City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu" (Koprivnica, Croatia)

City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu" (Koprivnica, Croatia)
On November 18th , 2016, the cemetery, along with associated buildings and landscaping, received the status of a cultural good.

About the cemetery

The City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu" in Koprivnica includes the Holly Spirit Chapel, old and new mortuary, a central cross, the cross for fallen soldiers (employees of Podravka) and the Memorial to those killed in World War II.

The oldest written record that mentions the cemetery in the central part of the town Koprivnica is from 1607. At that time, the cemetery was placed within the fortress near the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the area near the present church of St. Nicholas).

Central town cemetery was later located next to the St. Lucy’s Chapel (the area of today’s hospital) and was intended for the citizens of the Koprivnica fortress and those outside the fort wall. The St. Lucy’s Chapel is first mentioned in 1650.

In the early 1800s, more and more houses were built around the Chapel and the cemetery, so Pastor Adam Žuvić suggested the abandonment of the cemetery and relocation to the cemetery next to the Holy Spirit Chapel. This was executed in 1845 but soon the Chapel was abandoned and after 1850 it was knocked down. A new Holy Spirit Chapel, which still exists in the city cemetery today, was then built in 1873. Thus, Koprivnica had a new central cemetery during the second half of the 19th century around the Holy Spirit Chapel, which is still in function today. 

The cemetery was considerably expanded in 1869 but not arranged. The town gardener Dragutin Ruhl started arranging the cemetery greenery in the 1890s. Today’s horticultural appearance of the cemetery is the work of the town grave-digger Ivan Maček. Τhe cemetery was characterised by the Ministry of Culture as preservable, because it possesses elaborate decorations and consists of works of unique artistic value.

In 2003 the revitalisation of the cemetery greenery has started, which was conducted in cooperation with the Conservation Department at the Ministry of Culture. On November 18th, 2016, the cemetery, along with associated buildings and landscaping, received the status of a cultural good.

Significant personalities at the cemetery

Many significant names from the Koprivnica history are connected with the city cemetery, such as: family Šemper, Vargović, Sulimanović and Malančec, Leander Brozović, Đuro Ester, Božena Loborec, Đuro Sudeta, Vinko Vošicki and Zlata Bartl.

Basic data

Number of graves: 6.685 graves (over 9,000 registered burial sites)
Cemetery size: 77.000 m2 in use + 12.600 m2 in phase of development altogether 89.600 m2
Cemetery type: Municipal, civil and military cemetery

Contact

Ms. Maja Hleb
CEO Komunalac LLC Koprivnica

Email: maja.hleb@komunalac-kc.hr
Phone: 00385-48-251-808