A final resting place in Maastricht: a photo-reportage at Maastricht’s public cemetery

Entrance

Maastricht’s public cemetery on Tongerseweg saw its first burial in the year 1812. Since then, the cemetery has grown to approximately 12000 graves and is still expanding.

The old part of the cemetery, which takes up about half of the area and used to be enwalled, is now a protected monument. The main building and a number of graves in particular are marked as specific monumental objects, and cannot be changed or removed.

Burials are still taking place in the old part of the cemetery, but the style of the graves must be approved by a special commission. Many famous citizens are buried there, varying from artists (writers, singers, poets, playwrights) to scientists, lawyers, governors, preachers, generals, etc. This is where we can find for example the tombstones of Jos Cremers, who initiated the museum of Natural History (Natuurhistorisch Museum), or of Jérome Chainaye, the founder of Société Céramique. Especially the old part of the cemetery is over-represented by people who had a fair deal of money.

 

Tomb ornaments

Many symbols commonly depicted on graves represent the transition from earth to heaven.

Big angels on graves are one striking example of this, and are thought to provide us with a link between heaven and earth. The Greek letters alpha and omega signify the beginning and the end. Crosses or torches symbolise hope, faith and love.

Other imageries are also commonly used, such as a snake biting its own tail (cycle of life) or a variety of evergreen plants, such as olive branches, that stay green throughout the year (eternal life).

The most common cemetery tradition in Holland is the burning of candles or the laying down of flowers.

 

The Chapel

The cemetery chapel has a prominent place within the old part of the cemetery.

It was built in 1886 by the architect Johannes Kayser in honour of Saint Servatius. The chapel is now owned by the city of Maastricht and houses a tomb beneath it. The shrine inside the chapel offers a serene and quiet place to pray or to reflect on lost ones. Also, there is a possibility of placing a tile engraved with a personal text about a deceased person on one of the walls.

 

Grave monument for the family De Stuers

This monument honours the family De Stuers. Victor de Stuers, 1843-1916 was a famous Maastricht art connoisseur.

Not much is known about this grave. The guardian suspects there is a tomb underneath the monument, but doesn’t know even where the entrance would be.

 

Various faiths

Despite the fact that most graves are Catholic, the cemetery also reserves special divisions for other religions.

Every religion has their own rules and traditions when it comes to honouring the dead. The Jewish part of the cemetery is enclosed by its own wall.

Unlike in other religions, in Judaism graves are to be preserved forever.

The Islamic part of the cemetery has the graves positioned in such a way that the headstones face Mekka, according to the Muslim tradition.

Also, more and more ‘urn graves’ are appearing. These are small graves where the urns containing the ashes of people who have had a cremation can be deposited.

 

Mayors and Deacons circles

Separate divisions can be found throughout the cemetery. One is the Mayors circle. In the middle of this circle stands a tall tree, surrounded by the graves of a number of late city Mayors.

The Deacons circle tells a similar story.

This roundabout of gravel is enclosed by thick sad-looking trees and large stone angels keeping watch over the graves of deceased deacons and pastors.

 

War graves

Two different sections of the cemetery are dedicated to victims of World War II.

The first is a circle with a large white cross, in honour of the local Maastricht soldiers who died during World War II in Indonesia (and Japan).

A second part of the cemetery is dedicated to the allied soldiers. Here are buried a lot of Belgian soldiers, as well as a number of Canadians, Brits, and Americans.

These men never managed to make it back home. The guardian presumes that a number of other war victims are buried scattered throughout the cemetery. Every year during All Saints Day, which usually falls on the last Sunday of October, the cemetery is open in memory of these victims and in a more general way to allow everyone to pay a tribute to the dead.

 

Strolling through the cemetery

Photo-reportage by Rosanne Rademaker

Born in The Hague, Rosanne Rademaker is currently living and studying in Maastricht for a research master in Neuro Psychology. Rosanne also writes (in Dutch) for youth magazine Code Maastricht.