Ruined yet regal stands the Mausoleum Graf Carl von Alten. Before you lie the remnants of a once-grand structure. This mausoleum wasn’t always a ruin. It was built in 1842. It served as the final resting place for Graf Carl von Alten a renowned Hanoverian-British general and statesman. He died two years earlier. The design is attributed to the esteemed royal Hanoverian court architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves. The actual construction was undertaken by Conrad Wilhelm Hase another prominent architect.
Hase considered this mausoleum the dawn of Hanoverian brick architecture. Today it’s recognized as the first Gothic Revival brick building in Northern Germany. The mausoleum was originally a single-nave chapel. Its exterior walls were primarily sandstone with a brick facing. They were 12 meters thick. The rear gable wall was entirely brick. A sandstone coat of arms of the von Alten family adorned the front gable. The interior measured approximately 8 by 5 meters. Tall corner turrets rose at the chapel’s outer corners. A small brick vestibule with two small corner turrets provided access.
Sadly the Mausoleum Graf Carl von Alten suffered greatly after World War II. Looters forced their way in. They desecrated the zinc coffins of Carl von Alten and two relatives. They stole the general’s uniform insignia and sword. After the entrance was bricked up further break-ins occurred through the roof. In 1958 thieves broke through the bricked-up entrance. They stole the metal from the zinc coffins. They disturbed the remains scattering the bones in the woods. Carl von Alten’s remains were subsequently moved to the Neustadter Hof- und Stadtkirche in Hanover.
The building’s structure remained largely intact until the 1960s. Between 1966 and 1968 the entrance portal was destroyed. In 1973 the heavy oak entrance door vanished. Subsequent theft of stone material and vandalism led to its ruin by 1982. The Mausoleum Graf Carl von Alten is more than just stones and mortar. It’s a testament to a remarkable figure. It reflects the architectural styles of its time. It’s also a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the fragility of even the most imposing structures. In 2013 and 2014 the Mausoleum Graf Carl von Alten was partially restored. The Förderverein Mausoleum Graf Carl von Alten a dedicated preservation society oversaw the work. Their efforts cost over 60000 euros. This dedicated group continues its work to protect and preserve this historically important site.