History of the Cemetery

The history of the cemetery 'Innerer Neustädter Friedhof' began in 1731 when it was founded as a compensation for the former cemetery of the Dreikönigskirche which was removed by the Saxonian King August the Strong. During this relocation the existing baroque tombstones were moved to the new site:
In 1685 a great fire destroyed large parts of the area and August the Strong used it as a opportunity for rebuilding the city in baroque style.
During this rebuilding the citizens began also to rebuilt the Dreikönigskirche in a very short time. Yet the church interferes with the main axis so that the King stopped this activities and forced the citizens to use the area of an existing cemetery to build their church. As a consequence a new site for the existing graves had to be found. In 1731, the King gave money to the reluctend citizens so that they can found a new cemetery in an area also known as "Scheunenviertel" (barn quarter): the Innerer Neustädter Friedhof.
The cemetery was originally square cut (about 80 x 80 m) and is called 'First Land'. Yet already during the the Seven Year's War (1756-1763) it had to be extended and the new ara was named 'Second Land' separated from the First Land by a small wall.

 
A new extension was necessary in 1846 due to the industrialisation and population growth. In other words, a Third Land was added and the cemetery has now a size of 3,5 ha.
One can decipher this development not only by the small sandstone walls but rather by the different styles of tombstones. Within the First Land as the oldest part one can find baroque tombstones and crypts. The Second Land is dominated by tombstones and gravesites of the 19. century whereas the Third Land is mainly characterised by tombstones of the 20th century.