Many years ago, Anne Born and I used to write for a site called the Red Room, where I originally read her essay about searching for her grandfather’s grave in Northern Ireland. I loved that she asked Saint James to help her find him.
In 2016, she wrote a lovely piece for this blog called “Creeping In and Out of Cemeteries” about visiting her family graves in the midwest.
Anne Born is the author of Buen Camino! and If You Stand Here. Through The Backpack Press, she has also published several collections of stories written while riding on the New York subway. She is a photographer, specializing in photos of the Way of St. James in Spain, the Camino de Santiago. Follow Anne Born on Twitter or Redbubble @nilesite or find her books at amazon.com/author/anneborn.
Where is the cemetery in your essay located?
McGarel Cemetery is in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (UK).
Where was your essay first published?
My book Waiting on a Platform: More Stories Written on the MTA in February 2016.
Tell me about your favorite cemetery.
Maple Grove Cemetery, Argos, Indiana; it is out in the middle of a field.
What’s your favorite thing to do in a cemetery?
Take pictures, read the names, look at families.
Is there a cemetery or gravesite you’ve always wanted to visit?
Friar’s Bush in Belfast and Cimetière de St-Jean de l’Île-d’Orléans, north of Montreal.
What would your epitaph be?
Pilgrim, storyteller, mom
Do you have a favorite song about cemeteries or graveyards?
Monster Mash
The contributors to Death’s Garden Revisited put together a playlist of their favorite cemetery songs. You can check it out on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4S0255SPm7grf5NShTbLgT?si=4825e0a61b994bd0
You can treat yourself to a copy of Death’s Garden Revisited:
- in fully illustrated paperback or hardcover on Blurb.com
- or as a color ebook for your kindle on Amazon.
You can also download a free copy of the Reader’s Guide from Bookfunnel. It includes discussion/contemplation questions, an interview with the editor, and a game to introduce readers to cemetery symbolism and encourage them to visit.
The Jewish Cemetery Berlin-Weißensee, established in 1880, covers 42 hectares and is the largest preserved Jewish cemetery in Europe with nearly 116,000 graves. The cemetery features a 2.7-kilometer-long brick wall and representative graves and mausoleums. Designed by architect Hugo Licht, it consists of 120 grid-shaped plots with various geometric shapes and is considered a garden monument. The ensemble of buildings at the main entrance, built in Italian Neo-Renaissance style, includes the cemetery administration, taharah house, and funeral hall. It endured World War II relatively intact, surviving as a poignant testament to history. Despite being neglected during the Communist era, it has retained its beauty, with some areas overgrown, resembling a forest nature reserve. The cemetery’s remarkable resilience and striking gravestones, including stunning examples designed by renowned architects, make it a compelling and beautiful site.
Step into the heart of Berlin’s intellectual and artistic scene, many of whom found their final resting place here. Dorotheenstadt Cemetery, established in 1762, is a tranquil oasis in Berlin, spanning 17,000 square meters. Adorned with architectural marvels from the 19th century, including stelae and obelisks, it’s a testament to Berlin’s cultural heritage. Prominent figures like philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel rest here, alongside a memorial honoring resistance fighters. The cemetery also hosts the graves of literary giants Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel. With its rich history and iconic graves, Dorotheenstadt Cemetery remains a cherished landmark in Berlin, inviting reflection and reverence.
The Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof Berlin, established in 1856, is a historic cemetery in the Schöneberg district, boasting culturally significant tombstones protected as landmarks. Notable among these is the tomb of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, renowned for their collection of German fairy tales. Their presence here adds to the cemetery’s rich cultural heritage. Despite challenges during Nazi plans for Germania, the cemetery now hosts memorials, including one for the resistance fighters of the July 20, 1944 plot (You may know them from the Tom Cruise film Operation Valkyrie).
Established in 1909 southwest of Berlin, the Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf is a monumental cemetery, sprawling over 206 hectares of woodland. It ranks as one of the world’s largest. Amidst its historic gravestones lie notable figures, including those from Siemens family, contributing to its cultural significance. This cemetery, with its serene landscape and historical gravitas, has also been a cinematic backdrop, featuring in productions like The Ghostwriter and the acclaimed Netflix series Dark, where the cemetery’s church plays a pivotal role in the show’s enigmatic narrative.
Loriot, born as Bernhard-Viktor Christoph-Carl von Bülow, was a renowned German comedian, humorist, cartoonist, film director, and actor, best known for his iconic sketches and satirical humor. He gained widespread popularity for his wit, subtle humor, and keen observation of human behavior, becoming a beloved figure in German culture. Loriot is buried in the Waldfriedhof Heerstraße cemetery in Berlin’s Westend district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. After his passing in 2011, fans started a tradition of placing rubber ducks on his grave as a tribute to one of his famous sketches featuring two men in a bathtub. This tradition has become a symbol of remembrance and appreciation for Loriot’s comedic genius, with visitors continuing to leave rubber ducks as a homage to his enduring legacy in German comedy and entertainment.
Kristin Luce and I have been friends since before our kids could walk. We met in an infant playgroup and were both more than relieved to find a kindred spirit. When she heard I was putting together the book of Death’s Garden Revisited finally, she sent me a gorgeous essay about her cemetery travels and watching her kid leave home.