Contemplating the elaborate iron gates of the Friedhof Grinzing makes you consider the secrets held within. This isn’t just a final resting place. It’s a testament to Vienna’s rich cultural history.
The Friedhof Grinzing is located in Döbling. It lies in the Grinzing district. The cemetery is bordered by Rosenweg on the west. Aslangasse is to the south. Residential buildings enclose the north and east. It covers 42,162 square meters. The Friedhof Grinzing contains 5,100 graves.
Originally, Grinzing’s dead were buried near the parish church St. Michael in Heiligenstadt. An exception occurred during the plague in 1713. Burials then took place at the Grinzing Chapel. Grinzing became its own parish in 1783. Subsequently, they established a cemetery near the Pfarrhof garden. This “Leichenhof” quickly filled.
Franz Huschka Edler von Ratschitzburg donated land in 1829. This donation enabled a new cemetery. The 2,867 square meter plot was consecrated in 1830. The first burial occurred on October 15, 1830. A gravedigger’s house with mortuary chambers was added in 1880. In 1873, the cemetery expanded. It acquired property from the municipality. The Budinsky siblings donated another 126 square meters in 1901. Construction of 25 garden vaults began in 1908. A further expansion added 7,215 square meters in 1911.
The Friedhof Grinzing became the main burial site. This was because the Oberdöbling cemetery could not expand. The Friedhof Grinzing was enlarged again in 1918 and 1919. The administration building expanded in 1925. The hall for laying out the dead was enlarged. In 1934, the mortuary got a burial and changing room. An office was added on the north side. The Friedhof Grinzing was expanded during and after World War II. Arkade renovations in 1954 repaired war damage. The rebuilt hall was enlarged in 1957/58. It gained an office and priest’s room. The last expansion took place in 1959. A new operations building was constructed. The old burial chamber was demolished. Sanitation work in 1961/62 created new grave sites. It also reclaimed abandoned graves.
The modern hall for laying out the dead was redesigned in 1976. Erich Boltenstern was the architect. Hans Robert Pippal designed the winged altar. Hermann Bauch created the stained glass. It reopened on March 18, 1977. Cremation ceremonies can also be held there.
The Friedhof Grinzing contains 53 honorary graves. It also has two historical grave sites. Many important people are buried here. Franz Huschka who donated the land is buried here. The graves of Gustav Mahler and Thomas Bernhard attract visitors. Politicians Josef Klaus and Armand von Dumreicher also rest here. Actors Attila Hörbiger and Paula Wessely are buried here too.
Carl Ludwig Freiherr von Reichenbach once owned Cobenzl. He studied “grave lights” at the Friedhof Grinzing. He wanted to prove his “Od” theory. Supposedly gifted people could see faint lights in darkness. These lights came from magnetic forces. In reality, it was phosphorescent light from decay. This indicated soil oversaturated with decomposition.
The Friedhof Grinzing avoided rows of boring graves. Graves are arranged in semicircles. Hedges separate small sections. Many impressive monuments mark graves. A walk through the Friedhof Grinzing feels like a journey. Famous names appear on many headstones.
Consider the Friedhof Grinzing as more than a burial ground. Consider it a chronicle carved in stone. A place where Vienna’s vibrant past finds its eternal stage.