In Munich there are four large cemeteries, one of them is the Nordfriedhof (Northern Cemetery) which is located directly at the subway station of the same name. The cemetery was built between 1899 and 1907 by the city building officer Hans Grässel and was extended nine times in the course of time. The cemetery area, which is surrounded by a wall, today covers an area of 30.75 hectares with 32,700 graves.
The most prominent point of the entire cemetery area is the Funeral Parlour with the octagonal domed building which can be entered directly from Ungerstraße. Hans Grässel was inspired by early Christian buildings in his design.
The portal of the Funeral Parlour has 5 arcade openings, of which the middle one is somewhat larger and framed by two statues and a banner.
The statue on the left shows St. John and opposite him stands St. Peter with a Golden Key that is supposed to open the Gate of Paradise.
To the right and left of the Funeral Parlour are the side wings with arcades. Due to this architecture, a big inner courtyard was created from which one has an impressive view.
Additionally, the building complex with the inner courtyard is a little higher than the rest of the cemetery area, thus there is a sublime view over the whole area of the cemetery. The stone wall with the two fountains show the difference in height.
From the Funeral Parlour a wide footpath leads to a fountain and the arcaded halls. The octagonal dome of the blessing hall forms a central axis, which extends symmetrically over the whole cemetery area and together with the urn walls, urn halls and fountains a well-ordered structure is created.
If you look at the Funeral Parlour from the fountain, the building really comes into its own. The dimensions are enormous and are more reminiscent of a Castle than a Funeral Parlour.
The Northern Cemetery is open from 8 am to 5 pm in winter and from 8 am to 8 pm the rest of the year.