Leipzig's southern cemetery shines: historical graves restored!

Leipzig's southern cemetery shines: historical graves restored!

Leipzig, Deutschland - On July 3, 2025, a tour of the city of Leipzig and the Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft e.V. took place in the southern cemetery, which offered an impressive journey through the restored tomb. Environmental Mayor Heiko Rosenthal took part in the event and paid tribute to the significant work of the Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft. This has extensively restored several graves in recent months, including that of Leonard Treusch, the Royal Saxon Hofwelier, Otto Schelper, a Wagner interpreter, and the Stokinger family.

The Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft was founded in 2008 and has been committed to promoting cultural values ​​in the cemetery and monument system since then. Since its foundation, the company has restored around 60 significant testimonials of the tombs and has been one of the largest of its kind in German -speaking countries with over 300 members. In addition, she has been running a mourning café in the southern cemetery for over ten years and actively supports the cemeteries department of the Office for Stadtgrün and waters, which is responsible for another six municipal cemeteries.

restoration and new burial layers

One of the most beautiful news from the field of monument conservation is the upcoming completion of the Secundum Sepulcrum, the second burial of the Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft. This tomb offers space for 40 graves and was created to preserve the memories of deceased members of society. After a year and a half of the preparation, the tomb, made from green Spremberger Syenit and the Leipzig sculptor Alfred Fränzel, is now designed shortly before completion. The bronze image jewelry and the bowl with rose garland come from Professor Alfredo Neri and were manufactured in the Württemberg metal goods factory.

The tomb itself weighs about five tons. In recent years, however, it has been significantly damaged by a storm and an uprooted tree. The Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft has supported the restoration with considerable means to restore this historical work of art. Master gardener Steffen Schröder will design the new grave field, with the female figure "grief" being restored.

Alfred E. Otto Paul, who also explained numerous cultural and art-historical aspects during the tour, emphasized that the Leipzig Südfriedhof is an outstanding parking creation by the garden director Otto Wittenberg. It is considered an important necropolis that is one of the most important European park cemeteries. The creators of tomb in the southern cemetery include well -known artists such as Alfred Neri, Josef Limburg, Alois Kolb, Max Lange, Otto Josef Olbertz, Josef Magr and Johannes Hartmann.

In the heart of Leipzig, not only history is preserved, but also creates a unique legacy for future generations that underlines the cultural identity of the city. The Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft continues its valuable contribution in this area and will actively promote dialogue about cultural values ​​in the cemetery and monument system in the coming years.

For more information about the restoration work and the numerous initiatives of the Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft you can also read the reports on Liz News directly on the website of the Paul-Benndorf-Gesellschaft .