Seven thousand souls. That’s how many are cremated each year at Krematorium Nordheim. This isn’t just any crematorium. It’s the largest in Switzerland. For a time it was even the largest in Europe.
Standing before Krematorium Nordheim you feel its presence. Its architecture speaks of the 1960s. It’s a testament to the Modernist movement in Switzerland. Architect Albert Heinrich Steiner designed it. He was also the city planner of Zurich. He even designed parts of the ETH Zurich campus.
The Krematorium Nordheim wasn’t the first crematorium in Zurich. That honor goes to the Krematorium Sihlfeld A opened way back in 1889. But Sihlfeld A’s capacity was reached by 1925. Cremations outnumbered burials. The city needed a bigger facility.
The initial plan was to upgrade Sihlfeld A. But its space was limited. A new crematorium on the right side of the Limmat River was deemed preferable. Plans shifted. A competition was launched in 1931. The winning design was never built. The existing crematorium was upgraded instead. The decision to build Krematorium Nordheim only came years later.
The final design is a masterpiece. It combines functionality with beauty. It has two halls. Hall I holds 450 people Hall II accommodates 150. Both feature Rosso Verona marble floors. The halls have glass mosaics. They create a peaceful atmosphere. Each hall has an organ. One hall contains a tapestry by Max Truninger. The other a tapestry by Carlotta Stocker.
But the Krematorium Nordheim is more than just beautiful halls. It’s a place of advanced technology. Today it uses seven electric cremation ovens. In the past it had three. The crematorium even has a fully automated system for placing the caskets inside.
But the history of Krematorium Nordheim is also full of fascinating smaller stories. There’s the Anatomy Grave. It’s a unique feature. This is where the ashes of people who donated their bodies to science are laid to rest. The crematorium’s location was carefully chosen. It’s situated above Kaferholzstrasse. A curved path leads from the parking lot to the building. Along this path you’ll find the urn niches.
Krematorium Nordheim. A place where life and death meet. A place of remembrance and reflection. A place where the past and the future intertwine. A place larger than life itself.