Pause for a moment. The Jacobipark wasn’t always a park. Once, it was a cemetery. Two cemeteries to be exact.
The Jacobipark in Hamburg is a green space with a rich history. It is located south of Wandsbeker Chaussee. Friedenstraße borders it to the east. Hasselbrookstraße marks its southern edge. The park spans about six hectares. It is easily accessible via the Hasselbrook and Wandsbeker Chaussee stations.
In 1848, the St. Jacobi Church established the St. Jacobi Cemetery. The church was in Hamburg’s city center. The location was unusual because it was four kilometers outside the city. In 1862, the Hammer Dreifaltigkeits-Gemeinde added their burial ground. Both churches needed more space.
The Jacobipark evolved over time. In 1864, a Neo-Gothic chapel was completed. Alexis de Chateauneuf designed it. He was famous for his work on the Alsterarkaden. The chapel became the Osterkirche after war damage and restoration.
Initially, the Jacobi Cemetery wasn’t very popular. Later, it gained prominence. It became known as the “Senatoren-Friedhof”. Prominent Hamburg figures were buried here. These included mayors Christian Daniel Benecke and Heinrich Kellinghusen. Also interred were Gustav Heinrich Kirchenpauer and Johannes Christian Eugen Lehmann. The scholar Johann Georg Büsch and water director Johannes Dalmann also rested here. Abraham Philipp Schuldt, a merchant and founder, was another notable burial. Ebba Tesdorpf, a drawer, was also buried here.
In 1877, Ohlsdorf Cemetery opened. Burials at the Eilbek cemeteries decreased. By 1934, they stopped completely. After a 20-year resting period, the land was deconsecrated in 1954. The church communities planned to sell the land for building. Public protests followed. In 1959, the city bought the land. The goal was to preserve it as a public park.
During the transformation, the remains of 90 prominent people were moved. They were reinterred at the Althamburgischer Gedächtnisfriedhof in Ohlsdorf. Significant gravestones were also moved. These included those of Johann Georg Büsch and Johannes Dalmann. The Ämtersteine of the Maleramt and the Ewerführer brotherhood were relocated too.
Today, only a few original memorials remain in the Jacobipark. Two family crypts and five individual gravestones remain at their original location. They are integrated into the park’s design.
You can find the Merck family grave here. It includes Heinrich Johann Merck and Christian Daniel Benecke. The Hochgreve-Baasch family crypt is also present. Other notable graves include those of Ruperti, Ahlers, and Möhring. Clara Horn, a Thalia Theater actress, is also memorialized. Erich Martini, a surgeon at AK St. Georg, has a memorial too. A memorial stone honors the founders of the Eilbeker Gemeindehaus. Another stone commemorates Johannes Heeger, a former cemetery administrator.
Now, Jacobipark offers a variety of amenities. It features a quiet garden with an artificial pond. There is a playground for children. Several table tennis tables and slackline posts are available. A bird sanctuary and a fenced dog play area are also present. A 500-meter green corridor connects Jacobipark to the Eilbeker Bürgerpark.
Take a walk through the Jacobipark. Notice the scattered gravestones and monuments. They tell the story of this green space’s past. It was once the Jacobi-Gemeinde cemetery. The Jacobipark is now a place of recreation and remembrance.