Munich’s Ostfriedhof, or East Cemetery, officially opened in 1900. This building is “Die Trauerhalle” or “The Mourning Hall” and serves as the cemetery's focal point. It was reconstructed after being heavily damaged during the Second World War.
While most of the city’s monuments and landmarks are closed, the Ostfriedhof is open. I saw many Germans here visiting loved one’s graves, running, or taking a family stroll.
Wells located at different nodes in the cemetery allow for families to easily water plants at a loved one’s grave.
From what I could see, the cemetery consisted of burials and cremations with stone monuments, wooden crosses, and columbaria walls as entombment options. There are roughly 34,000 grave sites.
The Crematorium was built in 1929. Under normal circumstances, there are weekly tours of the Mourning Hall and the Crematorium, so I hope that I can come back and see their interiors.
I find funerary monuments that include statuary to be quite moving. Here is my sketch of a family monument that really captured my attention.
I was able to “zoom” with my (non-architecture) Notre Dame friends. Personally I think it is impressive we were able to find a common time to catch up because we are currently dispersed across three countries and five time zones.
I also got to Facetime with friends from home. Unfortunately I was so excited I often forgot to “capture” the moments with a screenshot, but pictured here is Abby who suffered through my poor internet connection that day to talk to me.
Both the interior and exterior of Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche were stunning. The neo-Gothic architecture was light, airy, and appealing. Unfortunately due to Covid, I did not have the opportunity to get a good picture of the stained glass windows, but the church’s website features detailed photos of the stained glass.

The second half of my quarantine was a lot like my first: paperwork, emails, and language practice. For a little added comfort, I cooked Risi e Bisi, an Italian soup that I’ve loved since my great grandma made it for me as a little girl. My week was also brightened by calls to my mom, dad, grandma, and friends, as well as virtual yoga and games with fellow Fulbrighters located in Germany.

After my quarantine ended, I ventured out to explore the neighborhood and make grocery store trips. Saturday’s exploration included a walk to the Ostfriedhof, Munich’s Eastern Cemetery. Apparently other Germans had a similar idea, as I was not the only one on a casual stroll through the beautiful and peaceful scenery. Most of you already know that my Undergraduate Architectural Thesis project was the design of a funeral complex, so I take particular interest in cemetery and crematoria planning. I paused my walk to sketch a particularly beautiful family monument that caught my eye. After the walk I made the switch to my German SIM card and phone number, so I could feel some relief as I crossed another “to do” off my list. 

Sunday was also calm, as I was mainly preparing to move into my dorm the following day, but in the morning I went to Mass at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche (Holy Cross Church) in the Giesing neighborhood of Munich. I was impressed with their covid protocols and tried my best to keep up with Mass in German. The church itself was quite beautiful both inside and out. Considered the last completely preserved neo-Gothic church in Munich, the original stained glass is the only element that was unable to withstand damage during WWII. In 2016 the church commissioned artist Christoph Brech to create new stained glass imagery. Taking inspiration from the Gothic forms inside the church, the cross, and the human dimension which gives the church life, Brech chose to depict over 1,000 X-rays of the chest, notably focusing on the lungs. Some of the X-rays included are those of the artist, the priest, and some of the parishioners. From afar the powder blue forms appear like angel wings but upon closer examination one can identify the breath of life. 

This site is not an official site of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author, Stephanie Kubus, and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.