Funeral Service Times August 2017 October 2018 | Page 34

34 CEMETERIES AROUND THE WORLD
Cemeteries
around the world
HSV Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany
L
ocated on the property of another
cemetery in Hamburg, Germany’s
HSV Cemetery became Europe’s
first cemetery dedicated to the
supporters of one football club
when it opened in 2008. Located just across
the road from the club’s Volksparkstadion
stadium the cemetery’s shape is inspired
by the ground itself. Pitch, stands and goals
are visible in the cemetery which features
2,500 square metres of grass laid from
the stadium’s actual pitch. The cemetery’s
OCTOBER 2018
plots are open to all supporters of the
city’s Hamburger SV with each grave either
featuring the club badge or draped in the
club’s flag.
When the cemetery opened its creator
Lars Rehdern said it “seemed like the
obvious thing to do” with the land which
thousands of fans take a shortcut through
every match day. When it came to the
cemetery’s at the time unique design,
Rehdem said: “classic rows of gravestones
seemed boring”. In the ‘stadium’ design
Rehdem incorporated a “VIP lounge” for
wealthy supporters, where family plots
cost 10,500 euros. One supporter, Horst
Petersen echoed the mixed thoughts
of many at the time of the cemetery’s
construction when he told media: “I always
used to tell my wife that once I pass away,
she should make sure I’m buried close to
the pitch, so that I’ll always know the score.”
adding: “But now that it’s actually feasible,
I’m not sure. I’d rather people remembered
me in their thoughts than through a special
grave”.
HSV Cemetery is located on the grounds
of Altona Main Cemetery which is perhaps
most notable for its large section of war
graves and tributes. Many of the 1,856 war
graves hold the casualties of the bombing
of Altona during World War Two. One
interesting link is that Altona Main holds the
grave of footballer Adolf Jager who played
for local club FC Altona 93 and 16 times for
Germany scoring 11 goals, before being killed
during a Second World War bombing raid.
While it is Europe’s first, HSV Cemetery
is not the world’s first football cemetery;
that title belongs to Argentinian giants Boca
Juniors who opened their Boca Juniors
Cementerio shortly before HSV, in 2007.
The cemetery was opened in reference to a
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