Skogskyrkogården

Skogskyrkogården ( German " Forest Cemetery ") is a cemetery in the district Südstockholmer Enskede. It was created and developed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz 1917-1940.

History and Description

Preliminary planning and competition

The first plans for a large cemetery in the southern part of Stockholm, the plant began in 1912. For this purpose, the municipality bought a plot of 85 acres in Enskede, later it was increased to 108 acres. The plot consisted mainly of sand and gravel areas and a large gravel pit and was planted with conifers. 1915 an international architectural competition for the design of the southern cemetery was announced. The rules, recognized that the winner had to present a clear and simple as possible structured plan that made no major interventions in the landscape necessary and had to be, above all, dignified enough for a burial ground. The necessary buildings should generally fit into this ensemble.

The architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz won the competition and were responsible for the study. Your proposal had as its starting point the landscape, the buildings and the grave sites were subordinated. Thus, the Nordic tradition of togetherness with nature has been taken.

Layout of the cemetery

The work on the cemetery began in 1917 with the installation of the actual cemetery grounds as well as the Skogskapellet ( Forest Chapel ), the first chapel, which was designed by Gunnar Asplund. The only decoration, the otherwise simple style forest chapel, is the small, golden angel of death of the sculptor Carl Milles. In 1920, these first conversions were completed and the site was inaugurated. From 1923 to 1924 an administration building, which was also provided in Asplund's plans and as Tallum is known pavilion was built. In 1925 the construction of the Uppståndelsekapellet ( Chapel of Resurrection ) by Lewerentz, the second chapel in the cemetery.

In the 1930s, the stone wall that surrounds the property was built. The stones came here mainly from the site itself, as workers unemployed the city of Stockholm were committed because there was a massive unemployment in Sweden at that time. A third chapel was awarded the 1940 completed by Asplund crematorium ( Skogskrematoriet ) with the Heliga Korsets kapell ( Chapel of the Holy Cross ). Crematorium and chapel, which actually consists of three separate chapels were built at the main entrance and also received a colonnaded portico, in which the sculpture was placed Resurrection ( Uppståndelsemonumentet ) by the sculptor John Lundqvist. Near these buildings also created a pond as well as the walls to accommodate the funeral urns as well as a large cross made ​​of granite, which was provided by an anonymous donor remained available and also designed by Asplund. 1940, the work was also completed on the premises, in the same year died the chief architect Asplund.

From the buildings a way was applied which will result in an arc to the actual burial sites. The Lewerentz of specially constructed artificial hill underlines the landscape of the site additionally. This, of elm -winning memorial (meditation Lund ) is inspired by Caspar David Friedrich landscape paintings and also has vivid antique elements. The grave stones themselves are among the trees. They are held throughout simple, monumental grave times one searches in vain in this cemetery.

The present work on the site relate primarily to the constant care of the vegetation, with particularly the pine forest in the foreground. All chapels were also regularly renovated and are in a reasonably good condition. The management and maintenance is subject to their own committee for the Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm, funded the work from the city capital of Stockholm. Further extensions are currently planned, and there are no plans to endanger the parts of the site.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Skogskyrkogården was included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1994. According to the UNESCO Skogskyrkogården is an important example of this century by the fusion of architecture and cultural landscape to a cemetery. Skogskyrkogården has had great influence on the design of cemeteries across the world.

Pictures

Forest crematorium ( Skogskrematoriet )

Monument halls

Gravfältet

Holy Cross

Forest Chapel ( Skogskapellet )

Resurrection Chapel ( Uppståndelsekapellet )

Tallumpaviljongen

People

At the cemetery, among others, the following persons were buried:

• Gunnar Asplund (1885-1940), architect
• Greta Garbo (1905-1990), actress
• Ivar Lo - Johansson (1901-1990), writer
• Oscar A. C. Lund (1885-1963), silent film actor and director
• Lennart " Nacka " Skoglund (1929-1975), football player
• Birgit Cullberg (1908-1999), choreographer
• Grimlund Otto (1893-1969), Swedish journalist and communist politician
• Lars Gullin (1928-1976), jazz musician and orchestra leader
• Jan Johansson (1931-1968), jazz musician and composer
• Gunnar Wiklund (1935-1989), a pop singer
• Per Yngve Ohlin (1969-1991), singer of the band Mayhem