Östra kyrkogården, Gothenburg

One of the mausoleums at Östra kyrkogården

Östra kyrkogården is a cemetery in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located in the parish of Örgryte, in the Diocese of Gothenburg. With its area of 25.3 hectares, and its nearly 18,000 graves, it is the third largest graveyard in the city. Including the urns, it is estimated to be the resting place of 150,000 people. The cemetery houses the graves of many notable citizens of Gothenburg, whose work and donations helped shape the city. Many of their tombstones and monuments are stately works of art.

A Jewish burial site is located at the southern end of the cemetery.

History

The land for the cemetery was bought for 60,000 riksdaler from the owner of the Bagaregården estate. The cemetery was designed by architect J. H. Strömberg and inaugurated November 16, 1860, under the name Begravningsplatsen ("The Burial Place"), and the first burial took place February 27, 1861. During the first year of operation, 348 adults and 648 children were buried there, as measles and diphtheria were raging in the city.

Notable people buried at Östra kyrkogården

The tombstone of Viktor Rydberg.

• Ivar Arosenius, painter
• Karin Boye, poet
• Albert Ulrik Bååth, poet
• Bengt Erland Fogelberg, sculptor
• Sven Adolf Hedlund, politician, founder of the Gothenburg Museum
• Eric Lemming, athlete
• Erik Lönnroth, historian
• Sven Renström, politician
• Viktor Rydberg, writer
• Sven Rydell, football player
• Carl Skottsberg, botanist