Pobrežje Cemetery, Maribor, Slovenia

Having failed miserably to locate the old cemetery in Maribor, which is somewhere near the Cathedral, we decided to visit Pobrežje Cemetery instead.

A cemetery in three parts, it’s home to an impressive array of statuary and some poignant memorials. Its history is a little confusing. According to the Association of Significant Cemeteries (I love that there is such a thing) there’s the Town Cemetery, The Magdalena Cemetery, and the Franciscan Cemetery. All in one. Or in two parts, separated by a road perhaps?

White sign in snow with black text: THE TOWN'S CEMETERY In 1879, the town's municipality located the new Magdalena Cemetey in Pobrezje, where the deceased where [sic] buriend from August 1st 1879 on. The town's cemetery used to be along the street Strossmayerjeva ulica until 1940, when it was eventually moved to Pobrezje. At first only the poor who died in general hospital [sic] were buried in Pobrezje. In 1891 the town's municipaity built a house for the guard of the cemetery and a mortuary with three sections near the main entrance of the cemetery. In 1910 they gradually closed down the old cemetery along the street Strossmayerjeva ulica and began to bury the decreased inhabitants of town in the cemetery Pobrezje. The number of burials increased after 1914, when the new cemetery was blessed. In 1915 a building housing offices was ericted at the main entrance, later the building was turned into a mortuary. In 1920 the cemetery was enlarged and in 1926 a chapel with an altar designed by the constructor Rudolf Kiffmann was erected in the centre of the cemetery. Because the chapel was not consecrated it served as a mortuary for luxurious burials. The cemetery was intended for the dead from the town's districts on the left bank of the river Drava regardless of their religion. The tombs were placed partly along the walls, partly around the cemetery's chapel.

A large stone cross divides two sections of six pillar each with a cross baton. Inscribed on the first section are the words - tisti ki so mnoge pouclii - and it continues on the second - so kakor zvezde za vso vecnost. On the ground are stone plaques bearing the names and life dates of teaching monks - visible only if you enlarge the photo

I’m guessing that this monument is to the teaching Franciscans of the city, given that there is a Franciscan Cemetery and that the inscription translates as ‘Those who have taught many are like stars for all eternity.’ A lovely sentiment. The grave markers at the monument’s base mention various religious titles, so perhaps I’m not too far off the mark.

There’s an air of deep thought about Pobrežje Cemetery with the more usual prostrate grief-stricken women giving way to thinkers and record-keepers.

Statue of robed woman holding a wreath in her left hand, writing on wall of black marble. She has her back to us. On the wall (a tombstone) we can see the letters Unser Unverge..,....n - her head is blocking the missing text. In the marble shines the reflection of other graves in the cemetery. All this is set against a snowy forground and a cloudless blue sky.

I think this is from the German – Our Unforgettable. Am open to correction…

The bust of a man's sit atop a granite gravestone. He is looking towards the cloudless blue sky with one arm hanging down by his side holding a shovel and another crossed in front of him resting on the top of the headstone. Written on a black marble plaque are the words OBTOZUJEM.... AVGUST KELNARIC 1908-1935. STUDENCNI POMOCNIK POTOMCEM v SPOMIN SODOBNIKOM v OPOMIN. Other graves surround his, all covered in a blanket of snow.

This apprentice well-digger endured ’76 hours of agony in the cold embrace of earth and cement’ – his is a tragic story.

Given the state of the world and the amount of time I spend despairing at it all, I was struck by this depiction of Christ, who seems to be feeling similar frustrations.

A crucifix in stone with OUr Lord holding his right hand over his eyes, his left hand still nailed to the cross. It sits beside a black marble tombstone on which is written: DRUZINA VLAISAVLJEVIC VELIMIR 1926-2014 MILJANA raj ZUPAN 1931-2014 In the background are other graves covered in snow all set against a cloudless blue sky

Everywhere I looked in the distance I saw houses. The juxtaposition of life and death is very poignant.

Rows of graves covered in a blanket of snow with apartment bulildings in the background. The grave in the foreground reads ZADNJI DOM under which are listed names and dates of those interred. Some candles holder line the front.

Zadnji Dom translates as Last Home

A long line of impressive-loking tombs with wrought iron surrounds, stone headstones with black marble insets and gold lettering. A blanket of snow covers the ground. The branhes of some leafless trees droop into the top of the photo.

While some of the graves are quite ornate, and impressive in both size and form, others are simple and plain. I was quite taken with their simplicity.

A simple wooden headstone with the words ZLATO EKIC Burned into the wood is a single open rose with two buds. Three candle holders, one white and two red, sit in the snow in front. Behind is the iron surround of another grave.

I wondered at one in particular. Do they replace the wood every few years, or has this plank weathered the last 40+ years well?

A simple wooden gravemarker into which the words TURNSEK ANTONIJA 18923-1979 are burned. A bouquet of pink and blue plastic flowers covered in snow sit beneath it.

Had I done my homework, I’d have looked for a few specific graves, like that of Olympic gymnast Leo Štukelj.

Štukelj was presented at the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta in 1996 as then oldest living Olympic gold medalist, where he shook hands with the President of the United States Bill Clinton. He also presented the medals to winners in the men’s team competition.

I’d also have looked in on Rudolf Maister and Herta Haas, Tito’s second wife. As it was, I was glad I stumbled on that of Dr. Filip Terč, considered to be the father of modern beekeeping. Bees are big in Slovenia. The Regional Museum has a beautiful example of a painted beehive facade.

Plaque on a grave that reads Dr. Filip Terc. 28.3.1844-28.10.1917. ZDRAVNIK, CEBELAR IN OCE MODERNE APITERAPIJE ARZT, IMKER UND VATER DE MODERNEN APITHERAPIE. MEDICAL DOCTOR, BEEKEEPER, AND FATHER OF MODERN APITHERAPY. CZD MARIBOR DEUTSCHER APITHERAPIEVERBAND JUNIJ/JUNI 2008. and then blow, on another plaque Dr. Filip TERC. Zakladatel modenir apitherapie narozen 30.3.1844 v Praporisti Na Jeho pocest byl den jeho narozeni vyhlasen 30 brezna 2006 v passau Mezinarodnim dnem apitherapie. On both plaques are pictures of a bee in a six-sided figure. On the top is a photo of a man looking to his left.

Translation of bottom plaque: In his honour, the day of his birth was declared on March 30, 2006, in Passau as the International Day of Apitherapy

The signpost to the Field of White Roses was begging to be followed. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and even when there wasn’t sure either. I knew of a resistance group in Germany called the White Roses but these plaques had simply names and years and some were very recent. And there were a lot. I emailed the cemetery and they explained it to me.

The field of white roses is a special part of the Pobrežje cemetery, where the group scattering of the ashes of children who died during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth takes place twice a year.

Three photos. 1. Wall with circles nailed to it sits in front of a hedge covered in snow. Some shrubs in the foreground. 2. a close-up of a section of the wall. Circles are marble plaques with gold lettering. 3. A close-up of some of the plaques - SAVIC LARA 2009, NAJN MARKO 14.9.2008 ,NAS SASO 1990...

Pobrežje Cemetery is big. Very big. We could have spent more time than we had there. As it was, we didn’t find the WWI memorial, but as the song goes, two out of three ain’t bad. That sounds like a tick-box exercise – but it isn’t. I have a fascination with those who willingly (or unwillingly) die for their cause or country. And whatever their war, I like to pay my respects. Their sacrifice should never be forgotten. Three photos - 1. stones leaning into each other sit in the corner wher two low walls meet. Snow everywhere. Trees in the background. 2. A list of names on a grey flecked marble stone MIHAJLOVIC MIRO KEDIC ZLATOMIR NEPOZNAN VAERNJ MIRKO SOVO MIRKO ROJ ALBIN PETELINSEK JANKO MARKAC JURA PASALIC SEVA MEHMEDOVIC NABZI MADAN JOZE MANDIC DJORDIE GURMILAR LUDVA ERDELIN MAT 3. A white sign with black letters - PARTISAN TOMB - In National Liberation War [sic] during the Second World War (1941-1945) a lot of parisands lost their lives around Maribor in struggles with occupants. 139 Partisands were buried in this group tomb on [sic] the Pobrejze cemetery after the war. Four of them are still unknown but the name sof 135 partisans are cut into memorial tablets on the momument erected in 1979

In the 1940s, soldiers and civilians from 27 countries were buried in Pobrežje Cemetery. Some 3000 in all including 38 soldiers from Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, New Zealand and Great Britain, who died in Stalag XVIII-D. The last two years of WWII saw a lot of new graves with nearly 700 soldiers from Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Denmark, Croatia, Lithuania, Hungary, Macedonia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the USA laid to rest. They didn’t all stay though. But many of those who remained were reburied in a common grave at the Peace Monument. Others were repatriated.

A stone momument with a plaque on which is written Spomenik miru Maribor 1941-1945. Around this, in a semi circle, are seven tall slabs of marble etched with rows of names. All are set on a blanket of snow against a cloudless blue sky with a leafless tree to the left.

In 1941/42, nearly 2800 Red Army soldiers who died in the Russian Camp in Melje, were also interred in Pobrežje Cemetery. As Russia hadn’t signed the Geneva Convention, theirs was a cruel fate. The Germans initially buried them three to a grave but after the war, their remains were put in this tomb.

A stone cross with two horizontal bars and a diagonal one sits on a slab of stone etched in writing. This in turns sits on a circular stone. Two wreathes of dead flowers mark the grave along with three red candles. All rest on a bed of snow with leafless treats and hedges in the background

A stone slab covered in snow, some of which has been wiped away. The following letters are visible V STOMIN 1819 SOVJETSKIM UJETNIKOM UMRLIM V MARIBORU OD GLADI IN EPIDEMIJ ZIML 1941-1942. The base of three red candles are visible at the top.

Pobrežje Cemetery is a place that begs the descriptive tranquil. Here, the dead continue to speak, to teach, to share. There is a wealth of history and knowledge buried here. It’s one I will be going back to.

Note to self for next time

Check out Dobrava Cemetery.

@ 2024 Mary Murphy

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