Solbjerg Parkkirkegård

Did you ever hear of a cemetery transforming into a park? Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd in Copenhagen is doing just that. This 19-hectare cemetery, nestled between S\u00f8ndermarken and the Copenhagen Zoo, is slowly evolving from a city of the dead to a vibrant green space. Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd was founded in 1865. Originally named Frederiksberg Sogns Assistens Kirkeg\u00e5rd, it was later renamed Solbjerg Kirkeg\u00e5rd in 1926, finally becoming Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd in 1998. The chapel, S\u00f8ndre Kapel, built in 1876 in an Italian-inspired style by Harald Drewsen, features open loggias along its sides and stunning glass mosaics of Jesus’s twelve disciples added in 1908. Its grey plastered tower contrasts beautifully with the red brick of the chapel itself, a later addition from 1935. But Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd isn’t just about history and architecture. It’s a final resting place for numerous prominent figures. Hans Christian Andersen, the famed storyteller, rests here, along with other notable Danes like Carl Ferdinand Allen, H.C.F.C. Schjellerup, and many more. As you wander through the grounds, you might stumble upon five unique ellipse-shaped gardens: the Fragrance Garden, the Bible Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the Dahlia Garden, and the Water Garden. These gardens are the first step in a remarkable transformation. Starting in 2020, sections of Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd will gradually be decommissioned. By 2050, the entire 16 hectares will become a recreational park. So, what we see today at Solbjerg Parkkirkeg\u00e5rd is a fascinating blend of the past and the future. It’s a cemetery in transition, slowly revealing its next chapter as a peaceful park for the living.