Berlin, Kreuzberg: cemetery at Hallesches Tor
One of my private Berlin pleasures … a quick currywurst at Curry 36 on Mehringdamm, and then a stroll through the graveyard at Hallesches Tor.
The contrast between the non-stop noise and action of the Kreuzberg street and the instant blanket of verdant silence that prevails in the cemetery could not be more vivid. Mature trees, marble crosses, gothic script … it’s a typical old northern European cemetery, I guess — established in 1735, in a spot just outside Berlin’s old city walls.
I just happen to like walking there more than most. Felix Mendelssohn is buried there, for one thing — I visited his grave today and softly whistled the theme to the Italian Symphony. The other thing I love is the number of grave markers from the early 1900s, many featuring the flowing visual elegance of the then au courant Jugendstil (think Art Nouveau).
The photos below show a couple of the loveliest pieces — at least, of those that are still in place. In recent years the cemetery has repeatedly been struck by art thieves, who’ve pried up, broken off, and carted away some of the most beautiful marble busts and medallions. *sigh*
August 30th, 2008 at 12:01 am
[...] – bookmarked by 3 members originally found by eristemena on 2008-08-11 Berlin, Kreuzberg: cemetery at Hallesches Tor http://calyxdesign.com/2008/07/15/berlin-kreuzberg-cemetery-at-hallesches-tor/ – bookmarked by 4 [...]