Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof (Central City Cemetery)

On Wednesday, January 23rd, we made the most of our first full day in Vienna. The first thing we did was visit Vienna's Central City Cemetery. Built in 1863, it is Europe's second largest cemetery (second to Hamburg), stretching over 590 acres with 330,000 graves and 3 million interments. The only possible American comparison to the cemetery could be Arlington Nation Cemetery, but that is reserved for military personnel. The Zentralfriedhof is unique because it is non-denominational burial ground, with sections for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and unaffiliated.

It was an important stop for us because of the Jewish sections. There are two sections, at gates 1 and 4. The first gate suffered extensive damage during the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass). The second gate is still used today. In Judaism, it is believed that the God sent savior has yet to come. When he does, the dead will ascend into heaven. Because of this, Jews must have a proper burial and remain at rest and peace. This is why the Holocaust was a rape of the Jewish faith - most of the individuals murdered were lost. They were burned or thrown in mass graves. There was never a proper burial and most of the people to remember the victims were killed too.

The concept of a permanent resting place is very important to Judaism, which is why both gates at the cemetery has and will remain in existence for many years. In contrast, the Christian graves must be renewed every 33 years, or they will be reused. This saves space at the cemetery and makes sure there are living individuals that still care about the graves. This also helps pay for the upkeeping of the cemetery.

As we walked through the main part of the cemetery, we were in a well maintained area. We first walked through the beautiful cathedral in the center of the cemetery. Afterwards, there was a "VIP" section, with famous people including composers such as Ludwig Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Johann Strauss II, all masters of composing and decomposing. There was a memorial for the beloved Mozart, although his actual burial site is unknown. There was also a military section for the Soviet Army, who liberated Austria at a high cost during WWII.

We then took a trolley down to the Jewish section of the cemetery. This section stood in stark contrast to the first part of the cemetery. The front part looked decently maintained, but as we walked farther and farther back, the gravestones turned into faded, crumbling blocks, covered in overgrown vines and ivy. I noticed most of the graves dated before the outbreak of World War II. It was completely silent, an eerie stillness hung over the cold ice and snow. Animal tracks covered the ground and deer walked ahead in the path; like walking through a forest, we felt isolated from the city. I understood the Jewish struggle. There was no Jewish community, no one left to care, no one to pay for the maintenance of the cemetery. I thought to myself - "Time is a force of continuation - it has no memory, no history, no good, and no evil. Humanity within the context of time is just that. Time heals the evils of humanity, but it is up to us to remember consequences of our evils, so we never forget to love."