Have you ever felt the weight of history beneath your feet? Here at Hermanfriedhof in Augsburg you can. This isn’t just a cemetery. It’s a living testament to Augsburg’s past struggles and triumphs.
For over four centuries Hermanfriedhof has stood as a quiet sentinel. The Catholic cemetery’s story begins in 1599. This was Augsburg’s first confessional cemetery. It was born from the turmoil of the Reformation. Before that Catholics and Protestants shared burial grounds. But after the city council converted to Protestantism Catholics were forbidden to be buried in existing churches or cemeteries.
They weren’t able to practice their burial rites. This led to a plea to the city council in 1598. The plea explained the need for a dedicated Catholic cemetery. This request was granted in 1599. The Catholics received their own burial ground outside the Goggenger Tor gate.
A garden was purchased from the hospital foundation. More land was acquired from a wealthy Augsburger. Construction began on a church in 1603. It was dedicated a year later to St Michael and all the Holy Angels. But peace was short-lived.
In 1632 the Swedes invaded Augsburg. They ravaged Hermanfriedhof destroying the church and leaving the cemetery unusable. After the Thirty Years’ War things finally stabilized. In 1649 the Catholics were given back their Hermanfriedhof. By 1652 burials resumed.
However trouble struck again in 1703. During the War of the Spanish Succession imperial troops arrived in Augsburg. They once more devastated the cemetery. This time they razed St Michael’s Church.
Despite this the church was rebuilt. Between 1708 and 1714 a new church was constructed. The Fugger family provided significant financial support. The cemetery underwent several expansions between 1799 and 1830. Later in the 19th century plans to demolish Hermanfriedhof for the construction of the main train station were thankfully abandoned.
Throughout its long history Hermanfriedhof faced many challenges. It endured war destruction and political upheaval.Yet it stands as a place of peace and remembrance. The church’s interior is a treasure trove of Baroque art. The Fugger family endowed it with three stunning Rococo altars. The high altar features the Fall of the Angels. It was possibly painted by the Munich court painter Christoph Schwarz. The side altars house masterpieces of early Baroque painting.
The church’s ceiling boasts a fresco of the Last Judgment. Painted in 1772 it was later removed for safety reasons. It was thankfully restored in the late 1990s. Today Hermanfriedhof is a beautiful and historically significant cemetery. It is a quiet oasis in the heart of Augsburg. It stands as a reminder of the city’s rich and complex past. It continues to serve as a peaceful final resting place.