graves | Der Deutscher Wald

I spent the day in Kreuzberg with my friends Elliott and Ben. We found this cemetery that had not only Felix Mendelssohn’s grave, but also E.T.A. Hoffmann, the Romantic-era author of the book The Nutcracker was based on, as well as the protagonist of Offenbach’s opera Tales of Hoffman.

Angela Brower (Nicklausse) and Diana Damrau (Giulietta) in the 4th act of Jacques Offenbach’s “Les contes d’Hoffmann” in a production by Richard Jones. Bayerische Staatsoper 2011.

Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof II - Trinity Cemetery, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger — Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof II – Trinity Cemetery, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger

My flatmate, Elliott, and I went to have Vietnamese food, which sounds strange for Berlin, but because we are in the former East Berlin there are dozens of Vietnamese restaurants that have been here since the 60s. On the way back, we found this small cemetery around the corner from our apartment on Kleine Rosenthaler Straße. It was our first cemetery here, and was a good introduction to the beauty and natural serenity of the German model for a final resting place. Cemeteries are everywhere and are treated like parks and greenspace by they community. People picnic in them, have lunch, meet with friends, take walks, even go there on dates. The cemeteries are always filled with people tending the graves and planting flowers.