Contemplate for a moment this park-like setting. This is Waldfriedhof Misburg. It is also known as Stadtteilfriedhof Misburg or Stadtfriedhof Misburg in Hannover. Let’s uncover some of its history.
Waldfriedhof Misburg opened in 1921 during the Weimar Republic. It was meant to succeed the Friedhof Am Seelberg. A few years later in 1925, a monument was inaugurated. It honored those who fell in the First World War.
During the Nazi era, forced laborers suffered nearby. They were in the Misburg subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp. A plaque on the Waldfriedhof Misburg’s wall commemorates them. Additionally, two grave fields exist for other victims. These victims died during the Second World War air raids on Hannover. Fifty-four were Misburg citizens including two unknown individuals. Twenty were forced laborers of Eastern European nationality. Ten of these could no longer be identified by name. These fields were redesigned and marked in 2009.
In 1963, Waldfriedhof Misburg gained a new chapel. In 1989, the city of Hannover moved two historic Baroque epitaphs here. They were attached to the entrance hall wall. One epitaph is for Heinrich Julie Warmbold and his wife. Anna Ilse Potstahl died in 1676. During the construction of the St. Anna Chapel in 1932, it was found. A construction worker broke it into two pieces. The upper part disappeared during the Second World War. Later, the lower part was used as a stepping stone. Sculptor P. Leichsenring from Lahe replaced the missing piece.
The other tombstone was found in 1955. It was on the grounds of the former Mudzborgh. Anton Scholand thought it was Leutnant Putzstohl’s gravestone. According to a note from 1652, Putzstohl built on the former castle site. He was likely buried there too. The gravestone vanished. In 1989, it reappeared on the yard of the Grünflächenamtes in Döhrbruch. Karl Heinz Schiebenhöfer and Rita Pawelski helped bring it here.
The Stadtfriedhof Lahe now manages the Waldfriedhof Misburg. There are around 4500 burial sites. These are for both casket and urn burials. Only row or selected graves are available. Deep burials are not possible.
Anton Scholand is buried in Waldfriedhof Misburg. He was a teacher and local historian. Willi Blume was buried here in 1993. He was the last city director of Misburg. Theologian Hans Werner Dannowski attended his burial.
The Waldfriedhof Misburg remains a place of reflection. It is a testament to local history. It is open to visitors during various hours depending on the season. As you leave, consider the stories held within these grounds.