It was founded in 1626 as a hospital cemetery after a donation of land by Johann Kercher. In 1628 Kercher was the first to be buried there; By 1824 the cemetery had expanded to around 7,000 graves. It only received its current name in 1828. The last burial took place in 1880. The cemetery has its own Jewish section, which was closed in 1882. In 1951, with the last urn burial, cemetery operations ceased. When the oldest part was abandoned a year later during the construction of the Max Kade House, this was done with the approval of the Monument Protection Office.
On the occasion of the Federal Garden Show in 1961, the cemetery was converted into a park. Little of the historical influence remained. The tombstones were mostly removed from their original location to be rearranged. Two fountains were also installed, which are still in use today.
A bad weather shelter was also built for visitors. The fountains and shelter as well as the artistic sculptures are contemporary and built in the style of the early 1960s.
The majority of the tombs are in poor condition. If they are made of sandstone, layers and fragments will flake off. Many inscriptions have been washed out and are difficult or impossible to decipher.
From June 2014 to 2020, the 1,674 gravestones in the cemetery are to be restored. The total costs are 1.5 million euros.[1](Source: Wikipedia