Theatrical performance at Certosa Monumental Cemetery

In July and August 2025, the Certosa Monumental Cemetery hosted "Pen, Bread and Justice", a play highlighting equality, solidarity, and justice through the stories of Bologna’s important historical figures.

About the event

As part of the Certosa 2025 Summer Calendar, the Certosa Monumental Cemetery in Bologna, Italy, hosted the theatrical performance "Pen, Bread and Justice" (in Italian "Penna, Pane e Giustizia").

Produced by Associazione Rimacheride and directed by Giovanna Manfredini, the performance featured Luisa Vitali and Nicola Fabbri, with an original text by Giacomo Gailli. The play presented the stories of three important historical figures from Bologna, through which the values of equality, solidarity, and justice were reflected.

• 1878 – Gualberta Alaide Beccari, a Mazzinian and pioneering voice of the emancipation magazine La Donna, educated people about equality. Gender equality was her mission.
• 1914 – Francesco Zanardi, elected Mayor of Bologna on a socialist electoral programme focused on bread and literacy, is shown in a dialogue with a baker, symbolizing the everyday work that sustains community life.
• 1939 – Mario Finzi, a political and civil activist during the Second World War and founder of Delasem, built a network that helped save millions of Jews from extermination, illustrating that peace is built through solidarity and trust.

Peace, justice and strong institutions

The project was realized as part of the ASCE "Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe" initiative, which included numerous activities during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) and throughout the year. In 2025, it focused on peace, justice, and strong institutions—Goal 16 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

*Cover photo by Simone Bonetti, in-post photo by Giacomo Gailli.

Virtual Colloquium on Cemeteries 2025: Program and Registration

Registration is now open for the Cemetery Research Group’s Virtual Colloquium on Cemeteries, taking place on 21 November 2025.

About the Colloquium

On Friday, 21 November 2025, a free of charge virtual colloquium organized by the Cemetery Research Group will take place via Zoom.

The event will focus on places and practices relating to the disposal of the dead, including burial, cremation, and other methods. This year’s keynote speaker is Ruth E. Toulson (Maryland Institute College of Art), who will deliver a presentation titled “The Last Cemetery: Shifting Deathscapes in Contemporary Singapore”.

Program and registration

Papers will be delivered in four sessions throughout the day. You can find the entire program HERE.

To attend, please use this Google Form to register for the sessions you wish to join. You will receive invitations to your selected sessions a few days before the conference.

Registration deadline: 14 November 2025

For any questions, please contact Dr. Julie Rugg at julie.rugg@york.ac.uk.

WDEC 2026 at the Florence's English Cemetery

A new interactive visitor experience, available year-round and continuing into next year—including the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026.

Broadsheet maps

Visitors can now explore the English Cemetery in Florence, Italy, with specially designed broadsheet maps that guide them through its historic tombs. Each map features numbered images paired with corresponding stories on the reverse side. An approach visitors prefer over QR codes or online guides. The maps highlight some of the most notable figures buried in the Cemetery, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Arthur Hugh Clough, Walter Savage Landor, Theodore Parker, and many others poets, reformers, and international intellectuals of the 19th century. Visitors can wander through sectors A to F, discovering stories of individuals with remarkable historical, artistic, and multicultural significance.

Treasure hunt maps and publications

In addition, the Cemetery team has created treasure hunt maps that connect the site to Dante’s Florence, Florence’s Saints, The Seven Acts of Mercy, George Eliot’s Romola and Florence, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Florence. For those seeking deeper insight, the Cemetery’s publications—Florence’s English Cemetery, 1827–1877: Thunders of White Silence; Dante and His Circle: Education, Script and Image; and O Bella Libertà by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, among others—offer in-depth explorations of its people, art, and history.

Virtual guide

You can learn more through the Italian or English virtual guide, available for download on the cemetery’s website.

Lisbon's 4th Cultural Week in Cemeteries

From 18 to 26 October 2025, guided tours, thematic walks, night visits, educational workshops, and other engaging activities will take place at Lisbon's cemeteries.

About the event

From 18 to 26 October 2025, Lisbon will host the 4th Cultural Week in Cemeteries, reaffirming the city’s cemeteries as vibrant spaces of memory, heritage, and cultural exchange. Organised by the Lisbon Municipal Cemeteries Division, the initiative combines tradition with innovation, offering the public a unique program of activities.

Event program and partners

Over nine days, visitors will discover the cemeteries of Lisbon—Prazeres, Alto de São João, Olivais, Carnide, and Lumiar—through guided tours, thematic walks, night visits, and the popular "open mausolea afternoons", organised in partnership with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa. The program also includes educational activities, such as a philosophy workshop for children and families, encouraging younger generations to reflect creatively on life and death.

In Lisbon, the Cultural Week further includes visits to the British Cemetery, the German Cemetery, the National Pantheon, and the Church of São Roque. Beyond the capital, new partners join this year: the Cemitério da Lapa in Porto and the Museu Funerário Fernando Oliveira in Aveiro, together with a wide network of municipalities across the country. In 2025, the program will involve the cities of Setúbal, Palmela, Vila Franca de Xira, Barreiro, Caldas da Rainha, Figueira da Foz, Santarém, and Torres Vedras, highlighting the richness and diversity of Portuguese funerary heritage.

1st Interdisciplinary Conference on Cemeteries

On 24 October 2025, the program will feature the 1st Interdisciplinary Conference on Cemeteries, a landmark event bringing together academics, researchers, and heritage professionals in Lisbon for a day of dialogue and reflection, open to the wider community.

Additional information and registration

All activities are free of charge, subject to prior registration at cemiterios.visitas@cm-lisboa.pt.

For more information visit www.informacao.lisboa.pt

WDEC 2026: Quality education

The 2026 Week of Discovering European Cemeteries will focus on the role cemeteries play in enabling, implementing and promoting quality education.

Theme of WDEC 2026

The Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026 will once again be held as a central activity within the framework of the ASCE initiative Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe. Following the pattern established in 2024 and 2025, the initiative aligns its activities with one of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, illustrating how cemeteries can contribute to a more sustainable society. 

Scheduled from May 22 to May 31, 2026, the WDEC 2026 will focus on Goal 4: Quality education and will take place within the same thematic context as the ASCE Schools on Cemeteries project, offering expanded opportunities for innovative activities and new cooperation.

This emphasis on education is perfectly suited to cemeteries because they are not only places of remembrance but also open-air museums and unique classrooms where history, art, and culture intersect. They provide countless opportunities for learning about the individuals who shaped our communities, the values that guided them, and the importance of education and knowledge in building a more sustainable future.

Main orientations for your activities

We encourage all ASCE members to use the WDEC 2026 theme as a framework for organizing engaging and innovative activities. As you plan your programs, consider the following guiding principles:

• Why is education important in sustainable development? Explore the role of knowledge and education in creating environmentally and socially responsible communities, and consider how cemeteries can contribute to this process.
• Who were the important educators in city history? Look for the graves and stories of teachers, professors, philanthropists, scientists, artists, and reformers who helped to shape the educational landscape and intellectual life of your city.
• What is sustainable education? Consider how the conservation of cemetery heritage itself is a form of sustainable education, and what specific lessons about ecology, history, or social equity can your cemetery offer?
• How education changed life in a city? Plan tours or workshops focusing on historical figures whose educational contributions led to significant social, technological, or political changes in your community.

Your programs could include guided thematic tours, educational workshops for all generations, exhibitions about local educational pioneers, or digital projects that bring these stories to a wider audience.

Share your activities

We invite you to share programs, photos and other materials of your planned activities during WDEC 2026 ba using the form below. We will be happy to publish them on the ASCE website and our social media channels.

➤ SUBMISSION FORM

Severed: A Tribute to Peace

Torino, Italy, presents a moving video created as part of the WDEC 2025, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a powerful message of peace, memory, and reflection.

About the project

As part of the 2025 Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC), Turin, Italy, has unveiled a moving video production titled Severed, reflecting on the enduring impact of war and the urgent call for peace. The project coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and aligns with this year’s WDEC theme, Gardens of 80, which emphasizes Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – the goal 16 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Severed is a collaborative effort by the Associazione Nazionale Vittime Civili di Guerra di Torino, Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta, AFC Torino S.p.A., Liceo Coreutico Teatrale Germana Erba, and the Fondazione Germana Erba's Friends. The production blends a musical performance with video storytelling, utilizing historical archives from the ANVCG, the Monumental Cemetery of Turin, and the Ossuary Monument dedicated to civilian war victims.

Featuring young performers, the video encourages reflection on the devastating consequences of war, linking historical memory with a vision for a peaceful future. The project serves as a moving reminder of the human cost of conflict, urging viewers to consider past tragedies and the continuous importance of peace and justice.

Ultimately, Severed stands out as a great example of how art and memory can combine to inspire dialogue and reflection, giving voice to younger generations.

Video:

Photo exhibition "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe"

The company Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, presiding member of ASCE, has prepared a special photo exhibition at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia.

About the exhibition

The exhibition "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe" showcases photographs and descriptions of some good practices developed by ASCE members as part of the ASCE "Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe" initiative, which promotes the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The installation presents the initiative, highlights activities implemented by nine cemeteries across Europe in 2024 and 2025, and also features the Peace Tree Project along with the cemeteries that have joined the project so far. These examples demonstrate how European cemeteries are actively working towards sustainability, addressing various aspects from environmental management to community engagement.

More than just a display of good practice, the exhibition seeks to raise awareness and inspire action. It invites visitors to see cemeteries not only as places of remembrance but also as key actors in sustainable development. By sharing these stories, it encourages communities across Europe to adopt similar approaches and reflect on sustainability in everyday life.

This long-term exhibition, located in front of the chapel at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia, is on display from September 2025 onwards.

Photos of the exhibition

*The entire photo album of the exhibition is available HERE.

Call for hosting AGM 2027 and 2028

Seize the opportunity to host the ASCE Annual General Meeting and Conference and take advantage of the benefits this role brings to your cemetery and city.

Benefits of hosting AGM

Each year the Annual General Meeting attracts over 100 cemetery academics, artists and professionals from all over Europe. We generate a lot of public attention and through the conference help expose important topics from modern cemeteries management.

Hosting the AGM is a great opportunity especially when it coincides with other relevant events of the city. The main benefits are:

• international exposure through several communication channels of ASCE, especially in professional, diplomatic and academic circles;
• attention of local and regional media due to interesting authors and international attendance;
• networking for local companies allowing to promote their products and services through sponsorship or other inclusions into the conference theme;
• international promotion of local academics and networking with other institutions thus creating new possibilities for joint researches;
• proposing and directing the theme relevant for local cemetery or situation and thus gathering important know-how for solving the situations.

Guidelines and application form

Due to much interest in hosting this event, we have prepared guidelines to help all candidates navigate the application process.

To apply to host the AGM 2027 or 2028, please follow the link below.

➤ AGM host application form

Application deadline: 15 November 2025

*Photo of the The New Cemetery of Belgrade in Belgrade, Serbia.

AGM 2026: Save the date

The next AGM and Conference will be held earlier than usual, this time from 18 to 20 June 2026 in Turin, Italy.

About the AGM and Conference

Each year, the Annual General Meeting attracts over 100 cemetery academics, artists and professionals from all over Europe. It generates a lot of public attention and through the conference helps expose important topics on cemetery's history, art, architecture, cultural heritage, sustainability, management, and future trends.

AGM 2026 in Turin

Following the success of the 2025 AGM and Conference, we are excited to announce our next meeting, this time scheduled earlier than usual, in the summer of 2026. We anticipate another thoughtfully curated event featuring relevant topics and a rich cultural program, ensuring an inspiring and memorable experience for all participants.

Join us at the AGM and Conference 2026, taking place from 18 to 20 June in Turin, Italy.

A call for papers, as well as all the details about the event program, accommodation, and other logistics, will be released in the coming months, so don't forget to check our website for updates.

We look forward to seeing you in June 2026.

ASCE presidency

AGM 2025 report

On 4 September 2025, the ASCE Annual General Meeting took place in Dresden, Germany, organized by Women in Remembrance Culture (WIRC).

Over 60 participants joined the meeting and members' attendance quorum requirement was reached in the second call.

The AGM was preceded by Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, president of ASCE, and all steering committee members were present or gave proxy to other members. During the AGM several things were outlined and discussed:

1.Introduction

• Welcome speech by ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek.

2.Presidency and Steering Committee activities 2024/2025

• Steering Committee meetings and sessions
• AGM 2024 in Budapest, Hungary
• European Cemeteries Route received the Best Practice Award 2024
• Attendance at the All-Slovenian Cultural Routes meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Attendance at the International Conference on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Nova Gorica, Slovenia
• Attendance at the Conference Cemeteries and Other Spaces of Democratic Memory in Barcelona, Spain
• Attendance at the 12th Training Academy on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Torres Vedras, Portugal
• Regular cooperation in the field of sustainable cemetery management with the Chamber of Public Utilities of Slovenia
• Attendance at the European heritage day in Oslo: At home in Europe.
• Charter development

3. Financial report and budget

4. ASCE administration and European Cemeteries Route activities 2024/2025

• Administration and presidency work overview
• IT maintainance and development:
• Improving communications channels
• Updating members data
• AGMs and Conference support
• Projects support
• ARTOUR development
• Cultural routes cooperation

5. Projects and activities

• Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe:
• 2024: Sustainable cities and communities
• 2025: Peace, justice and strong institutions
• 2026: Quality education
• Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2025: Gardens of 80
• Schools on cemeteries
• Peace tree
• Scientific work
• Communications

6. New members and significant cemeteries

7. AGM 2026: from 18 to 20 June in Turin, Italy

8. Conclusions

Members engaged in various debates on topics during and after the AGM, confirming the report and plans for the future work of ASCE. 

AGM materials

The detailed program and AGM presentation are available at this link. Photos, videos, and additional materials from the event will be released over the coming weeks.

Invitation to the Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries 2025

The Cemetery Research Group invites you to participate in the Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries, taking place entirely online on 21 November 2025.

About the Colloquium

On Friday, 21 November 2025, a virtual colloquium organized by the Cemetery Research Group will take place via Zoom.

The event will focus on places and practices relating to the disposal of the dead, including burial, cremation, and other methods. This year’s keynote speaker is Ruth E. Toulson (Maryland Institute College of Art), who will deliver a presentation titled “The Last Cemetery: Shifting Deathscapes in Contemporary Singapore”.

Tickets for the colloquium will be available on the CRG website starting 11 October 2025.

Call for Papers

The colloquium invites researchers from the social sciences and humanities, as well as postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to submit papers that combine theoretical insight with empirical research on the proposed theme.

Each presentation will have a thirty-minute slot, allowing roughly twenty minutes for the talk and time for questions. The event is open to contributors from around the world, with panels arranged to accommodate different time zones. All presentations must be in English.

Abstracts can be submitted via this Google Form by 1 October 2025.

For any questions please contact Dr Julie Rugg at julie.rugg@york.ac.uk.

New book series

In related publishing news, Routledge has launched a new book series titled “Accommodating the Dead: Materialities, Rituals and Technologies”. The series explores the evolving and multi-faceted study of the dead body and the diverse ways humans engage with it, with an international and interdisciplinary scope.

Naturalmente Imola 2025 at Piratello Cemetery

On 28 September 2025, a guided tour will be held at the Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy, as part of the Naturalmente Imola program.

About Naturalmente Imola

Naturalmente Imola (Eng. Naturally Imola) is a cultural and environmental initiative promoted by the Municipality of Imola, Italy. It features guided tours, talks, and other activities designed to highlight the city’s natural heritage and to foster greater awareness of the relationship between people, landscapes, and biodiversity.

Program

As part of the 2025 edition, two events dedicated to the theme of trees and their significance in contemporary society will take place on Sunday, 28 September.

➤ 3:00 PM – Piratello Cemetery
Event: Great Trees at Piratello
Description: Guided tour led by Stefano Tedioli, an arborist with over thirty years of professional experience, lecturer, and specialist in urban tree management. The tour will provide insights into the analysis and care of trees in urban contexts, which are increasingly affected by climate change.

➤ 5:00 PM – Ridotto of the Stignani Theater
Event: The Sun and the Moon, the Roots and the Enigma of Great Terrestrial Trees – Or How Tree-Giants Could Save Us from Time and from Ourselves
Description: Meeting with writer Tiziano Fratus. His work, inspired by encounters with monumental trees, historic gardens, and forests in Italy and abroad, has developed into an original body of thought and literature. Among his central concepts are Homo Radix, Dendrosophy, and the Itinerant Forest, expressed through publications ranging from poetry and prose to children’s literature, exhibitions, and meditations.

The events are organized jointly by the Municipality of Imola in collaboration with CIMS.

The full program of Naturalmente Imola (in Italian) is available HERE.

Reservations required

For more information and reservations, please contact attivita.culturali@comune.imola.bo.it or call +39 0542 602300.

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:

1. 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.;
2. the Roufos Hill, where the family tomb of Benizelos Roufos is located;
3. the Saint Paraskevi Hill, where the church stands;
4. 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.

Cemetery address

Berthelsdorfer Allee,
02747 Herrnhut,
Germany

Website

www.herrnhut.ebu.de/gottesacker/

Basic data

Date of first burial: 24.11.1730
Cemetery area: 4ha
Approximate number of graves: 6.200

Book: “Studi sul Cimitero monumentale di Pesaro”

A book that explores the Monumental cemetery of Pesaro as a cultural landmark, blending history, architecture, and collective memory.

About the book

The book "Studi sul Cimitero monumentale di Pesaro" (ISBN eBook 9791281782372), edited by Riccardo Paolo Uguccioni, offers a multidisciplinary exploration of Pesaro’s monumental cemetery, examining it not only as a burial site but as a layered cultural landmark where history, architecture, and social memory intersect.

Based on the contributions presented at the eponymous conference held on 16 October 2024 in Pesaro, the book highlights how the cemetery reflects the city’s evolving identity, commemorates notable figures, and embodies a heritage that bridges private remembrance with collective memory.

The digital edition of the book in Italian is available HERE.

Poetry and music at Mühlau Cemetery

On Saturday, 26 July 2025, visitors gathered in the quiet atmosphere of Mühlau Cemetery in Innsbruck, Austria, for an evening rich in contemplation, poetry, and cross-cultural resonance.

About the event

The event, centred on the theme “Trust, Love, Eternity”, featured a unique blend of musical and poetic expression.

Armenian and Turkish chants by Armağan Uludağ filled the space with reverence and depth, accompanied by the gentle flute melodies of Nora Hassan and the resonant rhythms of Bernhard Noriller on drums and percussion. Additionally, Alexander Legniti and Paul Fülöp added a lyrical dimension to the evening by reciting original texts that invited reflection on human connection, inner truth, and timeless love.

Despite the bad weather, the atmosphere at the Mühlau Cemetery remained captivating. Moments of quiet attention and sincere reactions helped shape a meaningful experience that lingered well beyond the final note.

Poems

MORE
I love you,
from the depth of my heart,
and you knew,
it is more than a part
of it,
cause it would fit
for more than a part of it.

Legniti Alexander ©
Sirmione, October 12, 2022

AND THERE IS LOVE!
We are who we are,
and nothing more,
but we have to dare
to be what we are
and adore
the gift of life,
the earth ground
and the sky
that we found
above:
And there is love!

Legniti Alexander © to Austin and all of us
Innsbruck, October 20, 2017

Photos and video

The Kalavryta Cemetery (Kalavryta, Greece)

The Kalavryta Cemetery, also known as the Holocaust Cemetery, is a historic site of remembrance that bears witness to the 1943 massacre and stands as a lasting symbol of the town’s resilience and collective memory.

About the cemetery

The cemetery of Kalavryta, also known as the Holocaust Cemetery, was established in early 1845 on a plot of land granted by Royal Decree, following a request by the Municipality of Kalavryta. The decree was issued by the Ministries of the Interior and Finance of the newly founded Greek State. The land, previously owned by Ottoman landowners Bousgkalis and Giakoubagas Tsilardiotis, was classified as Ethniki Gi (National Land). At that time, the area lay just below the town's central square and was largely undeveloped following the Greek War of Independence (1821).

Among the first structures to be built were the Church of All Saints (Agioi Pantes), the stone paving around it, and the cemetery’s enclosing wall. The church, constructed before 1900, later served as a vital spiritual refuge for the surviving residents of Kalavryta after the town’s destruction during World War II.

A site of remembrance

The cemetery holds a special place in the modern history of the town. Located at the northeastern edge of Kalavryta, near the hill known today as the Execution Site, it is the final resting place of those executed by German occupying forces during the massacre of December 13, 1943. It was here that widows and orphaned children dragged the bodies of their loved ones and buried them with their own hands.

Since then, the cemetery has become a sacred place of remembrance, prayer, reflection, and spiritual elevation. Every year, on the eve of December 13th, residents gather at the cemetery to clean the graves and light vigil lamps. In silence and togetherness, they honor those lost and reaffirm the invisible bonds forged through tragedy.

Part of local life and identity

More than a burial ground, Kalavryta Cemetery is an essential part of local life and identity. It functions as a space for gathering, memory, and solidarity, playing a significant role in how the community continues to process collective trauma. Visitors are often seen tending to graves—not only of their relatives, but also of neighbors and friends—passing on these traditions of remembrance to younger generations. A notable example of the cemetery’s centrality in community life is the construction of the town’s secondary schools (Gymnasium and Lyceum) directly adjacent to it, further binding memory and everyday life.

Cemetery address

14 December 13 Str
25001 Kalavryta
Greece

Website

www.dmko.gr

Basic data

Year of first burial: 1846
Cemetery area: 1ha
Approximate number of graves: 700

*Main photo source: https://www.dmko.gr/de/node/15833