Nestled within Stuttgart’s Hauptfriedhof, a place of quiet remembrance, lies the Armenisches Gräberfeld. This often-overlooked section holds a poignant piece of the city’s history. The Hauptfriedhof itself opened in 1918 during the turmoil of World War I. It quickly expanded over the years, becoming a sprawling 29.6 hectares with over 15,000 graves. Within this vast landscape, the Armenisches Gräberfeld tells a unique story. Towards the end of 1944, as the Red Army advanced, many Armenians from eastern Germany found refuge in Stuttgart. They were employed as forced laborers. After the war, in October 1945, the American military authorities assigned the Funkerkaserne in Bad Cannstatt to Armenian and Ukrainian displaced persons. At times, up to 3,000 Armenians and around 150 Ukrainians lived in these buildings, until the last residents left in 1950. To bury their dead, the Armenian community established the Armenisches Gräberfeld in Section 15 of the Hauptfriedhof in 1944. Today, within Section 15b, about 50 gravestones remain from the 1940s and 1950s, many weathered by time. The Armenisches Gräberfeld continues to serve as a burial ground for those of Armenian descent. In 1987, a poignant addition marked the site. The Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Baden-Württemberg erected a khatchkar, a traditional Armenian cross-stone. This monument bears an inscription: “In memory of the victims of the Armenian people,” a solemn reminder of the community’s journey and resilience.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to