Restoration of the entrance portal: Wittenberg's new cemetery shines

Restoration of the entrance portal: Wittenberg's new cemetery shines

At the new cemetery on Dresdener Straße in Wittenberg, extensive restoration work is currently being carried out at the entrance portal. This measure became necessary because various environmental influences have led to considerable damage to the historical substance in recent decades. In particular, soot particles of traffic and acid rain from industrial areas adjacent have severely affected the characteristic Elbe sandstone.

The damage is expressed in the form of discoloration, flaking and cracks in the stone. In addition, there are chemical changes due to nitrates that come from the air from the nearby Leuna and Piesteritz locations. All of these factors have made the sandstone more susceptible to temperature fluctuations as well as the growth of lichen and mosses that cause damage.

restoration and preservation of history

The work for restoring the entrance portal is carried out by the Wittenberg company Kirk-Bau in cooperation with the restorer Penk from Pouch. The engineering office Ulrich Pabst from Wittenberg takes over the construction management. The previous results of the restoration are impressive: bricks that were previously deep black now shine in their original red again.

But that's not all. The farm buildings of the cemetery also get a new coat of paint, with the fence being renewed in the north. In addition, an additional gate is installed on the intermediate wall in the east to make the game more difficult.

financing and historical importance

The total costs for the restoration work are estimated at 197,000 euros. These measures are part of a broader design program that aims to economically secure the cemeteries of the city church community Wittenberg, to maintain historical buildings and to shape the culture of the cemeteries. All financial resources for this work come exclusively from the budgetary funds of the city church community Wittenberg.

The restoration work is carried out in close cooperation with the Lower Monument Protection Authority of the district of Wittenberg and the State Office for Monument Protection and Archeology in Halle. It should be noted that both the old cemetery, founded in 1502, and the new cemetery, founded in 1606, are among the general monuments of the city of Wittenberg. The graves of important Wittenberg personalities, including postmaster Zimmermann, Major a. D. and City Councilor Fritz Eunike, chief physician of the Paul-Gerhardt-Stiftes Paul Bosse and Martin Luther's daughter Elisabeth.