SKOGSKYRKOGÅRDEN

Description

Essentials about Skogskyrkogården in brief

A cemetery is not necessarily the epitome of a tourist attraction, but Skogskyrkogården is undoubtedly worth a visit for visitors to Stockholm. The cemetery in the south of the Swedish capital is not only an important work of modern Swedish architecture, but also an oasis of peace and contemplation thanks to its beautiful setting in the countryside. No wonder Skogskyrkogården is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The history and layout of Skogskyrkogården

Stockholm’s strong population growth at the end of the 19th century made it necessary to build a new cemetery. To this end, the city council purchased an 85-hectare plot of land in the south Stockholm district of Enskede, which was later extended to 108 hectares.

The city’s tender for the construction of the cemetery stipulated that the necessary buildings should blend into the natural surroundings without any major interventions. The international competition was won by the two architects Gunnar Asplund, who also designed the Stockholm Public Library, and Sigurd Lewerentz.

The architect duo’s design deliberately avoided the park-like design that had previously defined the cemetery culture. In their proposal, they subordinated the gravesites and buildings to the landscape. Skogskyrkogården is therefore a symbol of the traditional Scandinavian togetherness of man and nature.

The buildings on Skogskyrkogården

Construction work on Skogskyrkogården began in 1917 and the first building to be erected was the Forest Chapel (Skogskapellet). In 1920, the first extensions were completed and the cemetery grounds were consecrated. In 1923 and 1924, an administration building was built, which is now known as the Tallum Pavilion. This was followed in 1925 by the construction of the Chapel of the Resurrection (Uppståndelsekapellet), the second chapel in the cemetery.

In the 1930s, the stone wall surrounding the entire grounds of Skogskyrkogården was built. A third chapel was added to the crematorium (Skogskrematoriet) with the Chapel of the Holy Cross (Heliga korsets kapell), which was completed in 1940. The crematorium chapel, which actually consists of three individual small chapels, was given a colonnaded vestibule in which the sculpture The Resurrection (Uppståndelsemonumentet) by the sculptor John Lundqvist stands.

A pond and the burial walls for the urns and a monumental granite cross were also built near these buildings.

The tombs on Skogskyrkogården

With around 100,000 graves, Skogskyrkogården is the second largest cemetery in Sweden today. Around 2,000 funerals are held here every year.

The gravestones at Skogskyrkogården are kept simple throughout. You won’t find any monumental gravestones in this cemetery. The graves are all the same size and are arranged in groups between the trees, reflecting the Swedish demand for equality in society. Even the grave of Hollywood icon Greta Garbo has standard dimensions. However, it is located on its own small hill to allow fans appropriate access.

The World Heritage Site Skogskyrkogården

The forest cemetery in Stockholm is “a significant example of our century for the fusion of architecture and cultural landscape into a cemetery.” Skogskyrkogården has also “had a great influence on the design of burial sites all over the world.” With this justification, UNESCO inscribed the cemetery on the World Heritage List in 1994.