Central Cemetery in Gliwice

The Central Cemetery in Gliwice is a unique necropolis that combines the function of a burial place with the role of a park and an art gallery. It was founded in 1924 according to the design of Karl Schabik, the municipal building councillor, supported by garden designer Richard Riedel. Schabik, responsible for the city's development between 1919 and 1945, designed the cemetery on the outskirts, which was innovative compared to the tradition of burying near churches. Unfortunately, he did not rest here himself – in 1945 he was arrested by the NKVD and died in the USSR. The entrance to the cemetery leads through impressive portals, from which wide, tree-lined avenues depart, forming the main axis of the complex. In the centre, visible from every side, stands the funeral chapel, once adorned with a painting of the dancing death. Before World War II, the area was filled with gravestones of great artistic value, but in January 1945 all of them were destroyed. The crematorium from the 1930s was also destroyed. An interesting fact is the purchase in 1925 of a 15th-century wooden church from Zębowice, which was dismantled, transported, and reassembled on the cemetery grounds, serving as a chapel. Today, despite the loss of its former treasures, the cemetery remains a witness to the city's history and a place for walks, especially charming on All Saints' Eve, when a sea of candles burns in front of the chapel.