The Vienna Central Cemetery – “Long live the Central Cemetery”

Where is the Vienna Central Cemetery located and how long has it existed? What makes it a tourist attraction? Which grave is visited most often? Vienna was a rapidly growing city at the end of the 19th century . People from all parts of the Habsburg monarchy flocked to Vienna to find work. The influx was considerable. At that time, Vienna had more inhabitants than today (approx. 2 million) and it was expected that the population would rise to 4 million in the long term.

There were five municipal cemeteries, which proved to be too small, so there were plans to build a large central cemetery . The second largest cemetery in Europe was opened in 1874 far out in Simmering (near the airport) and was initially not at all popular with the Viennese due to the distance. It was only when the graves of honor were laid out from 1881 that it became a sight developed into a tourist attraction. An interdenominational cemetery, where all religions were buried, was a novelty and so the Central Cemetery was opened quietly and secretly early in the morning on October 30, 1874, because demonstrations were to be avoided.

Today, around 3 million people rest here in around 330,000 graves . By comparison, the population of Vienna is just under 2 million. So there are more dead people than living people in Vienna, in keeping with the morbid charm of the Viennese.

Several gates provide access to different departments, e.g:

• Gate 1 – old Jewish cemetery,
• Gate 2 – main entrance and access to the graves of honor, cemetery church,
• Gate 3 – Park of peace and strength.

The cemetery is not only a burial site , but also serves as a recreational area and park at the same time. This is also appreciated by many animals , especially deer, which like to spend time at the old Jewish cemetery. The old Jewish c emetery at Gate 1 has impressive gravestones of important Jewish celebrities, such as Friedrich Torberg, Oscar Bronner and Arthur Schnitzler . Sigmund Freud ‘s parents are also buried here.

In the center of the cemetery is the St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery Church also known as the Dr. Karl Lueger Memorial Church . The beautiful Art Nouveau architecture impresses both outside and inside. The crypt under the church is also worth seeing and houses the grave of former mayor Lueger. Next to the church are the arcades and columbaria , in front of which you will find the presidential crypt . The graves of honor to the right and left in front of the church are Ringstrasse architects, composers, actors, musicians, politicians, etc. Outstanding are the honorary graves of Alfred Hrdlicka, Mozart (only one memorial, original grave is at St. Marx cemetery), Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Udo Jürgens, Hans Moser, Franz West, to name but a few.

The most visited grave is that of “Rock me Amadeus” singer Falco, who died far too young at the age of 40 in a car accident. The Vienna Central Cemetery has been sung about, e.g. with “Es lebe der Zentralfriedhof” by Wolfgang Ambros, a classic representative of Austro-pop. It is also popular to shoot films at the Central Cemetery, such as the classic “The Third Man”.

Time Travel tip: Take streetcar no. 71 (secretly called the “Cemetery Express” ) directly from the city center, e.g. from the stock exchange to the Central Cemetery – the equivalent of a sightseeing tour. At the main entrance, Gate 2 , there is an information point with maps, a store, audio guides, Café Oberlaa, a burial museum, a horse-drawn carriage stand and an e-bike hire point. A bus also runs through the entire complex every half hour. The S7 express train in the direction of the airport takes you quickly to the Central Cemetery (Gate 11).

More information: Vienna Central Cemetery | Info | Cemeteries Vienna (friedhoefewien.at)

Image source: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/wiener-zentralfriedhof-wien-3651241/