Begraafplaats Zijlpoort (Zijlpoort Cemetery), Leiden

The Zijlpoort Cemetery, located in Leiden, is a historically significant Roman Catholic cemetery established in 1828. It was built on the site of the former stronghold at the Zijlpoort in response to new burial regulations introduced by the Minister of the Interior in 1827. These regulations prohibited burials within churches or densely built-up areas starting in 1829, necessitating the creation of cemeteries at appropriate distances from urban areas. For Leiden, the ramparts of the former city walls, situated away from the town’s buildings, provided an ideal solution.

The cemetery was inaugurated in November 1828, with the first burials taking place on the 19th of that month. An inspection earlier that year confirmed that the new burial grounds conformed to the updated regulations. Designed to offer consecrated earth for Roman Catholic burials, the Zijlpoort Cemetery served the needs of the community with dignity and reverence.

At the heart of the cemetery stands a neoclassical chapel, constructed in 1828 based on the design of Th. Molkenboer. Flanked by a service house and utility rooms, the chapel remains a focal point of the cemetery and was designated as a national monument in 1976 for its architectural and historical value.

Although the cemetery was officially closed to new burials in 1969, exceptions were made for existing family graves. In 1985, it reopened without restrictions, allowing new interments. Over the years, Zijlpoort Cemetery has become the resting place of several prominent figures, including writer Maarten Biesheuvel, painter Aad Donker, physicist Willem Keesom, and Jos Weitenberg, the first professor of Armenian studies in the Netherlands.

Zijlpoort Cemetery continues to stand as a testament to the historical evolution of burial practices and as a serene memorial to Leiden’s past.