Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest
Posted by: Torgut
N 47° 29.756 E 019° 05.060
34T E 355715 N 5262056
An amazing cemetery, gathering diferent styles and areas: one will find a zone for communist heroes side by side with an area for the victimist of the sublevation of 1956 against the communist rulers.
Waymark Code: WM4QJQ
Location: Hungary
Date Posted: 09/20/2008
Views: 40
Founded in 1847, Kerepesi is located in outer Józsefváros, near Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station). It is the innermost cemetery of Budapest, although it still lies about 2 km from the downtown centre. Kerepesi is one of the biggest National Pantheons in Europe and the biggest outdoor statue park with its area of about 56 hectares.
The cemetery's first burial took place some two years after its opening, in 1849. Since then numerous Hungarian notables (statesmen, writers, sculptors, architects, artists, composers, scientists, actors and actresses etc.) have been interred there, several of them in ornate tombs or mausoleums. This was encouraged by the decision of the muinicpal authorities to declare Kerepesi a 'ground of honour' in 1885. The first notable burial was that of Mihály Vörösmarty in 1855.
The cemetery was declared closed for burials in 1952. This was partly beause it had become damaged during World War II, and partly for political reasons, as the Communist government sought to play down the graves of those who had 'exploited the working class'. At one point it was intended to build a housing estate over the cemetery. Part of the grounds were in fact handed over to a nearby rubber factory and were destroyed in 1953.
In 1958, a Mausoleum for the Labour movement was created. During the Socialist period (which lasted from 1948 till 1989 in Hungary) this was the only part of the cemetery highlighted or even mentioned) by the authorities. After the fall of communism, Kerepesi was still considered by some as a Communist cemetery (for example a son of Béla Bartók forbade his father's ashes to be interred there).
The cemetery is also famous for its Arcades, built between 1908–1911, recalling the style of Northern Italian cemeteries.
The artists' sector – in which each tomb contains a notable Hungarian representative of the arts – was created in 1929.
Until the 1940s, several tombs were removed to this cemetery from others in Budapest – for example, it is the fourth resting place of the poet Attila József.
The cemetery is not projecting a homogeneous image. Each era made an effort to establish their own representative, cultic area. Between the crammed patches there are also big empty areas and some of the parts appear to have run wild.
Opening hours:
January, February: 7.30-17.30
March: 7.00-17.30
April: 7.00-19.00
May, June, July: 7.00-20.00
August: 7.00-19.00
September: 7.00-18.00
October: 7.00-17.00
November, December: 7.30-17.00
Approximate number of graves: 800.000
City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Not listed
Approximate number of graves: Not listed
Cemetery Status: Active
Cemetery Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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