As a tourist in Berlin, you might have visited the most popular tourist spots in Germany’s capital city. You might have gone to Brandenburger Tor, the Island Museums, Alexanderplatz, and the Memorial to the murdered Jews in Europe and others. But have you heard of Dorotheenstädtischer und Französischer Friedhof? If not, don’t miss this special place, which gives tribute to the countless famous Berliners throughout history.
What can be seen in Dorotheenstädtischer und Französischer Friedhof?
The Dorotheenstädtischer parish contains the graves of popular Berliners like the following:
1. Johann Gottlieb Fichte is a German philosopher and one of the founding figures of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which steamed from Immanuel Kant’s writings. He is considered to be an important philosopher and is regarded as the father of German nationalism.
2. Hegel is also a German philosopher and has influenced many writers such as Bauer, Marx, Bradley, Sartre and others.
3. There is also Friedrich August Stüler who is an influential Prussian architect and builder. He is popular in creating his masterwork, which is the Neues Museum in Berlin and also the dome of the triumphal arch of the Berliner Stadtschloss.
There are still numerous important historical figures buried in Dorotheenstädtischer und Französischer Friedhof such as Borsig, Heiner Müller, Gottfried Schadow, Litfaß, Heinrich Mann, Brecht and many more.
Facts For You
You might be particularly interested to see the gravestones of Schinkel and Schadow. Or you might want to see the grave of the architect Stüler that was destroyed in the war and rebuilt in postmodern style. You will also notice that the gravestones of Brecht and Helene Weigel are made from unhewn stone.
There are even cigars to be found at the grave of the dramatist Heiner Müller. It was left there as a final gesture of goodbye.
The Dorotheenstädtische is a parish, which contains Französischer Friedhof or French cemetery in English. The French cemetery is built in 1780 for Berlin’s Huguenot community.
The Huguenots are the French Protestants, which transferred to Berlin when a largely Catholic France is persecuting them in the 16th century. It especially contains the graves of Ludwig Devrient, Peter Luis Ravené and Daniel Chodowiecki, and many others.
It is also the resting place of the great German writer known as Theodor Fontane who wrote Effi Briest and Walks Through the Mark Brandenburg. You can also see Theodor Fontane’s final resting place here and across his grave you will see the grave of the inventor of stenography.
Visiting Dorotheenstädtischer und Französischer Friedhof is like walking back in the past with all these popular names. Make sure that you read about them before you visit Dorotheenstädtischer und Französischer Friedhof to make your visit more enjoyable.