Weekly Photo Challenge: Gone, but not forgotten

/ taphian

Several times every year I’m visiting our most beautiful cemetery called „Ohlsdorf“ which was founded in 1877 and has a basal area of 966 acres. It’s the largest park cemetery of the world and even bigger than Central Park, NY. Anybody who is interested can read more details under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlsdorf_Cemetery.
I particularly love the old angel-tombstones from art nouveau time. They have a lot of symbolism. People that have died 100 and more years ago are still not forgotten.
The main reason I go there is to put flowers on my father’s grave who died very young at the age of 48 leaving me behind as a semi-orphan at four and a half.
Gone, but not forgotten deals with my father whom I hold in grateful memory ever since and who is still in my heart. I love you Daddy.

 

35 thoughts on “Weekly Photo Challenge: Gone, but not forgotten”

  1. In a nearby city, we have some angels with that turquoise appearance. I will send you a photo of them by pm. They have always fascinated me, but I do not know if there is any story behind them.

    I love to wander in cemeteries to photograph, but have not been able to get to any in recent times.

    Virtual hugs,

    Judie

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    • Hi Judie, there are a lot of symbols in some tombstones like poppy seed vessels (for eternal sleep), the alpha and omega for birth and death etc. If you have time, take a look into the link I put there. Thank you for following me over and have a wonderful day with your nice husband. Virtual hugs, Mitza

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      • I definitely will take a virtual walk through, as soon as Special Breakfast cleanup is completed. It was so good, I am just vegging out until I am motivated enough to push back from the table and get to work!

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      • That’s really funny, Judie. We had a delicious meal today: duckbrest with enameled (is this the right word?) red onions with red wine, harissa spice, a little clove, together with potatoes and red cabbage with little pieces of apples.

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      • Enameled? Might be “glazed”, which would mean fried with something that gave it a glow, like the fat from the duck breast. The onions would be soft, sweet, and shiny. I have two red onions that I wasn’t sure how to fix, so I may try that way.

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      • I put some sugar in the pan to melt, then I put the onions inside and some red wine and the spices I mentioned before. It’s really delicious. Fits with saddle of the lamb, too, perfectly. Then I cook couscous with this meal.

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  4. Touching story combined with beautiful, stunning images of angels. In the old times I always accompanied my grandmother to the cemetery and marveled at the art works which you can find there. The weather and time really turned some of it into marvelous works of art and gave a beautiful mood to the whole surrounding, your photos just translate that mood perfectly! Wonderful images indeed and is nice to start your new site with angels. Thank you for sharing! ~ Eva

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    • Hi Eva, this cemetary is really one of the most beautiful places in my hometown Hamburg. It is such a contemplative and silent place that fills your heart with a lot of feelings. The angels look alive and you wouldn’t wonder if you felt the touch of an angel’s wing on your cheek, from your guardian angel. I’m always moved when others really do understand the mood I want to transfer. The cemetary is sad but overwhelms with beauty. I hope these angels are guiding me through my blog. It’s a real pleasure sharing and knowing you, have wonderful day, regards Mitza

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  5. Ah yes – cemeteries, such an underrated resource. Some great sculpture turns up in the most unexpected places too. Your photos capture both the serenity and the touch of sadness. Found you easily from dreimalkunst – all the best for your new blog, Agnes.

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    • Hi Agnes, I’m very content to see that you understood the serenety and the touch of sadness I wanted to express. We all have to go and decaying in such a beauty is desirable in a way. The ones that are not remembered are really dead. My father lives inside of my heart more than 50 years already. I’m happy you found my new blog and look forward to your new posts. Warm regards Mitza

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  6. Hello Mitza, the green colouring is called verdigris. It happens when the bronze statues have been exposed to air, it’s usually copper carbonate. You may be interested to know it is a corruption of the word vert-de-grece (green of Greece).

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    • Thanks a lot for this information. Being a goldsmith I knew this happens when copper is outside many years, but I didn’t know that the word verdigris comes from the word vert-de-grece. That’s really interesting. Have a wonderful day, regards Mitza

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  8. Such lovely and serene photos. Not very many photos can make you feel but yours do. I can feel as if I’m walking through the cemetery myself…a peaceful feeling. Thank you for sharing. Pris

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    • Thank you so much for your comment and giving me the impression that you really understood the feeling I wanted to transfer. That’s always very moving for me. Thanks for taking your time to take a deeper look and have a nice day, regards Mitza

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  12. I love cemeteries not only for photos but the history and the peace that I feel when in one. It makes me wonder about the people who are buried there what they were like and what their lives were like. I live next to a fairly new one, it looked lovely this morning covered in frost and the winter sun. Love your photos. 🙂

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    • Thanks a lot for loving my photos, Karen. It’s always good to find others in this world who like to do the same or feel the same. I have exactly the same thoughts when I take a walk there, wondering about the people who are burried there. There’s so much peace in these cemeteries like you said. Did you post some photos from your new cemetery, too? I wish you a Happy New Year, regards Mitza

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    • It’s really nice to find others that feel the beauty of this place, too. Death has beauty, too and we cannot ignore that we will all die one day. I love to walk there, it’s peaceful. That’s really interesting to hear that you have German ancestors, though Coburg is much more in the south than Hamburg, where I live, which is worthwhile visiting. Have a wonderful day and thanks for your comment, regards Mitza

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