What Père Lachaise is for the Parisians and Highgate for the Londoners, the Zentralfriedhof is for the Viennese. Dubbing it a “City of the Dead” is not far-fetched. Spanning over six hundred acres, it is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, larger than Vienna’s Innere Stadt. Opened in 1875, it reads like a “Who is Who” of Vienna ranging from Beethoven to Falco of “Rock Me Amadeus” fame. We take you to the tombs of honour (Ehrengräber) of Austria’s most famous composers: Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms were buried next to most of the Strauss clan. Only a few steps away is the tomb of honour of Arnold Schönberg which is marked by a cube-like form crafted by Austrian sculptor Fritz Wotruba. See the pompous pantheons of mayors and industrial tycoons and the rather plain last resting place of the Austrian presidents of the Second Republic, the Präsidentengruft. Among the internationally known celebrities is Hollywood diva and inventor Hedy Lamarr, jazz musician Joe Zawinul, writer Franz Werfel, conductor Willy Boskovsky, or entertainer Udo Jürgens. Several sections are dedicated to the victims of wars or political resistance. We also visit the impressive Church of St. Charles Borromeo, the focal point of the Zentralfriedhof, and a jewel of Secessionist architecture.
