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Vestre Cemetery (Copenhagen)

January 31, 2023

Vestre Cemetery (Danish: Vestre Kirkegård, meaning "Western Cemetery") is located in a large park setting in the Kongens Enghave district of Copenhagen, Denmark. With its 54 hectares it is the largest cemetery in Denmark.[1]

Vestre Cemetery
One of the cemetery's two lakes
Details
Established1870
Location
Copenhagen
CountryDenmark
Coordinates55°39′28″N 12°31′45″E / 55.65778°N 12.52917°E / 55.65778; 12.52917
Size54 hectares
Website
Find a GraveVestre Cemetery
This article is about Vestre Cemetery in Copenhagen. For Vestre Cemetery in Aarhus, see Vestre Cemetery (Aarhus). For the Oslo cemetery with a similar name, see Vestre gravlund.

The cemetery is landscaped and serves as an important open space,[2] in which people take a stroll, and look at the old graves and monuments.

It is located southwest of the city center, between the Enghave, Sydhavn, Sjælør and Valby train stations on Copenhagen's S-train system, and right next to the historic Carlsberg neighbourhood.

The cemetery is one of five run by Copenhagen municipality. The other cemeteries are Assistens Cemetery, Brønshøj Cemetery, Sundby Cemetery, and Bispebjerg Cemetery.

The cemetery has a Catholic section, and next to that is a Jewish cemetery (the Jewish Western Cemetery).

History

 
Vestre Cemetery
 
Assistens Cemetery in 1897

Vestre Kirkegård was opened on 2 November 1870[3] to accommodate an urgent need for adequate burial places for the growing population of Copenhagen. Assistens Cemetery, till then the main cemetery of the city, had long been unable to cope with the increasing number of burials.

Hans Jørgen Holm, who was the resident architect for the Copenhagen Burial Services, in collaboration with landscape architect Edvard Glæsel (1858–1915) and city engineer Charles Ambt were responsible for the overall planning and landscaping of the new cemetery.[4] First a burial place for the poor, Vestre Kirkegaard became the principal burial place of Copenhagen during the 1990s.

The setting

The cemetery is noted for its scenery, offers a maze of dense groves, open lawns, winding paths, hedges, overgrown tombs, monuments, tree-lined avenues, ponds and other garden features. Many graves have distinctive gravestones, sculptures or large mausoleums and are eclectically placed.[citation needed] The cemetery's grounds have a variety of trees with many rare species and is a haven to birds and small mammals.[citation needed]

Buildings

 
The North Chapel

Almost all the buildings in the grounds have been designed by Hans Jørgen Holm or Holger Jacobsen who succeeded him as resident architect for the Copenhagen Burial Services.

Holm designed both the North Chapel and South Chapel (1906) as well as an office building the gate at the main entrance. It is unclear who were responsible for the design of the former inspector's house just inside the main entrance.[4]

The East Chapel was inaugurated in 1914 to a design by Holger Jacobsen but only remained in use until 1926.[4]

The Crossroads Project

 
The remains of the South Chapel

The Crossroads Project (Danish: Stjernevejsprojektet), designed by , is a landscape project centred on the remains of the West Chapel, now serving as a pavilion for contemplation. It was created in 2003 after Copenhagen Municipality arranged a competition for the regeneration of an area characterized by the abandoned South Chapel of the cemetery and elm trees dead from Dutch elm disease. The complex is intended to serve a dual purpose both relating to the location's function as a burial place and as an open space and meeting place in the city, for those seeking peace and silence.[5]

 
One of the four paths

The complex consists of two intersecting axes with the former Southern Chapel in its centre. The chapel was partly demolished, leaving only the central part as an open pavilion-like domed structure. The building is partly overgrown by ivy. The surrounding garden spaces of the two axes, creating a Greek cross, are confined by tall yew hedges and have a grass surface. Embedded in the lawns of the cross arms are narrow, rust coloured paths made of oxidized iron plates, flanked by rows by cherry trees. At the end of each cross arm is a 9 metre tall rust coloured iron arch.

The design of the project is inspired by Bramante's Tempietto in Rome and the Baroque gardens of Villa Gori in Siena. The latter is characterized by the garden being contained in the two axes of the garden, instead of the axes being the connecting feature of the surrounding gardens as is normally the case.[5]

Monuments and artworks

 
The memorial to British soldiers buried at Vestre Kirkegård

Just inside the main entrance is Arne Bang's bronze statue En Falden ("A Fallen), which was installed in 1942 to commemorate the Danish soldiers that were killed when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany on 9 April 1940. In the North Chapel's courtyard garden are two reliefs by the artist Henrik Starcke, Death and Resurrection, which were installed in 1949. They were a gift from the Albertina Foundation.[4]

Nineteen British former prisoners of war released at the end of World War I, homeward bound, died at Copenhagen around New Year 1919. Among them were a Canadian, an Indian and an Australian from Tasmania. Each has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone and a fine memorial, given by the Danes, was unveiled in their honour in 1920. There are also buried three British casualties from World War II.

In the Faroese section is a monument created by the painter Elof Risebye. The monument in the Greenlandic section 19 is from 1963 and was designed by the sculptor Jan Buhl.[4]

Interments

Main article: List of burials at Vestre Cemetery

Among the notables interred at the cemetery are political and business leaders, philosophers, artists, and musicians:

Cultural references

In Nordisk Foraar (1911, "Nordic Spring"), Johannes V. Jensen refers to Vestre Kirkegård as the fairest park in Copenhagen, "taller, more elegant than the city centre" (”Jeg gaar ud på Vestre Kirkegaard en Formiddag og finder mig til Rette./ Det er den smukkeste Park vi har, her er højere end inde i Byen, friere,/ og de unge Træer staar i Luftningen ude fra Søen og gror, svulmer af Frodighed”).[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Berlingske | Læs nyheder på berlingske.dk". AOK. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  2. ^ "København får mere liv på kirkegårdene". Politiken. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  3. ^ (in Danish). Københavns Kommune. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Kunst og bygninger på Vestre Kirkegård". Copenhagen Municipality. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  5. ^ a b "Kirkegårdskultur 2002" (PDF). Foreningen for Kirkegårdskultur. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  6. ^ "Guide til Vestre Kirkegård" (PDF). AOK. Retrieved 2014-01-24.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vestre Kirkegård (København).
  • Pamphlet with map of the cemetery
  • British Commonwealth War Graves at Vestre Cemetery
  • CWGC: Copenhagen western cemetery
  • Source

Coordinates: 55°39′28″N 12°31′45″E / 55.65778°N 12.52917°E / 55.65778; 12.52917

January 31, 2023
vestre, cemetery, copenhagen, vestre, cemetery, danish, vestre, kirkegård, meaning, western, cemetery, located, large, park, setting, kongens, enghave, district, copenhagen, denmark, with, hectares, largest, cemetery, denmark, vestre, cemeteryone, cemetery, la. Vestre Cemetery Danish Vestre Kirkegard meaning Western Cemetery is located in a large park setting in the Kongens Enghave district of Copenhagen Denmark With its 54 hectares it is the largest cemetery in Denmark 1 Vestre CemeteryOne of the cemetery s two lakesDetailsEstablished1870LocationCopenhagenCountryDenmarkCoordinates55 39 28 N 12 31 45 E 55 65778 N 12 52917 E 55 65778 12 52917Size54 hectaresWebsiteOfficial websiteFind a GraveVestre CemeteryThis article is about Vestre Cemetery in Copenhagen For Vestre Cemetery in Aarhus see Vestre Cemetery Aarhus For the Oslo cemetery with a similar name see Vestre gravlund The cemetery is landscaped and serves as an important open space 2 in which people take a stroll and look at the old graves and monuments It is located southwest of the city center between the Enghave Sydhavn Sjaelor and Valby train stations on Copenhagen s S train system and right next to the historic Carlsberg neighbourhood The cemetery is one of five run by Copenhagen municipality The other cemeteries are Assistens Cemetery Bronshoj Cemetery Sundby Cemetery and Bispebjerg Cemetery The cemetery has a Catholic section and next to that is a Jewish cemetery the Jewish Western Cemetery Contents 1 History 2 The setting 3 Buildings 4 The Crossroads Project 5 Monuments and artworks 6 Interments 7 Cultural references 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksHistory Edit Vestre Cemetery Assistens Cemetery in 1897 Vestre Kirkegard was opened on 2 November 1870 3 to accommodate an urgent need for adequate burial places for the growing population of Copenhagen Assistens Cemetery till then the main cemetery of the city had long been unable to cope with the increasing number of burials Hans Jorgen Holm who was the resident architect for the Copenhagen Burial Services in collaboration with landscape architect Edvard Glaesel 1858 1915 and city engineer Charles Ambt were responsible for the overall planning and landscaping of the new cemetery 4 First a burial place for the poor Vestre Kirkegaard became the principal burial place of Copenhagen during the 1990s The setting EditThe cemetery is noted for its scenery offers a maze of dense groves open lawns winding paths hedges overgrown tombs monuments tree lined avenues ponds and other garden features Many graves have distinctive gravestones sculptures or large mausoleums and are eclectically placed citation needed The cemetery s grounds have a variety of trees with many rare species and is a haven to birds and small mammals citation needed Buildings Edit The North Chapel Almost all the buildings in the grounds have been designed by Hans Jorgen Holm or Holger Jacobsen who succeeded him as resident architect for the Copenhagen Burial Services Holm designed both the North Chapel and South Chapel 1906 as well as an office building the gate at the main entrance It is unclear who were responsible for the design of the former inspector s house just inside the main entrance 4 The East Chapel was inaugurated in 1914 to a design by Holger Jacobsen but only remained in use until 1926 4 The Crossroads Project Edit The remains of the South Chapel The Crossroads Project Danish Stjernevejsprojektet designed by Schonher Landskab is a landscape project centred on the remains of the West Chapel now serving as a pavilion for contemplation It was created in 2003 after Copenhagen Municipality arranged a competition for the regeneration of an area characterized by the abandoned South Chapel of the cemetery and elm trees dead from Dutch elm disease The complex is intended to serve a dual purpose both relating to the location s function as a burial place and as an open space and meeting place in the city for those seeking peace and silence 5 One of the four paths The complex consists of two intersecting axes with the former Southern Chapel in its centre The chapel was partly demolished leaving only the central part as an open pavilion like domed structure The building is partly overgrown by ivy The surrounding garden spaces of the two axes creating a Greek cross are confined by tall yew hedges and have a grass surface Embedded in the lawns of the cross arms are narrow rust coloured paths made of oxidized iron plates flanked by rows by cherry trees At the end of each cross arm is a 9 metre tall rust coloured iron arch The design of the project is inspired by Bramante s Tempietto in Rome and the Baroque gardens of Villa Gori in Siena The latter is characterized by the garden being contained in the two axes of the garden instead of the axes being the connecting feature of the surrounding gardens as is normally the case 5 Monuments and artworks Edit The memorial to British soldiers buried at Vestre Kirkegard Just inside the main entrance is Arne Bang s bronze statue En Falden A Fallen which was installed in 1942 to commemorate the Danish soldiers that were killed when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany on 9 April 1940 In the North Chapel s courtyard garden are two reliefs by the artist Henrik Starcke Death and Resurrection which were installed in 1949 They were a gift from the Albertina Foundation 4 Nineteen British former prisoners of war released at the end of World War I homeward bound died at Copenhagen around New Year 1919 Among them were a Canadian an Indian and an Australian from Tasmania Each has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone and a fine memorial given by the Danes was unveiled in their honour in 1920 There are also buried three British casualties from World War II In the Faroese section is a monument created by the painter Elof Risebye The monument in the Greenlandic section 19 is from 1963 and was designed by the sculptor Jan Buhl 4 Interments EditMain article List of burials at Vestre Cemetery Among the notables interred at the cemetery are political and business leaders philosophers artists and musicians Carl Aller 1845 1926 publisher founder of Aller Media Laura Aller 1849 1917 pioneering editor and magazine publisher Hans Niels Andersen 1852 1937 businessman founder of East Asiatic Company Herman Bang 1857 1912 writer Vilhelm Buhl 1881 1954 political leader Social Democrat Prime Minister of Denmark Anne Marie Carl Nielsen 1863 1945 sculptor Emmy Drachmann 1854 1928 novelist Edvard Eriksen 1876 1959 sculptor most famous for the statue of the Little Mermaid Jorgen Pedersen Gram 1850 1916 mathematician Gustav Adolph Hagemann 1842 1916 engineer and businessman Vilhelm Hammershoi 1864 1916 painter Karen Hannover 1872 1943 ceramist Hans Christian Hansen 1906 1960 political leader Social Democrat Prime Minister Hans Hedtoft 1903 1955 political leader Social Democrat Per Haekkerup 1915 1979 political leader Social Democrat Arthur Jensen 1897 1981 actor August Jerndorff 1846 1906 painter Thad Jones 1923 1986 American jazz trumpeter Viggo Kampmann 1910 1975 political leader Social Democrat Prime Minister Julie Marstrand 1882 1943 sculptor Asta Nielsen 1881 1972 film actress Dagmar Olrik 1860 1932 artist Carl Nielsen 1865 1931 composer Jens Otto Krag 1914 1978 political leader Social Democrat Prime Minister Julius Petersen 1839 1910 mathematician Julie Ramsing 1871 1954 philanthropist Knud Rasmussen 1879 1933 polar explorer and anthropologist Carl Rohl Smith 1848 1900 Danish American sculptor Thorvald Stauning 1873 1942 political leader first Social Democrat Prime Minister Hermann Baagoe Storck 1839 1922 architect and heraldic artist Hjalmar Soderberg 1869 1941 Swedish author Ed Thigpen 1930 2010 American jazz drummer Laurits Tuxen 1853 1927 sculptor painter Clara Waever 1855 1930 embroiderer Liva Weel 1897 1952 singer actress Carlo Wieth 1885 1943 actor Kristian Zahrtmann 1843 1917 painterCultural references EditIn Nordisk Foraar 1911 Nordic Spring Johannes V Jensen refers to Vestre Kirkegard as the fairest park in Copenhagen taller more elegant than the city centre Jeg gaar ud pa Vestre Kirkegaard en Formiddag og finder mig til Rette Det er den smukkeste Park vi har her er hojere end inde i Byen friere og de unge Traeer staar i Luftningen ude fra Soen og gror svulmer af Frodighed 6 See also EditParks and open spaces in CopenhagenReferences Edit Berlingske Laes nyheder pa berlingske dk AOK Retrieved 2010 08 25 Kobenhavn far mere liv pa kirkegardene Politiken Retrieved 2010 08 25 Vestre Kirkegard in Danish Kobenhavns Kommune Archived from the original on 14 October 2013 Retrieved 6 October 2013 a b c d e Kunst og bygninger pa Vestre Kirkegard Copenhagen Municipality Retrieved 2014 01 24 a b Kirkegardskultur 2002 PDF Foreningen for Kirkegardskultur Retrieved 2010 08 25 Guide til Vestre Kirkegard PDF AOK Retrieved 2014 01 24 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vestre Kirkegard Kobenhavn Pamphlet with map of the cemetery British Commonwealth War Graves at Vestre Cemetery CWGC Copenhagen western cemetery Source Coordinates 55 39 28 N 12 31 45 E 55 65778 N 12 52917 E 55 65778 12 52917 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vestre Cemetery Copenhagen amp oldid 1129724348, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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