The beautiful Kerepesi cemetery is founded in 1847 and is the innermost cemetery of Budapest. Kerepesi is one of the biggest National Pantheons in Europe and the biggest outdoor statue park with its area of about 56 hectares. The cemetery’s first burial took place some two years after its opening, in 1849. Since then numerous Hungarian notables (statesmen, writers, sculptors, architects, artists, composers, scientists, actors and actresses etc.) have been interred there, several of them in ornate tombs or mausoleums. This was encouraged by the decision of the municipal authorities to declare Kerepesi a ‘ground of honour’ in 1885. Until the 1940s, several tombs were removed to this cemetery from others in Budapest.
The cemetery was declared closed for burials in 1952. This was partly because it had become damaged during World War II, and partly for political reasons, as the Communist government sought to play down the graves of those who had ‘exploited the working class’. Part of the grounds were in fact handed over to a nearby rubber factory and were destroyed in 1953.
In 1958, a Mausoleum for the Labour movement was created. During the Communist period (1948-1989) this was the only part of the cemetery highlighted or even mentioned by the authorities. The cemetery is also famous for its Arcades, built between 1908–1911, recalling the style of Northern Italian cemeteries.
There is a funeral museum on site and a functioning mortuary from where funeral services and ash scatterings are organized.
See Ash-fountain!
Pictures are taken in March 2016
Hello – I enjoyed your site very much. I photograph cemeteries whenever I travel and time permits.
Do you have any information on the Kerepesi tomb on your site, the 12th one down from the top? I photographed this several years ago. It is possibly the most unique I have ever seen anywhere. To me, it looks like a female alien! Not reading or speaking Hungarian, I am at a loss. I hope you may have more data on it. Thank you.
I also loved that particular grave!
It is the grave of Hungarian painter András Járitz (1851-1922). The mosaic was made by his daughter, Józsa Járitz (1893-1986), an artist in her own right. I think she is also buried there.
I couldn’t find much more info other than it depicts a stylized female figure and the inlay is made of marble slabs of various colors. And the given that the tombstone differs significantly from the traditional cemetery image.