<br>Despite his geometrical design
Linne found it essential to keep
existing trees and hedgerows.
Large family vaults and abundant
flowers in the small compartments
contributed to making the whole
park appear less rigid. A logical
consequence of focussing on the
individual graves and the
compartments was the desire to
influence the size, shape and
material of the tombstones –
regulations that Linne introduced.
The difference between the two
styles is still recognizable today:
The original landscape garden
designed by Cordes in the western
part and the regular layout by
Linne in the eastern extension.
Some of the compartments also
reflect the clarity of Linne’s
proposals. Graves of several
famous people can be found in
both parts. The Althamburgische
Gedächtnis-friedhof (where famous
local people are buried), the Jewish
cemetery and the Rose Garden are
some of the highlights. The Rose
Garden is regarded as a good
example of garden design and was
restored following the historic
layout in 1997.
- Area : 391 hectares
- GPS X : 0.000000000000000000
- GPS Y : 0.000000000000000000
- Project start : 1877
- Project end : 1919
- Implementation start : 1877
- Implementation end : 1919
- Context :
Ohlsdorfer Friedhof is the world’s
largest park cemetery. Landscape
architecture and nature unite to
create a harmonious picture, which
incorporates artistic tombs,
mausoleums, chapels and wells. - Website : http://www.friedhof-hamburg.de/index.php?id=178
- Project Status : Completed Project
- Client : Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
- Ownership : Public
- Accessibility : Limited public access
- Notes :
Inside the cemetery's 17 km road network car traffic is permitted. Cars can access the cemetery by one of the four entrance gates. Two public bus lines circle the cemetery area.Since its opening in 1877 nearly 1.4 million burials have taken place in Ohlsdorf Cemetery, and at present there are 256,000 graves.The cemetery is not only used as a burial ground, but also as a recreational area. With its magnificent trees and rhodendondron bushes, its impressive mausoleums, its sculptures of angels, its ponds and birds, Ohlsdorf Cemetery is an oasis of nature and peace. - Brief Description :
The cemetery covers 391 hectares at present; it was opened in 1877 as a mere six-hectare site and was at that time a long way from the city. Between 1882 and 1914 director Johann Wilhelm Cordes extended the site to a 196-hectare landscaped park. In 1914 an additional 156 hectares were bought, as requests for new graves continued to be made. But the new design was expected to make better use of the available space, and a competition was held. After long discussions the head of the Parks’ Department Otto Linne designed the second half in 1919. His proposal was based on the idea, that a cemetery is primarily a burial ground and its design should therefore be based on the shape of an individual grave. Several individual graves form a row of graves and several rows a compartment. These compartments were meant to be distinctive; planting or wells were designed to aid orientation, and shelter the compartments from the roads leading through the cemetery. - Designer : Johann Wilhelm Cordes, Otto Linne
- Project Name : Original : Ohlsdorfer Friedhof
- Type : Cemeteries
