Once, the bustling streets of Haunstetten-Siebenbrunn hushed as the solemn procession made its way to this very spot. Welcome to the Alter Friedhof Haunstetten.
Before 1870 the departed found their rest around St. Georg parish church. But as the town grew, so did the need for a new dedicated space. The Alter Friedhof Haunstetten became that space.
It opened in 1870 on what is now Bürgermeister-Widmeier-Straße. Imagine the ceremony on October 17 1870. Locals considered this the “new” cemetery complete with a mortuary.
Even then space was already a concern. By 1890 the cemetery was expanded by about half its original size. The cemetery saw further changes.
In 1932 the mortuary underwent reconstruction. A new cemetery bell rang out in May 1951. It was likely donated by Mayor Xaver Widmeier. The mortuary was renovated in 2009. It became a hall for funeral services.
Pause for a moment near the imposing cross. It is titled “Weg durch das Leben” meaning “The Way Through Life”. Christian Angerbauer created this in 1972. The artwork represents humanity’s journey and our faith.
Nearby lies the Priest Grave of St. Georg parish. The parish’s deceased pastors rest here. This monument also crafted by Christian Angerbauer honors their service.
Let us reflect at the memorial site. It commemorates civilian victims of World War II air raids. Augsburg redesigned the site in the early 1990s. Philipp Jäger created the redesign.
Initially the site held only grave markers. These marked a mass grave for bombing victims. Many victims rested in family plots. The plots had been dissolved over time. The Kulturkreis Haunstetten meticulously researched those lost. It identified 57 names and vital details. A plaque now remembers them.
Behold the Mausoleum of the Käß couple. Johann Georg Käß a businessman settled here in 1844. The central Georg-Käß-Platz honors him. He was a benefactor of Haunstetten.
In 1903 and 1904 Käß commissioned a tomb. Karl Bauer an architect from Ulm designed it. It was for himself, his wife, and daughter Marie Gräfin Tattenbach.
The design evokes a small Greek Orthodox church. It has an octagonal domed structure of limestone. Wilhelm Köppen from Munich created the cupola mosaic. In 2009 the city renovated the mausoleum and grounds. The Kulturkreis Haunstetten had requested it.
The Alter Friedhof Haunstetten holds the graves of Haunstetten’s honorary citizens. They were Bürgermeister Franz Xaver Widmeier Marie Gräfin Tattenbach and pastor Eberhard Spickermann.
Let us step outside the cemetery’s walls briefly.
Consider the monument. It is dedicated to the fallen of World War I. It was unveiled August 1 1920. It stood near St. Georg church until the 1960s.
Ludwig Grothe a Munich architect designed it. Mathias Brenner a sculptor from Göggingen contributed. The inscription reads “To the faithful memory of our brothers.” They died fighting for the Fatherland in the war 1914-1918. The community of Haunstetten dedicated it.
The monument bears the dedication “Our Heroes” on all six sides. Names of the fallen are listed. An Iron Cross crowns the monument.
Until 2010 there was no memorial for World War II soldiers. The Kulturkreis Haunstetten researched and found their names. Plaques now honor them. They stand near the World War I memorial along the cemetery wall.
A map shows the soldiers’ final resting places.
The Alter Friedhof Haunstetten bridges generations. It connects us to the lives. They shaped Haunstetten’s past.