No Name Cemetery (= Friedhof der Namenlosen, Wien)

Since I spend nearly 1 1/2 hrs a day in a bus or at a bus stop I have a lot of time to think what I to do ...

One thing was to reanimate my blog even it is hard in times of Twitter, Facebook and so on, but I will give it a try.

Another thing was - and that is why I write in English - to give some hints for (possible) visitors of Vienna (but also for residents ...) - so to say insider tips off the beaten tracks.


Today I want to start with the "Friedhof der Namenlosen" (translated: "cemetery of the nameless" or "no name cemetery") at the harbour of Albern. To reach that area you have to take the bus line 76A and the exit "Hafen Albern" - infront of the bus station you will see a green marker with the inscription "Friedhof der Namenlosen".


Between 1840 and 1900 a lot of anonymous water-logged corps, which were washed, have been buried at the first cemetery - without a regular funeral and in short distances. The result was the first cemetery, which was flooded again and again and is now overgrown by trees. 478 victims of the Danube have found there their permanente site.

In 1900 volunteers have build a flood dike and created the second cemetery as you can visit it today because it is still cultivated. Between 1900 and 1940 (after that year all unknown victims of the Danube are buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery) each dead body was buried in a wooden coffin (which was sponsored by different joiner). The last documented case of washed cadaver was the corpse of a woman in November 2004.

If you like the movie "Before Sunrise" with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy this location would be also interesting for you because one sequence in this movie was playing there too ...

You can get more information (but unfortunatelly ony in German) at Wikipedia or from the official hompage of the "Friedhof der Namenlosen" or some photos on my picasa-site.


From time to time I will bring more such secret sights or places closer to you because Vienna is more then "Wiener Schnitzl", Schönbrunn Palace or St. Stephens Cathedral ... ;)