“Did you know that even cemeteries have their own unique stories to tell?” Welcome to the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery. It is a landmarked Protestant burial ground. It is officially the Cemetery of the Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichswerder Parishes. This significant site is located in Berlin. It dates back to the late 18th century.
The cemetery’s entrance is at 126 Chaussee Straße. It is next door to the Brecht House. Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel spent their last years there at 125 Chaussee Straße. It is also directly adjacent to the French cemetery. The French cemetery is also known as the cemetery of the Huguenots. It was established in 1780. Sometimes people confuse the two.
In the second half of the 18th century Berlin’s population grew. There was not enough land for cemeteries. There was pressure to build on vacant land. People also feared epidemics. Prussian King Frederick II donated land outside the Oranienburg Gate. It was outside the Berlin Customs Wall for this purpose. Four cemeteries were established. The French cemetery and the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery survive today.
The two Protestant parishes jointly established the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery in the early 1760s. Burials began in 1770. Initially, mostly the lower classes were buried here. However, its proximity to Berlin University changed things. The university was founded in 1810. It has been known as Humboldt University since 1949. Several scholarly academies were also nearby. These included academies for sciences, arts, architecture, and singing. Many prominent figures found their final resting place here. They worked and lived in Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichswerder.
As the social standing of those buried rose, famous artists designed grave markers. Johann Gottfried Schadow designed monuments for his second wife and himself. In 1851, an 1822 statuette of Schadow by his student Heinrich Kaehler was placed on Schadow’s grave. A marble replica of Schadow’s 1821 statue of Martin Luther was placed at the cemetery’s main axis end in 1975. The bust of the industrialist August Borsig was created by Christian Daniel Rauch.
The cemetery was enlarged several times between 1814 and 1826. By the end of the 1860s, the original cemetery was full. After 1869, burials were only allowed in already purchased plots. In 1889, some of the land was sold for a road project. Some important graves had to be relocated. New plots were allowed beginning in 1921 after cremation became popular. The two parishes combined in 1945. They administer their three cemeteries together.
The cemetery has suffered in hard times. Precious metals and iron have been stolen. In the 1930s, some stones were sold. Lack of money hampered upkeep. The surrounding area was heavily damaged in World War II. The cemetery was also damaged. There was a proposal to clear the site and create a park in the 1960s.
Protection of the cemetery as a cultural landmark began in 1935. It was listed in 1983. Between 2000 and 2006, 38 graves were restored. The restoration of Johann Heinrich Strack’s grave cost €250,000. It required importing Italian marble. The largest mausoleum is that of Friedrich Hitzig. He was a pupil of Schinkel. It was restored in 2007. It features frescoes that are now almost unique in Berlin. Future restoration work is expected to cost €6 million.
The cemetery contains a monument to resistance fighters killed by the Nazi regime. It commemorates those involved in the 20 July 1944 assassination plot against Adolf Hitler. It also commemorates Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi. Next to the memorial, a marker points to a mass grave of 64 people killed nearby.
A small area is reserved for members of the Berlin Academy of Arts. The city of Berlin maintains honorary graves for people who made distinguished contributions. These include Günter Gaus, Herbert Marcuse, and Heiner Müller. Johannes Rau also wished to be buried here.
Many famous individuals are buried here. These include philosophers Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Johann Gottlieb Fichte. Authors Heinrich Mann and Anna Seghers also rest here. The grave of Heiner Müller has a birdbath shaped like an ashtray. Fans often leave cigars. Sculptors Johann Gottfried Schadow and Christian Daniel Rauch are buried here. Architects Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Friedrich August Stüler are also here. Industrialist August Borsig has a large tomb. Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel have simple fieldstones marking their grave.
As you leave the Dorotheenstadt Cemetery, remember the stories etched in stone. They whisper of Berlin’s rich cultural and intellectual history. They remind us of the individuals who shaped it.