Östra kyrkogården, Gothenburg

Östra kyrkogården (English: Eastern cemetery) is a cemetery in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located in the parish of Örgryte, in the Diocese of Gothenburg. With its area of 25.3 hectares, and its nearly 18,000 graves, it is the third largest graveyard in the city. Including the urns, it is estimated to be the resting place of 150,000 people.[1] The cemetery houses the graves of many notable citizens of Gothenburg, whose work and donations helped shape the city.[2] Many of their tombstones and monuments are stately works of art.

Östra kyrkogården
One of the mausoleums at Östra kyrkogården.
Details
Established1860
Location
Gothenburg
CountrySweden
Size25.3 hectares (63 acres)
No. of graves18,000
No. of interments150,000

A Jewish burial site is located at the southern end of the cemetery.

History

The land for the cemetery was bought for 60,000 riksdaler from the owner of the Bagaregården estate. The cemetery was designed by architect J. H. Strömberg and inaugurated on 16 November 1860 by dean Peter Wieselgren under the name Begravningsplatsen ("The Burial Place"). The first burial took place on 27 February 1861. During the first year of operation, 348 adults and 648 children were buried there, as measles and diphtheria were raging in the city.

In 1890, the first crematory in Gothenburg was opened, designed by Swedish architect Hans Hedlund. It burned down on 23 December 1920, but was rebuilt.[3] However, it was closed in 1951, and its functions were taken over by the crematory in the nearby district of Kviberg.[4]

Notable interments
The tombstone of Viktor Rydberg.

References
  1. Junfors, Håkan (29 May 2009). "Ny plats för vila på Östra kyrkogården". Tidningen Öster (in Swedish). p. 4.
  2. Karl-Olof Berg; Ann-Christin Johansson; Lena Emanuelson (2008). Kyrkogårdarna i Göteborg (in Swedish). Svenska kyrkan i Göteborg: kyrkoförvaltningen. p. 9.
  3. Lignell, Harald (1952). Göteborgsbilder 1850-1950. Göteborg: Nordisk Litteratur. p. 447.
  4. "Östra kyrkogården". The Church of Sweden. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
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