Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wien's Zentralfriedhof II




Vienna’s Central Cemetery II

The
Zentralfriedhof also provides powerful reminders of Vienna’s dark times. Nowhere are these reminders of strife more poignantly evident than in the Jewish section of the cemetery, desecrated by the Nazis during Kristallnacht. Though roughly 60,000 graves still remain, the overwhelming impression of this section of the cemetery is one of sorrow. Countless remaining memorials still bear scars of Nazi vandalism and nature has taken over – the result of neglect by family members who could not, for tragic reasons, return to care for their loved one’s final resting place. (Do you see the deer in the overgrown grass in one of the photos?) Still, even amidst the tragedy, signs of hope, and ironically, life, can be seen in a few recently tended older gravesites, as well as care of new gravesites. Perhaps this reflects the Viennese opinions shared with us of the slow but steady religious and cultural tolerance in their community.














All Saints Day and All Souls Day, both national holidays in Austria, will be celebrated this week. We’ve learned these days are part of "Seelenwoche" (All Souls Week) during which many Austrians (traditionally
Catholic) believe the curtain between the worlds of the spirits and the living is thinner than normal. On these two days all (and we mean ALL) stores, banks, and public buildings will be closed. However, public transportation will run as usual – there will even be an increased number of trips to all of Vienna’s cemeteries, and especially to the Zentralfriedhof. While All Saints Day honors the saints, known and unknown, All Souls Day commemorates all who have passed. Church bells ring at noon on All Souls Day, a signal to any lingering souls on “this side” that it is time to move to the next world. This day is traditionally celebrated with extended family, including the deceased. Graves of loved ones are visited and decorated, and we’ve heard stories of delicious picnics and stellar concerts throughout the Zentralfriedhof and other cemeteries.
The Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral (Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918) beautifully expresses what Austrians seem to embrace “Death is nothing at all … why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? … I am waiting for you, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well.”


(*Thank you, various Wiener travel guides, for providing facts and figures.)

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