Here lies a story of ashes and memories. We stand before the grounds of the Ehemalige Urnenhalle. This former urn hall holds a significant place in Berlin’s history.
The Ehemalige Urnenhalle was built in 1890. It was funded by the “Verein für Feuerbestattung.” This society championed cremation. At the time, Prussia hadn’t yet legalized it. That law didn’t pass until 1911. Before that, only Gotha had a crematorium. Berlin’s first crematorium opened in 1912. It was located on Gerichtstraße in Wedding.
Imagine a domed structure rising about 13.5 meters high. It had a circular layout. The Ehemalige Urnenhalle had two levels. The lower level was a souterrain, accessible at ground level. The upper level stood 1.50 meters above ground. A wide granite staircase led to it. Together, the two levels could hold around 800 urns.
Three-quarter columns adorned the upper level. They gave the building a temple-like appearance. Sadly, the Ehemalige Urnenhalle suffered heavy damage during the air raids on Berlin in 1945. It was eventually torn down in the 1950s.
Nearby lies the burial site of the v. Wangenheim-Winterstein family. Actors Eduard v. Winterstein, his wife Hedwig, and their son Gustav v. Wangenheim rest here. Eduard began his acting career in Berlin in 1895. He worked at the Kleines Theater and Deutsches Theater. He also appeared in many films. In 1951, he played Buck sen. in Wolfgang Staudte’s “Der Untertan.”
Gustav was involved in the worker and agitprop theater during the Weimar Republic. He trained at Max Reinhardt’s acting school. In 1922, he starred as Thomas Hutter in F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu”. He also directed films, including the 1948 DEFA film “Und wieder 48”. This film covered the March Revolution a century earlier. Gustav’s wife Inge and his father also participated in the film.
Not far from here stands the grave monument for Simon Blad. He was a merchant who lived from 1818 to 1896. Blad left his wealth to the city of Berlin for social services. Ludwig Hoffmann designed his gravestone. Hoffmann was Berlin’s city building councilor from 1896 to 1924. August Vogel created the bronze plaque on the stele in 1909. It depicts the deceased.
Though the Ehemalige Urnenhalle is gone its story remains. It reminds us of changing attitudes toward death and remembrance. It stands as a testament to Berlin’s past.