Centrale Begraafplaats

Centrale Begraafplaats is the main municipal cemetery of Bruges, located in the Assebroek district east of the historic city centre. It is considered the oldest cemetery of its kind in Belgium, with roots reaching back to the late 18th century, when Austrian imperial authorities ordered burials to be moved outside city walls.

Why was the cemetery built outside the city?

In 1784, Emperor Joseph II issued a decree forbidding burials inside churches or within city limits, part of the broader sanitary and administrative reforms typical of Habsburg rule at the time. In response, the Bruges city council purchased land in the then-independent municipality of Assebroek and established a new burial ground there. The first burial took place on 13 February 1787. Bruges residents resisted the change for years, and it was only in 1804 that all funerals were finally required to take place exclusively outside the city walls, in line with the new law.

How did the cemetery grow over time?

From 1810 onward, every resident of Bruges was buried here, which quickly created pressure to expand the grounds. The cemetery was enlarged in 1841 and again in 1864 as the city's population grew and demand for burial plots increased. These successive expansions shaped the site's current layout, with avenues and burial sections forming what feels like a park dedicated to memory.

What can visitors see on site?

The original layout of the cemetery reflected the social hierarchy of its era — graves were arranged according to six social classes, a division still visible today in the contrast between modest plots and the monumental tombs of wealthy Bruges families. In the 19th century, imposing grave monuments served as status symbols, and many were created by respected sculptors of the period, including Pickery. Among the most notable burial sites is the grave of Guido Gezelle, one of the most important Flemish poets of the 19th century, whose work still holds a significant place in Flemish culture. Walking along the avenues, visitors can admire a wide range of funerary architecture, from classical columns and obelisks to richly decorated burial chapels, illustrating the shifting tastes and financial means of successive generations of Bruges residents.

How is the cemetery evolving today?

Since the 1980s, Bruges has been a pioneer in the reuse of graves and historic grave monuments. Rather than removing old, historically significant tombstones once burial concessions expire, the city has worked to preserve them and integrate them into new cemetery arrangements. This approach protects the site's sculptural and architectural heritage while allowing the cemetery to keep managing its limited space responsibly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Centrale Begraafplaats the oldest cemetery in Belgium? Yes, it is regarded as the oldest municipal cemetery of its kind in the country, with its history dating back to 1787, when the first burial took place at the newly established site in Assebroek.

Why is the cemetery located outside the historic centre of Bruges? This is the result of a 1784 decree by Emperor Joseph II, which banned burials within city limits for sanitary reasons — Bruges was therefore required to move all burials to the neighbouring municipality of Assebroek.

Who is buried at this cemetery? One of the best-known graves belongs to Guido Gezelle, a major Flemish poet, alongside numerous tombs of old Bruges bourgeois families crafted by respected 19th-century sculptors.

Is the cemetery still in use? Yes, it remains an active municipal cemetery for Bruges, and since the 1980s the city has run a program of reusing old graves and monuments, balancing heritage preservation with the ongoing burial needs of residents.