The first burial at Ostkirchhof Ahrensfelde. It was July 4 1908. The Kaufmannswitwe Anna Schwarzenberg was laid to rest. Her grave remains an honorary grave today.
Ostkirchhof Ahrensfelde. A vast expanse of land. It was conceived at the end of the 19th century. Berlin’s population exploded. Existing cemeteries couldn’t cope. The Berliner Stadtsynodalverband planned a solution. A large cemetery far from the city center. They planned to connect it using modern transport.
The plan was ambitious. Three large cemeteries. One in Ahrensfelde one in Stahnsdorf and one in Mühlenbeck. Each inner-city parish would receive its own burial section. Ostkirchhof Ahrensfelde was chosen as the main burial site for the eastern parishes.
Land acquisition was a lengthy process. Negotiations with 25 landowners dragged on until 1906. They finally purchased 285 hectares for 1.33 million gold marks. Had the original plans been fully realized Ostkirchhof Ahrensfelde would have been the second largest cemetery in Germany. Only Hamburg’s Ohlsdorf cemetery was larger.
The design process was also interesting. A competition was held. The designs didn’t meet expectations. Architects Gustav Werner and landscape gardener Louis Meyer were commissioned. Meyer had studied at Peter Joseph Lenné’s horticultural school. He transformed the sandy soil of Ahrensfelde into a park-like cemetery.
They used the natural landscape. Nurseries and tree nurseries were established. This provided the foundation for the design concept. Separate burial plots were created for each of the ten parishes. Their names remain to this day.
The cemetery opened in June 1908 with the dedication of the chapel. Anna Schwarzenberg’s burial followed a few days later. The construction was gradual. Buildings and gardens were completed until 1915. The fountains were added later. They served as landmarks and helped visitors navigate the vast space.
The original plan’s grandeur is still evident today. Long wide paths lined with hornbeam hedges invite visitors to linger. The number of burials declined from the 1920s. In 1994 the usable area was reduced to 25 hectares. It was enclosed by a fence. Since 2007 burial numbers have increased again.
Ostkirchhof Ahrensfelde is more than a cemetery. In 2001 the lower monument protection authority listed it as a historical monument. This underlines the cemetery’s cultural significance. The chapel administrative and residential buildings and fountain systems are protected. It is a unique place a testament to planning and history. And a peaceful resting place.