Every day I cycle past a beautiful cemetery with a small church in Hanover. For a long time I have been thinking about digitizing these stones, some of which are beautiful. In addition to simple upright stones, artistic grave monuments will also appear in this series.
This is now the first gravestone in this cemetery.
The “Gartenfriedhof” (garden-graveyard) Hannover
Located in Marienstraße and flanked by the “Garden Church” is the “Garden Cemetery”. Located outside the city walls at the time, the site was acquired by the magistrate of the city of Hanover in 1741 to be used as a “new churchyard in front of the Aegidientor”. The adjoining church was consecrated eight years later and is still known today as the “Garden Church”.
In the 19th century, due to the rapid growth of the city, the cemetery was already located within the city limits and was abandoned after one last burial in 1864. Numerous important personalities of the 18th and 19th centuries are still buried there today, some with elaborate graves.
D. Johann Benjamin Koppe
Born in Gdansk in 1750, the theologian was the first court preacher at Hanover Castle Church from 1788, consistorial councillor and general superintendent for the general diocese of Hoya-Diepholz. Just three years later, at the age of 40, he died and was buried in the garden cemetery.
Tombstone
The 48 photos used for model reconstruction were taken with a Lumia 604 Smartphone.
The four different sides of the stone are decorated with different applications and inscriptions.
Front
Inscription with biographical details.
HIER RUHET
DIE STERBLICHE HÜLLE
VON
D. JOHANN BENIAMIN KOPPE
K.C.R.BRITT.CHF.BRAUNSCHW.LÜNEB.
ERSTEM HOFPREDIGER
UND CONSITORIALRATH
GEB. ZU DANZIG.DXIX AUG.MDCCL
GEST. ZU HANNOVER.DXII FEB.
MDCCXCI
Side 1
Side 1’s only decoration is a plastic amphora.
Side 2
Like side 1, side 2 is only decorated with a plastic amphora, but only small fragments are still in place.
Backside
The inscription loosely translates: His dust = hill. For his descendants this monument MDCCXCI.
UNVERGESLICH
IST SEIN NAME.
SEINEN STAUB = HÜGEL
NUR
BEZEICHNE FÜR DIE NACHKOMMEN
DIES
DENKMAL.
MDCCXCI.
More stones and memorials will follow.
Are you interested in 3D scans, prints, reconstructions, workshops or questions?