The Central Cemetery in Vienna: Past and Present of Muslim Areas

Abstract

The sections for Muslims in the Central Cemetery in Vienna are gradually expanding spatially from its edge to the central parts. Thanks to this expansion, the gravestones are more visible to ordinary visitors. Aware of the growing visibility of their gravestones, Muslims, buried in the cemetery since the 1970s, have begun to consider their final monuments as important sites of religious expression. These monuments can be understood as an important source of information about the followers of Islam living in one of the major metropolises of Central Europe. One style of tombstone predominates in the Muslim sections of the Central Cemetery. It is a highly standardized monument that one often finds in the catalogues of local stone carving companies. On average, about 25% of the tombstones emphasize the Muslim convictions of the deceased. Other aspects of the identity of the deceased, such as their national, cultural, or political affiliations, are not often emphasized. My research into gravestones suggests that, in death, Muslims in Vienna prefer to be remembered primarily as Muslims.