Schosshalden cemetery

Schosshalden Cemetery (Schosshaldenfriedhof) is the largest cemetery in the city of Bern. It lies at Ostermundigenstrasse 116, on the eastern edge of the Swiss capital where the city meets the municipality of Ostermundigen. For a visitor it is a quiet, green, park-like space and also the resting place of several notable figures from Swiss culture and politics.

How did Schosshalden Cemetery come about?

The cemetery opened in 1877. It replaced the old Stalden cemetery, which stood on the site of today's Rosengarten, the rose garden overlooking the Old Town. As Bern grew, the earlier burial ground was no longer enough, so the city created a new one farther from the centre.

How big is it?

The last major extension took place between 1950 and 1952. It brought the cemetery to its present size of 16.8 hectares, making it the most extensive burial ground in the city. One unusual detail is its shared ownership: the neighbouring municipality of Ostermundigen is part owner and also buries its dead here.

Who is buried at Schosshalden?

The best-known person resting here is the painter Paul Klee (1879–1940), one of the most important artists of the 20th century. The Klee family grave carries a bronze plaque with a quotation. The city of Bern also describes a walking route, "Paths to Klee", that includes this cemetery.

The city's list of notable burials also includes:

• Otto von Greyerz,
• Ernst Kreidolf, illustrator and children's book author,
• Johannes Baumann, a Federal Councillor,
• Markus Feldmann, also a Federal Councillor.

A city brochure and a site plan with a legend help you find the graves of well-known people without wandering the paths.

How to visit

This is an active cemetery, so keep quiet and show respect to mourners. Plan about an hour for a walk. Download the cemetery plan with legend and the list of prominent people from the City of Bern website to locate the graves. Keep photography of private graves to a minimum.

Art lovers can combine the visit with the Zentrum Paul Klee, the museum dedicated to the artist on the other side of the city. For those interested in local history, the cemetery complements a tour of the Old Town by showing how the city developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Schosshalden Cemetery? At Ostermundigenstrasse 116 in Bern, on the border with Ostermundigen.

When did it open? In 1877, as the successor to the Stalden cemetery.

How large is it? 16.8 hectares after the extension of 1950–1952.

Is Paul Klee buried here? Yes, the artist's family grave has a bronze plaque with a quotation.

Is it the largest cemetery in Bern? Yes, it is the largest in the city.

Can I walk around? Yes, the cemetery is open to visitors who keep quiet and show respect.