Whispers from the past. That’s what you feel at the Ancien cimeti`ere in Strasbourg. This isn’t just any cemetery. It’s a living history book. A resting place for notable figures. Their stories are etched into the very stones.
The Ancien cimeti`ere is one of Strasbourg’s oldest cemeteries. It’s located on the Koenigshoffen plateau west of the city. Archaeological finds show a necropolis existed here in Roman times. The cemetery we see today however dates back to 1527. An ordinance that year prohibited burials within the city walls. This led to the creation of several extramural cemeteries including this one.
Imagine the lives lived before us. The Ancien cimeti`ere holds the remains of numerous Strasbourg artists and personalities. Among them are the poet Jean-Georges Arnold considered the father of Alsatian dialect theatre. His tomb features a statue by Andr`e Friederich. Then there is the painter Jean-Fr`ed’eric Arnold. Or Friedrich Bergmann professor of literature and philology friend and testamentary executor of Proudhon.
A hidden gem within the Ancien cimeti`ere is a small private cemetery. It belongs to the Lauth Schweighaeuser Gruber Schmitten Stoeber Pfaehler Osterrieth and Ubersaal families. This family plot includes a neo-Gothic chapel belonging to the Schweighaeuser family. You’ll also find the grave of Ernest Lauth former mayor of Strasbourg and later elected deputy to the Reichstag. Unfortunately this private cemetery is not open to the public.
The Ancien cimeti`ere also bears witness to smaller stories. There’s the funerary monument of Louis Charles Henri Knoderer. A work of art by Andr`e Friederich. It’s a cenotaph dedicated to a child. A poignant reminder of lives cut short. Another monument depicts the farewell of Gerhard Veil a soldier killed in action in 1914. A bas-relief shows him saying goodbye to his sister.
Stroll among the headstones. Each one tells a tale. From the renowned to the everyday. The Ancien cimeti`ere in Strasbourg is more than just a burial ground. It is a place of reflection. A place that connects us to the past. It whispers the stories of those who came before. It’s a journey through time itself. A journey you will not soon forget.