Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe

Municipal Cemetery of Patras (Patras, Greece)

Since 1880, the First Municipal Cemetery of Patras has grown into a city within a city, with four hills, grand family tombs, and the striking Church of the Angels.

Origins and foundation

The First Municipal Cemetery of Patras was founded on February 17, 1880, and opened on August 1st of the same year, under the initiative of the then mayor, Athanasios Kanakaris-Roufos. For this purpose, a special committee was formed, chaired by the mayor himself, together with the reputable Papatheodorou, Dionysios Fragkopoulos, Kyriakos Lappas, Andreas Kollas, Athanasios Athanasopoulos, and Alfredo Krov as members.

Following medical research, the Zavlani area was selected as the most suitable location. Initially, approximately 79.000 m2 of land were purchased. In 1928, the cemetery was extended by an additional 4.000 m2 to allow the construction of the Church of the Angels, following a donation by Antonios Papageorgakopoulos. The project was initially assigned to Major Papageorgiou of the Engineering Corps, who was later replaced by engineer Spyridon Tzetzos.

Major churches

The Church of the Angels was designed by Professor Michelis and completed in 1954. The original Church of Saint Paraskevi, which was built alongside the cemetery, was destroyed by the powerful earthquakes of 1993 and rebuilt on the same site. There is also a Protestant church within the cemetery grounds.

The decoration of the churches with various sacred vessels was undertaken by prominent members of Patras society, such as Athanasios Kanakaris-Roufos, Tzetzos, Aspasia Kremmydi, Kalliopi Green, Ioulia Tzetzou, and others.

The cemetery’s four hills

In addition to the Orthodox section, there are also sections for Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. The first person to be buried in the First Cemetery of Patras was a merchant from Parga named Anagnostis Petsalis.

The cemetery contains four hills:

the Hill of the Fighters, named so because many freedom fighters of the 1821 War of Independence are buried there, such as Charalambis, Londos, etc.;
the Roufos Hill, where the family tomb of Benizelos Roufos is located;
the Saint Paraskevi Hill, where the church stands;
and the German Hill, where Germans were buried during the occupation.

Important monuments

The interest of visitors is attracted mostly by the monumental character and the architectural heritage of the site, as well as the beauty of the natural environment with the stunning views of the city and the sea. Particularly impressive is the avenue of bankers and merchants, which hosts the graves of the wealthiest families of Patras during the 1880–1920 period. Notable examples include the tombs of the Kollas family, Koggos Triantis family, Karamanndanis, Kalamogdartis, Roufos, Langouras, and others.

Cemetery address

141 Panepistimiou Str.
26443 Patras
Greece

Website

www.e-patras.gr/

Basic data

Year of first burial: 1880
Cemetery area: 10ha
Approximate number of graves: 5.888

Moravian God’s Acre Herrnhut Cemetery (Herrnhut, Germany)

Unique for its orderly layout, uniform gravestones, and gender-segregated sections, the cemetery embodies Moravian theology and community values.

Origins and layout

The God's Acre of Herrnhut was established in 1730, just eight years after the founding of the town. It is located at the foot of Hutberg Hill, where a wooden pavilion was erected in 1725 and later replaced by a new observation tower in 1908, which still stands today.

In 1731, the cemetery was bordered by an earth wall, and the first extensions became necessary in 1738 and 1741, with more following thereafter. In 1742, an avenue of lime trees was planted, connecting the cemetery with the town center.

The organization of the cemetery has been determined and monitored from the outset by the leadership of the congregation (initially the synod, now the council of elders). The site has remained intact, well maintained, and in continuous use from its beginnings to the present.

Burial practices

The first burial was that of the child Hans Beyer. From then on, members of the Moravian Church, newly founded by Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, were interred here.

From the beginning, the cemetery reflected Moravian theology and community values. Men and women were, and still are, buried in separate sections—women on the sisters’ side and men on the brothers’ side. There are no family graves. All gravestones are uniform and simple, regardless of wealth or social standing, usually inscribed only with names, dates, places of life, and a Bible verse.

The founder of the congregation was buried in the cemetery in 1760. His grave, along with those of several family members and companions, can be found along the cemetery’s main avenue, visually distinct from the other graves. At least two of these graves have crypts beneath them.

Significance and legacy

The Herrnhut cemetery holds exceptional importance for the Moravian Church community. On one hand, it is the final resting place of many notable figures from the founding period and later eras. On the other hand, it became a model for Moravian cemeteries worldwide and is considered one of the first systematically planned cemeteries in Europe.

Travel writers of the 18th century, such as Jean Paul, described Moravian cemeteries as remarkable and distinctive. In modern times, UNESCO has recognized the global legacy of Moravian settlements, beginning with Christiansfeld in Denmark (2015) and extending in 2024 to include Gracehill (UK), Bethlehem (USA), and Herrnhut (Germany), which together now form the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site of Moravian Settlements.