Waldfriedhof, cemetery in Blankenburg, Germany

The Waldfriedhof in Blankenburg is a municipal forest cemetery on Helsunger Straße, laid out in 1885 on a slope with three main paths running west to east. It holds graves from 1886 onward, including family vaults in the upper section, war graves from both world wars, and a plot for forced laborers. The Martha Chapel, consecrated in 1928, stands at its center.

The cemetery was established in 1885 when the old burial ground near the town walls became too small for the growing population. The Martha Chapel was added in 1928 as a memorial after a local merchant's young daughter passed away, and later sections for soldiers from both world wars and forced laborers were created.

The cemetery's name comes from its wooded setting. Since 2021, a history project titled "Blankenburger Waldfriedhof – Kulturdenkmal und regionaler Spiegel deutscher Geschichte" links graves to German and regional history. Pupils from Gymnasium Am Thie and local citizens gathered the stories, which visitors can call up by QR code at each grave.

The cemetery is open for free exploration on foot, with paths that follow the natural slope of the terrain and are easy to walk. Visitors can scan QR codes at selected graves to access information on their phones, and maps provided at the entrance help locate specific graves and memorial areas.

The Martha Chapel, consecrated in 1928, was funded by the merchant Louis Mewes (1853–1941) in memory of his daughter, who died young. It remains the cemetery's central meeting point. The upper section of the grounds also holds family vaults, alongside graves from around 1900, war graves from both world wars and a plot for forced labourers.