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Peterskirchhof
Peterskirchhof
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The Peterskirchhof cemetery, founded in 1453 as a small cemetery surrounding the late medieval St. Peter's Church in the north of Frankfurt's old town, developed after the Reformation into the central burial site for Lutherans and Reformed Christians. As the oldest surviving Christian cemetery in the city, it contains around 200 epitaphs dating from the 16th century to 1828. A particular highlight is the crucifixion group by the Mainz sculptor Hans Backoffen on Stephanstrasse. While magnificent tombs of prominent Frankfurt citizens along the walls tell of the city's history, the traces of the common people in the central section have long since faded. After its closure, the landscape architect Sebastian Rinz redesigned the area in the style of an English landscape garden. Today, the red sandstone of the grave fragments contrasts with the light gray Lahn marble of the ornate inscription tablets, whose personal inscriptions and verses radiate a special warmth. In 2017, the historically significant memorial garden underwent extensive renovation: A border of perennials and markings in the paving now make the original dimensions of the cemetery perceptible once again.