The Ohlsdorf Cemetery (until 1991 Ohlsdorf Main Cemetery) in the Hamburg district of Ohlsdorf was inaugurated on July 1, 1877 and, at 389 hectares, is the largest park cemetery in the world. There are 202,000 graves spread across the entire area. More than 1.4 million burials have taken place at the Ohlsdorf Cemetery since it was founded; 4,500 more are added each year. For comparison: Vienna's Central Cemetery has an area of 250 hectares with 330,000 graves. As the largest park cemetery in the world, the Ohlsdorf Cemetery is not the largest cemetery in the world. The largest cemetery in the world is Wadi as-Salam in Najaf/Iraq, with an area of 917 hectares. This is followed by Behescht-e Zahra in Tehran/Iran with 424 hectares. Third place is taken by Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island/New York/USA with 423 hectares. Then, in fourth place worldwide, comes the Ohlsdorf Cemetery with its 389 hectares. A north-south avenue of cherry trees in the eastern part of the cemetery
The appearance of the grounds is determined by the park character of the complex with several hundred deciduous and coniferous species as well as ponds and watercourses and a landscape that is characterized by a mixture of historical buildings, garden monuments and modern themed graves. Characteristic of the structure of the complex are dead straight streets and paths running in an exact east-west or north-south direction as well as evenly gently curved roads and paths with checkerboard-like plots in between. The road system, which is lined with plants throughout, is broken up by roundabouts. Newer facilities include butterfly graves, columbaria and couple facilities. The cemetery is often visited by tourists, especially when the rhododendrons are in bloom at the end of April to the beginning of June.
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