cemetery Paster Pype

Paster Pype Cemetery (also known as Oud Kerkhof, or the Old Cemetery) is a historic burial ground in Ostend, one of the best-known seaside towns on the Belgian coast. Located right next to the local hippodrome, the cemetery is a quiet but telling record of the city's nineteenth- and twentieth-century history.

Where does the name come from?

The popular name "Paster Pype" refers to Pastor Pype, a chaplain to Ostend's fishermen, who is buried in the cemetery. His standing within the local fishing community was significant enough that his name eventually became attached to the entire site, even though it is also formally known as Oud Kerkhof.

When was the cemetery established?

The cemetery opened in 1852, during a period when Ostend was rapidly developing into a fashionable seaside resort for Belgian aristocracy and the urban middle class. It remained in active use for burials for well over a century, until it closed in 1976. Since then, burials have only continued for families holding a pre-existing grave concession, meaning new interments are now extremely rare.

Who is buried here?

Paster Pype Cemetery reads like a stone record of Ostend's history. It holds the graves of several prominent local families as well as members of local monastic communities, many marked by tombs of considerable monumental and artistic value. Among the notable burials is Pastor Pype himself, chaplain to the town's fishermen, alongside Hendrik Baels, a government minister and governor of the province of West Flanders. The cemetery is also the resting place of several former mayors of Ostend — Jean Van Iseghem, Alfons Pieters, and Karel Janssens — figures who each played a role in shaping the city during their respective terms.

What can visitors see on site?

The cemetery's character comes from its many monumental tombs — elaborate family vaults, chapels, and funerary monuments, most dating from the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The scale and style of these memorials reflect the wealth and social standing of the bourgeois families interred here, making the site a point of interest for anyone curious about local history and the funerary art of that era.

Why is it worth a visit?

Paster Pype Cemetery isn't the kind of attraction that draws crowds the way Ostend's beaches and seafront promenade do, but for visitors with an interest in local history it adds real depth to a trip to the city. Walking among the old graves offers a glimpse of the names that shaped modern Ostend — from clergy to local politicians and members of the wealthy merchant class. Its location next to the hippodrome makes it easy to combine with a visit to other parts of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Is Paster Pype Cemetery still in use? No, the cemetery closed to new burials in 1976. Today, burials only take place for those with a pre-existing grave concession.

Where does the cemetery's name come from? The name comes from Pastor Pype, a chaplain to Ostend's fishermen, who was buried at the site.

Who else is buried at the cemetery? Notable burials include Hendrik Baels, a minister and governor of West Flanders, and former Ostend mayors Jean Van Iseghem, Alfons Pieters, and Karel Janssens.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? The cemetery is located in Ostend, directly next to the local hippodrome.