Our time in Vienna didn’t pass without an excursion with the camera. The foggy, grey weather was the perfect setting to visit the famous Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna.
The Karl Borromäus Church in the centre of the huge cemetery was built in 1908 by Austrian Art Nouveau architect Max Hegele. There are not many Art Nouveau churches in the world, I would guess, but there is another splendid example in Vienna with the Kirche am Steinhof by Otto Wagner.
From fancy crypts to abandoned graves, there is every kind of grave to be found at the Zentralfriedhof. Often the inscriptions are very interesting, stating titles (very important in Austria) and professions.
There is a big section of Jewish graves, which are mostly overgrown and abandoned. Different confessions have different styles of grave decorations, which is interesting to see.
We actually went to find the grave of my great-grandmother and her parents, which is also not looked after. It’s always fascinating to learn about your ancestors, and here we found a trace of them.
We will do some more sightseeing in Vienna, enjoying the Christmastime.