Cemetery of Arlon

The Cemetery of Arlon is the main municipal burial ground of the city of Arlon, in Luxembourg Province, southern Belgium. It was established in 1853 during the term of mayor Pierre Hollenfeltz and was divided from the outset into two separate sections — Catholic and Jewish. Today the grounds cover more than 9 hectares and stretch across more than 500 meters, making it one of the larger municipal cemeteries in the region.

How did the Jewish section come about?

The Jewish section was added three years after the cemetery opened, in 1856. Its layout was deliberate: graves face toward Jerusalem in keeping with tradition, and the section is separated from the rest of the grounds by a hedge. Its creation reflected the presence of a strong Jewish community that played a significant role in Arlon's life during the 19th century. Before 1856, Jewish residents of the city who passed away were buried across the border, in the Jewish cemetery of Luxembourg City.

Why does this section matter historically?

The Jewish section of Arlon is now considered the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the Walloon Region. Together with the Dieweg cemetery in Uccle, near Brussels, it forms a unique ensemble of Jewish funerary art in Belgium — the gravestones and their ornamentation trace how burial customs and styles within the Belgian Jewish community evolved over the decades. It is this section, more than the Catholic part, that draws visitors interested in local history and genealogy.

How has the cemetery changed over time?

As the city grew and its population diversified, the cemetery expanded in stages. Toward the end of the 1990s, municipal authorities decided to open a dedicated section for Muslim burials, responding to the needs of an increasingly religiously mixed population. This addition illustrates how the site adapted to the changing composition of Arlon's residents while preserving its original historical layout.

How is the cemetery managed today?

Since 2019, the City of Arlon has run its cemetery management policy around three priorities: environmental protection, biodiversity, and the well-being of both visitors and staff working on site. In practice, this has meant cutting back on chemical treatments, giving more attention to vegetation, and gradually turning parts of the grounds into a more nature-friendly space without abandoning their function as a burial site.

What is worth seeing on a visit?

Visitors are drawn above all to the Jewish section — its older gravestones, Hebrew inscriptions, and distinctive grave orientation set it apart from the rest of the cemetery. It is also worth noting the overall layout of the grounds, which has changed little in its basic structure since the mid-19th century, despite later additions of new denominational sections.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Cemetery of Arlon founded? In 1853, under mayor Pierre Hollenfeltz.

What makes the Jewish section notable? It is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the Walloon Region, established in 1856, with graves oriented toward Jerusalem.

How large is the cemetery? It covers more than 9 hectares and extends over more than 500 meters.

Are there other denominational sections? Yes, a Muslim section was added toward the end of the 1990s.