Alter Johannisfriedhof (Old St. John's Cemetery), Leipzig

Old Saint John's Cemetery in Leipzig is the city's oldest burial ground, with roots tracing back to 1278. Initially established as part of Saint John's Hospital for lepers, it later became attached to Saint John's Church, built in the 14th century but destroyed during World War II. In 1536, under the directive of George, Duke of Saxony, the cemetery transitioned into a common graveyard, undergoing several expansions over the centuries in 1680, 1805, and finally from 1827 to 1863. It was also redesigned in the style of the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa, blending its historic legacy with a touch of Italian monumental cemetery architecture.

This cemetery served as the final resting place for many of Leipzig's prominent figures, including musicians, composers, and music publishers. A notable discovery occurred in 1894 during the reconstruction of the Johanniskirche nave when the remains of Johann Sebastian Bach, who had been buried there in 1750, were unearthed. His remains, along with those of Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, a celebrated German poet, were reinterred beneath the church altar in 1900. Despite the church's destruction in 1943 due to Allied bombing, the coffins of Bach and Gellert were miraculously preserved. Bach's remains were subsequently moved to the Thomaskirche in 1949, while Gellert's were relocated to the Paulinerkirche.

By the early 20th century, Old Saint John's Cemetery had evolved into a memorial park. It was temporarily closed in 1981 and underwent a comprehensive clearance. After extensive renovations, it reopened in 1995 and remains a protected monument, reflecting Leipzig’s rich historical and cultural heritage.