Evangelical-Augsburg Cemetery in Częstochowa

The Evangelical-Augsburg cemetery on św. Rocha Street is the only necropolis in Częstochowa for followers of this Church. It lies right next to the Catholic St Roch cemetery, covers about 3,100 m² and is still in use today. It was entered in the heritage register in 1987.

How it came about

The cemetery was established in 1858 on the initiative of Rev. Ludwik Müller, who secured the allocation of the land by the city authorities. It was solemnly opened on 8 July 1860. Earlier, the Protestants of Częstochowa had buried their dead in distant cemeteries of their denomination or in Catholic necropolises in the city.

Changes to the site and war plots

In 1898 the city took part of the land for an Orthodox cemetery. Only in 1919 was about 1,900 m² of the liquidated Orthodox cemetery handed over to the Protestants, although the Catholic Church protested. During the First World War the cemetery quickly filled with the graves of German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers: already in the first year 107 servicemen were buried here. In time a separate plot of German soldiers killed in that war was created. During the Second World War German soldiers were again buried here, and when space ran out, burials were moved to the Kule cemetery.

Chapels and well-known graves

In 1937-1939 the tomb chapel of the Steinhagen family was built. The cemetery chapel, damaged during the war, was renovated in the late 1960s. Among those buried is Adolf Franke. A detailed guide to the necropolis, with biographies of those interred, was published in 2006 by the Częstochowa Museum.

Practical information

• Address: ul. świętego Rocha 79, Częstochowa.
• The cemetery is in use and belongs to the Evangelical-Augsburg Parish in Częstochowa, which manages it.
• This is a burial place, not a tourist site: keep quiet and show respect for those visiting graves.
• Nearby lies Jasna Góra, about a kilometre as the crow flies.