Between the train station and houses lies St Lorenz Friedhof. Since 1597 Lubeckers have buried their dead here. The plague ravaged Lubeck then. Many corpses needed burial far from the city gates. This 13-hectare area crams in 1400 graves. Lubeck city has managed it since 1906.
For years it was a resting place for the poor. Wealthy citizens buried their dead in the church. Friedrich Bernhard von Wikkede son of a mayor changed this. In 1786 he buried his wife among the poor at St Lorenz. Other wealthy families followed. Now the cemetery boasts several patrician graves.
Monumental tombs hide beneath thick ivy. These are the family plots of wealthy Lubeck families. Half-weathered inscriptions are hard to decipher. A stone plague cross near the church is a unique feature. So is the neo-Gothic church itself. It replaced a single-aisled timber-framed church from 1661. Another special feature is the centuries-old register. This was started in 1625.
The cemetery moved from city to St Lorenz parish administration in 2008. Despite its proximity to the station and bus terminal it’s an oasis of calm. The plague cross of 1597 reminds us of its original use. It was a plague graveyard outside the city walls. The cross greenery old trees and historic graves create a space of mourning. The growth of nature makes life tangible.
The neo-Gothic St Lorenz Church provides a dignified setting for funerals. This historic cemetery offers various burial options. These include traditional coffin graves lawn graves and urn burial sites. There is even a communal urn site. Tree burials are available. A memorial site is dedicated to stillborn babies. Urn graves are near a historic vault. The cemetery staff offer advice. They are open daily from 8 am to 8 pm. Access outside these hours is at your own risk. The cemetery may close in bad weather.