Netherlands · Roermond · 11 pictures
Old Cemetery of Roermond
Begraafplaats nabij Kapel in 't Zand (Oude Kerkhof)
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About this place
The cemetery lies in Roermond's Kapel in 't Zand district and has a pentagonal plan. A wall encloses the whole site and divides it into compartments for the different faiths: a general, mainly Protestant section, the Catholic section, and an old and a new Jewish section. It is a Rijksmonument because its walls, paths and monuments show the 19th-century development almost unchanged.
The Catholic section follows a straight network of paths. The main axis ends at the Neo-Gothic grave chapel of the Bongaerts family of 1860, and in the middle stands the Bishops' grave chapel, designed in 1887 by Pierre Cuypers. Tall beeches, wrought-iron railings, richly worked crosses and a number of ceramic tombs shape the scene. Epitaphs from the first half of the 19th century are set into the west wall.
Among the best-known monuments is the Grave with the Hands. It commemorates the couple Jacob van Gorkum (1809 to 1880), a Protestant, and Josephina van Aefferden (1820 to 1888), a Catholic. Their two tombstones face each other across the wall between the sections, and two stone hands reach over it and clasp. The Stichting Oude Kerkhof looks after the cemetery and offers guided tours; current dates are on its website.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Oude Kerkhof in Roermond?
The cemetery is in Roermond's Kapel in 't Zand district on the road Weg langs het Kerkhof, near the Kapel in 't Zand. The Stichting Oude Kerkhof gives information on its website.
What is the Grave with the Hands?
It is a double grave placed on both sides of the wall that separates the Catholic from the Protestant section. Two stone hands reach across and meet, commemorating the couple van Gorkum and van Aefferden, who belonged to different faiths.
Why is the Oude Kerkhof a national monument?
Its walls, paths and monuments show the layout created in the 19th century almost unchanged. The register entry also stresses the grave chapels and the variety of burial culture of the different faiths.