Pause for a moment and consider what lies beyond these gates: Westfriedhof. Opened in 1902, Westfriedhof in Munich stands as one of the city’s grand cemeteries. Today we will delve into its history.
Westfriedhof is located in the Moosach district. Hans Grässel planned it at the beginning of the 20th century. The cemetery’s grounds were incorporated before Moosach even became part of Munich in 1913.
Spread across nearly 50 hectares, Westfriedhof provides space for about 41.700 graves. Over time the grounds have been expanded several times. The cemetery has straight and curved paths. A small lake and lawns break up the grave sites.
Many famous people are buried at Westfriedhof. Among them are Empress Soraya and Alexandra, a popular singer. The architect Bernhard Borst rests here. The painter Franz von Lenbach is also interred here. Väterchen Timofej, a hermit, also found his final resting place here.
Look at the architecture! Beneath the domed hall and bell tower is a crypt with tombs. At the main entrance lies a terraced forum. Here, a stone Mount of Olives group sits under a canopy.
Westfriedhof also features unique memorials. There is a memorial for Munich police officers killed in service. A stone circle provides a place for reflection. A memorial exists for children.
In 2015, the Mosaic Gardens were created. This communal urn grave site is unique in Munich. In 1962, the Urnenhalle am Teich was built by the architect Eugen Jacoby.
The Westfriedhof is divided into areas. These areas are Am Forum, An der Friedhofsmauer and Am Teich. Also, Am Steinkreis, Lärchenhain and Lindenhain are here. There are numbered sections from 1 to 74 and 101 to 271.
Note the entrances around the Westfriedhof. The Lenbachtor, the Tor am Teich, the Tor Niederling and the Heimgartentor are in the south and west. Simple entrances mark the north and east. Once, two sphinxes stood before the hall but now they are in Oberhaching.
Westfriedhof is a protected monument. In 2012, a memorial honored Bavarian police officers killed since World War II. The Westfriedhof stands as a testament to history. It is a place of peace.