Friedhof Connewitz

A symphony of whispers greets you at Friedhof Connewitz. Here, amongst the grand linden trees lining the central avenue, rest stories of Leipzig’s Connewitz district. Friedhof Connewitz, established in 1880, sprawls across 3.5 hectares. The cemetery’s grid-like layout leads you past approximately 5,000 graves, including historic wall graves and numerous communal plots. Notice the early 20th-century wall memorials along the perimeter, many retaining original enclosures. Friedhof Connewitz’s chapel, a unique example of post-World War I cemetery architecture in Leipzig, stands as a testament to Art Deco design. Designed by Georg Staufert and adorned with sandstone reliefs, possibly by Max Alfred Brumme, the chapel seats over sixty people. The adjacent freestanding bell tower houses a single bronze bell, its chime a poignant reminder of the passage of time. Restored in 1991-1992, the chapel echoes with the memories of countless services. Among the residents of Friedhof Connewitz are individuals whose legacies extend beyond the district. Eugen Schulz, once proprietor of the Friedrichshallen hotel and restaurant, rests in an Art Deco crypt marked by a bronze portrait medallion by Hans Zeiẞig. “Schorschl,” the beloved host of Haus Connewitz restaurant, is interred in the Pickelmann family plot. Actress and cabaret artist Ingeborg Krabbe, a Connewitz native, also found her final resting place here. Along the western wall, 24 graves commemorate the Grauen Schwestern (Grey Sisters), nurses who dedicated their lives to St. Elisabeth Hospital until 1974. Even the walls of Friedhof Connewitz hold stories. In 2017, artists transformed sections of the cemetery wall with vivid graffiti, adding a modern voice to this historic landscape.