Contemplate the lives laid to rest at Dortmund’s Ostfriedhof. This isn’t just a cemetery it is a journey through Dortmund’s history. The Ostfriedhof which is also known as Ostpark offers a green space close to the city center. It spans approximately 16 hectares.
The Ostfriedhof was established in 1876. It became Dortmund’s second municipal cemetery after the Westentotenhof now known as Westpark. This expansion mirrored the rapid population growth during the Ruhr region’s industrialization. In 1811 Dortmund had around 4000 residents. By 1876 the population exceeded 50000. The first burial took place on April 1 1876.
Initially burials occurred in two fields and rarely in three simultaneously. The oldest graves reside in fields two and five. In 1898 records show burials in field 14 marking the beginning of the Jewish section. Plans to transform the Ostfriedhof into a park commenced in 1912. The start of World War I delayed this project. The first burial in the main cemetery occurred in 1921. After this day the Ostfriedhof along with the Southwest and North cemeteries closed for general burials. Family and hereditary burial plots remained available.
During World War II the Ostfriedhof endured significant damage. Public access was temporarily restricted. Vandalism during the Nazi era and heavy bombing severely damaged the Jewish cemetery. The perimeter fence destroyed and only restored in 1949 further encouraged post-war vandalism and bronze theft. Reconstruction efforts faced delays due to personnel and material shortages. These works continued into the 1950s.
Between 1950 and 1955 the Ostfriedhof expanded to include burial plots 24 to 28. Since then more burials have taken place. Field 14 served as the Jewish section since 1898. Field 14a was for adults. Field 14b was for children. Tombs lined the paths. Bombing during World War II heavily devastated this area. Three direct hits struck this relatively small space. Looters stole or destroyed what the bombs missed. After 1945 Dortmund committed to restoring the Jewish cemetery as part of reparations. Bomb craters were filled the row fields leveled lawns sown and new paths created. A memorial stands for Dortmund’s Jewish residents who died victim to Nazi persecution. Jewish burials at the Ostfriedhof faced restrictions from 1936. They stopped in 1943. After 1945 Jewish burials moved to a separate area of the main cemetery.
Many influential families in industry and commerce lived near the Ostfriedhof during its early years. These families amassed considerable wealth during the peak of the Montan industry. Their wealth is reflected in the elaborate tombs. Near the entrance to the right lies the grave of Henriette Davidis. She was among Germany’s first and most successful cookbook authors. Marie Reinders a women’s rights activist and school founder is buried in field 19.
From the main entrance at Robert-Koch-Straße 35 a main path leads south. The Hoesch family’s founding generation rests here. They owned one of Germany’s largest steel companies for many years. Caspar Heinrich Jucho’s tomb in field 13 an important construction contractor was designed for the 1898 Paris World Exhibition. The Bäumer family’s tomb in field 3 features one of Westphalia’s last surviving cast-iron monuments with art nouveau metalwork.
Two memorials commemorate major mine explosions in Dortmund. On August 19 1893 61 miners died at the Kaiserstuhl I mine. 48 of them were buried near a large memorial stone with iron steles and nameplates in field 10. On December 22 1897 another major explosion occurred at the same mine at shaft II. This time 19 miners died. A large stone slab marks the memorial in field 11. Another memorial honors the Jewish victims of Nazism. Besides a central monument are stones linked by chains bearing the names of concentration camps. Benno Elkan a Jewish artist from Dortmund created some of the tomb monuments. A memorial stone next to the Zechenten memorial commemorates Carl Wilhelm Tölcke. He was a pioneer of the General German Workers’ Association founded by Ferdinand Lassalle in 1863.
Today the Ostfriedhof serves as a park. It also remains a testament to Dortmund’s rich history.