The Cathedral Graveyard
The cathedral graveyard was initially laid out in the cathedral precincts in the mid 16th century as a resting place for the congregation of the Cathedral Church of St Mary. By the end of the 16th century, dignitaries from the cathedral, who both previously and for a long time after were entitled to a burial in the cathedral itself, began to be laid to rest in the graveyard.
Until the early 20th century, canons and pastors of Naumburg Cathedral and senior administrators were entitled to a burial plot. The cathedral graveyard gradually lost its importance following the opening of the new municipal cemetery on Weißenfelser Straße in 1901. However, even after that certain exalted persons (e.g. the cathedral deans) continued to be buried in the cathedral graveyard.
Since 2014, the cathedral graveyard which is maintained by the Vereinigte Domstifter has been open to the public again as a space for peace and reflection, and since 2016 has been used again as a final resting place.
Accessible via Windmühlenstraße or Lindenring
April - September | 9.00 - 18.00 hrs
October to November | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For burials in the cathedral cemetery please contact the Collections of the United Cathedral Foundations.
By-laws (in German)
Statutes for the cemetery of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Naumburg, as of 29.06.2015 (pdf)
The Vereinigte Domstifter possess a particular gem in the cathedral graveyard in the form of the Chapel of St John, dedicated to St John the Baptist. The Chapel of St John was originally located in a canon house to the south of the Cathedral and was built early in the second half of the 13th century by a builder trained in the French Gothic style. The chapel has stood in Naumburg Cathedral’s graveyard since 1864. Inside, a triple-arched vault is adorned with artistic cap stones and foliage-inspired capitals. The cap stone previously found in the chapel and now found in the cloister of Naumburg Cathedral depicts a bust of St John the Baptist with a sacrificial lamb. A copy now sits above the entrance to the chapel.
The impressive glass window was designed in 2014 by the Leipzig-based artist David Schnell and was created together with Derix Glasstudios in Taunusstein. The window is able to remain in the chapel thanks to an amicable arrangement with the artist and the gallery EIGEN + ART in Leipzig and Berlin plus a generous private donation.
DEVOTION ON ST. JOHN'S DAY
A lovely tradition in a very special location
Every year on 24 June, the Evangelical Church Community of Naumburg cordially invites you to the St. John's devotion at the cathedral cemetery. It is a special hour in a very special place.
St John’s Day is still celebrated by the German Evangelical Church at a feast marking the height of summer. The festival centres on John the Baptist, the Jewish preacher who appeared in Galilee and baptised Jesus in the Jordan. The day is linked to the summer solstice and the custom of lighting a fire.
