Vestre Cemetery (Aarhus)

Vestre Kirkegård (Western Cemetery), established in 1927, is one of two large municipal cemeteries in Aarhus, Denmark with Nordre Kirkegård being the other. The cemetery was inaugurated in 1927 when Nordre Kirkegård was filled up. Originally, the cemetery was 5 hectares, but it has been expanded several times, until its present size of 16.9 hectares.[1]

This article is about Vestre Cemetery in Aarhus. For Vestre Cemetery in Copenhagen, see Vestre Cemetery. For the Oslo cemetery of similar name, see Vestre gravlund.
Vestre Kirkegård
Vestre Kirkegård in Aarhus
Details
Established1927
Location
Aarhus
CountryDenmark
Coordinates56°9′34.92″N 10°10′48.74″E
TypePublic
Owned byAarhus Municipality
Size16.9 hectares
WebsiteOfficial website

Vestre Kirkegård contains two chapels. Store Kapel (Big Chapel) by Frederik Draiby originates from the opening of the cemetery and contains 252 seats. The other, Lille Kapel (Little Chapel) designed by Henning Larsen is from 1969 and contains 50 seats. Lille Kapel in addition features a crematorium. Henry From and Christian Frederik Møller is interred in Vestre Kirkegård.

World War II

The second world war left a notable impact on Vestre Kirkegård. There are 17 protected graves belonging to resistance fighters who died in the Neuengamme concentration camp and a memorial wall has been erected by Aarhus Municipality to commemorate 15 of its citizens that died in German concentration camps and were buried elsewhere. There is a grave site and memorial for 13 victims of a 1944 explosion in Aarhus harbor who could not be identified. Finally there is a memorial for two Soviet prisoners, grave site and memorial for 11 British soldiers, grave site for 299 German soldiers who died in 1945 and a grave site for 619 German refugees that died in 1945.[2]

Notable interments
The gravefields. Former mayor H.P. Christensen and his wife are buried at the birch tree on the left.
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References
  1. "Vestre Kirkegård" (in Danish). Aarhus University. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. "Kultur på Vestre Kirkegård" (in Danish). Aarhus Municipality. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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