Rochusfriedhof

Rochus Cemetery in Nuremberg's Gostenhof district is a church burial ground that is still in use and is a protected historic monument. Its history goes back to 1518, when Emperor Maximilian I ordered that burials take place outside the city walls for reasons of hygiene. After its consecration in 1519, the site served, together with St. John's Cemetery, as the main burial ground for the people of Nuremberg until newer cemeteries opened in the late 19th century. The grounds are enclosed by a historic sandstone wall and contain Rochus Chapel, a single-nave hall church built in 1520 and 1521 to plans by Hans Beheim the Elder.

The elaborately crafted bronze epitaphs and the flat, horizontal gravestones, created over five centuries, draw particular attention. These memorials attest not only to the craftsmanship of Nuremberg's brass founders but also offer deep insights into the social and trade history of the period, since even simple craftsmen had their occupations immortalized on the bronze plaques. Among the best-known figures laid to rest here are the sculptor Peter Vischer the Elder, the executioner Franz Schmidt, and the composer Johann Pachelbel. In 2018, the traditional production of these epitaphs was added to the Bavarian state register of intangible cultural heritage.