Is it merely a place of rest? The Friedhof Büderich is more than meets the eye. It is a place of history and community.
Welcome to the Friedhof Büderich. This cemetery is a vital part of Meerbusch. It offers a space for reflection and remembrance. It holds stories of local history. Let’s step inside.
For centuries there were two burial options. One was around the old St Mauritius parish church. That is the site of today’s Old Church Tower. The other was near the former Meer Monastery. Within the Meer Monastery two burial sites existed. The sisters of the monastic community were buried in the church. So were their caregivers. Also those who bequeathed legacies or gave donations to the monastery. Johann Friedrich Baron von Bernsau paid 510 Reichstaler. He was buried directly in front of the high altar.
The Kreuzgang was also used for burials. Space became limited. A burial vault was created under the church for the sisters in the early 18th century. An ossuary was supposedly at the church too. This held the remaining bones of the dead after decomposition. This is still common practice in some southern European countries.
Members of the parish had to be buried at the parish church. Today only the Romanesque tower remains. Two old gravestones mark the spot. Bones were found at the Niederdonk Chapel. These suggest burials occurred here when the churchyard flooded.
Recurring flooding was an argument to move the cemetery in 1837. In 1831 the church board decided to relocate. They were supported by Mayor Peter Matthias Nilges. The new site was on the Dreitömb on Brühler Weg. This followed a trend. Decaying corpses in churches caused unsanitary conditions. Legislation addressed these grievances. Space was needed to enlarge the old Büderich church’s nave. The newly built cemetery was dedicated on April 15 1833. A linden tree avenue led from the entrance. Seven of the original trees still stand.
The community bought more land in 1872. The new part of the cemetery was twice as large. It was expanded to the northwest and used from 1873. In 1875 Büderich master mason Johann Adam Bahners built a wall. Parts still exist within the current cemetery. That same year Bahners built a mortuary on the Dreitömb. The 1883 burial regulations divided the 1873 cemetery. It had four fields for children and adults. The general burial grounds had 193 hereditary burial sites. These cost 12 marks and 25 pfennigs. Some graves remain.
The cemetery expanded several times in the 20th century. The newest area was dedicated in 1990. It is on the northwest side of Brühler Weg. Today the cemetery is almost 84000 square meters. Parts of the 1875 surrounding wall still stand. The expansions created a decentralized structure. The rich tree population gives the area a park-like feel.
Relics of the old churchyard stand at Dorfstraße. They include grave crosses from the 17th and 18th centuries. Two gravestones north of the Old Church Tower are dated 1625 and 16. The last digits are unreadable.
The Friedhof Büderich is more than graves. It is a story etched in stone. It is a green lung within Meerbusch. Take a moment to appreciate the peace and history around you.