Hauptfriedhof Mainz
The Hauptfriedhof is the main cemetery of Mainz, the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was established in 1803 when Mainz was under French administration. It became the model for the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris. It is the burial place of prominent persons, also the Deutscher Ehrenhof honorary graves. The cemetery is a cultural heritage site and prominent urban green space.
History
When Mainz was under French administration, cemeteries became rare due to the closing of church institutions. A new Christian cemetery was established in 1803 when Jeanbon St. André was the French préfet of the department of Mont-Tonnerre.Initiated by the mayor,, it was placed in the Zahlbach valley on former monastery grounds in 1803. It had been a burial site in Roman times. Later, some bishops of Mainz were buried there including Aureus of Mainz. The cemetery became the model for the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris.
The Hauptfriedhof was first a square ground of about eleven morgen that was expanded several times. It has now an area of 22 hektar, roughly in 75 "fields" in the central part, 14 in the urn grove across Saarstraße. The paths form a grid, with the main paths lined by trees. The cemetery contains old trees and other plants, and is regarded as quality urban green space of Mainz.
Monuments
The Hauptfriedhof contains historic graves and monuments, interesting for historians and art historians. There are graves for single people, families, and also groups, including victims of wars, French soldiers, and Deutscher Ehrenhof honorary graves. The cemetery features two Gruftenstraßen with high monuments of important Mainzer families. The oldest gravestone dates to 1805. 230 gravestones and monuments are listed historic monuments.Graves of notable people
The Hauptfriedhof holds the graves of important Main personalities: scientists, industrialists, musicians, writers, politicians and people of the Mainz carnival.Burials include:
- Bernhard Adelung, politician, mayor of Mainz and minister-president of Volksstaat Hesse
- Jeanbon St. André, French préfet
- Peter Cornelius, composer
- Eduard David, jurist
- Eduard Duller, poet, writer, preacher
- , mayor 1965 to 1987
- Paul Haenlein, engineer
- Ida Hahn-Hahn, writer, poet, founder of an order
- , sekt producer
- Karl Holzamer, philosoph, founding Intendant of ZDF
- Friedrich Kellner, historian
- , building master for the city
- , merchant, founder of
- , building master for cathedral and city
- Adam Franz Lennig, theologian at the Main Cathedral, Cathedral dean from 1852
- Ludwig Lindenschmit der Ältere, bedeutender Prähistoriker. Gründer des heutigen Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums
- Karl von Loehr, deutscher Architekt-->
- , Mainz Maire 1793 and 1800–14, mayor 1831–34
- , mayor 1865 to 1871, music publisher
- Fritz Straßmann, chemist, one of the pioneers of nuclear fission
- Philipp Veit, painter
- , co-founder of, first
- Kathinka Zitz-Halein, writer