Cemetery Chapel, Maastricht

The Tongerseweg Cemetery Chapel is situated within the Tongerseweg General Cemetery in the South Limburg municipality of Maastricht. The chapel was constructed between 1885 and 1890 based on a design by architect Johannes Kayser. Recognized for its architectural and historical significance, the chapel was added to the national monument register on February 11, 1997.

Built in the neo-Gothic style, the brick chapel follows an octagonal layout and features an entrance porch. The structure is crowned with an eight-sided tent roof covered in slates, with a cross adorning the top. The entrance porch, covered by a gable roof also clad in slates, is characterized by a stepped gable that frames a pointed-arched entrance. The façade is enhanced by high lancet-arched windows, a decorative frieze beneath the eaves, and tapering buttresses at the corners. A striking rose window with quatrefoil tracery is positioned above the entrance, complementing the intricate masonry. The entrance portico is secured by a double wrought iron railing, and above it, a crucifix with corpus is prominently displayed. Two tombstones flank the entrance, adding to the solemnity of the site.

Inside, the chapel boasts a richly decorated interior. A painted wooden barrel vault with tie rods embellishes the porch ceiling, while the main space is covered by a ribbed vault resting on corbels. Against the back wall, a tile tableau vividly depicts the tomb of Jesus and a Calvary scene. Beneath the chapel lies a crypt containing burial niches, reinforcing the building’s function as a sacred funerary monument.

The Tongerseweg Cemetery Chapel stands as a fine example of neo-Gothic ecclesiastical architecture, blending historical reverence with artistic craftsmanship, making it an integral part of Maastricht’s cultural heritage.