Whispers of history linger here at the Nordfriedhof in Leipzig. This North Cemetery opened on May 24 1881. It’s smaller than the city’s Sudfriedhof covering only 73 hectares. Yet its landscaping is diverse. It even includes a wetland area established after 2000.
The Nordfriedhof’s main buildings date from 1905 to 1910. Otto Bruckwald designed them. His Italian-inspired complex featured leafy wooden arcades. These connected the chapel mortuary and administration buildings. Sadly the chapel was destroyed during air raids in 1943. The former keeper’s house remains though. It’s also Bruckwald’s design.
Otto Wittenberg landscaped the grounds. He used a traditional style with symmetrical grave plots. Unlike the newer Sudfriedhof he didn’t create a park-like setting. The Nordfriedhof had few ornamental areas. Only colorful flowerbeds graced the Berliner Strasse entrance.
This cemetery holds the remains of notable figures. Two honorary citizens of Leipzig are buried here. Senior Imperial Counsel Hermann Tessendorf rests here. So does Imperial Court President Rudolf von Seckendorff. Other notable people are also buried here. Ernst Arthur Seemann founder of the E A Seemann publishing house is interred here. Book publisher Carl Christian Philipp Tauchnitz is another notable resident. So is urologist Arthur Kollmann. And Ernst Pinkert founder of Leipzig Zoo is here too.
The Nordfriedhof also features one of Leipzig’s oldest Battle of Leipzig monuments. A mass grave of fallen soldiers was discovered in 1892. The Leipzig Historical Union commissioned architect Franz Drechsler to design a gravestone. This monument dedicated on October 18 1899 consists of an unworked stone block. Its inscription reads Friend and foe united in death.
Many new graves have been added since the cemetery’s opening. These depart from the original strict symmetry. The Nordfriedhof continues to evolve. It remains a significant part of Leipzig’s history and culture. A place where stories are quietly told in stone. A place of remembrance peace and reflection. A place to pause and reflect. A place that’s the Nordfriedhof Leipzig.