a German film actor. He appeared in 36 films between 1948 and 1966. He was born in Hannover, Germany and died in Hamburg, Germany. He was the father of actress Susa ...

(1929–1967), film actor * Felix von Luckner (1881–1966), navy officer and author *

Lev Lunts Lev Natanovich Lunts (; May 2, 1901 – May 10, 1924) was a Russian playwright, proser and critic. He was a founding member of the Serapion Brothers (1921–1929), a group of young writers who emerged from the literary studio at the House of Arts ...

1901–1924), Russian born Jewish writer * Willy Maertens (1893–1967), actor and stage director * Harry Meyen (1924–1979), film actor * Inge Meysel (1910–2004), actress * Johann Georg Mönckeberg (1839–1908), mayor * Emil Naucke (1855–1900), strong man, circus and burlesque performer * Domenica Niehoff (1945–2009), prostitute and activist * Richard Ohnsorg (1876–1947), stage director * Marie Priess (1885–1983), resistance fighter * Kurt Raab (1941–1988), actor, screenwriter and playwright * Norbert Rohringer (1927–2009), Austrian child actor * Philipp Otto Runge (1777–1810), painter *

Helmut Schmidt Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (; 23 December 1918 – 10 November 2015) was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. He was the longest ...

(1918–2015), senator, minister, between 1974 and 1982 chancellor of West Germany, since 1983 publisher of

Die Zeit (, ) is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History The first edition of was ...

* Loki Schmidt (1919–2010), wife of former chancellor Helmut Schmidt * Fritz Schumacher (1869–1947), architect * Kurt Sieveking (1897–1986), mayor of Hamburg * Henry Vahl (1897–1977), actor * Werner Veigel (1928–1995), television journalist * Ernst Voss (1842–1920), German shipbuilder *

James Allen Ward James Allen Ward, Victoria Cross, VC (14 June 1919 – 15 September 1941) was a New Zealand aviator and a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that could be awarded at the time to perso ...

(1919–1941), New Zealand airman and

recipient * Herbert Weichmann (1896–1983), first mayor of Hamburg * Hilde Weissner (1909–1987), actress * Lawrence Winters (1915–1965), opera singer * Carolin Wosnitza (1987–2011), pornographic actress * Helmut Zacharias (1920–2002), violinist

References

External links

Hamburger Friedhöfe

{{Authority control Cemeteries in Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Germany Geography of Hamburg World War I cemeteries in Germany World War II memorials in Germany World War II cemeteries in Germany Museums in Hamburg Tourist attractions in Hamburg Burial sites of the House of Cirksena Rural cemeteries