Cemeteries are one of my favorite places to visit. I’m fascinated by the ornate headstones, inscriptions, monuments, etc. I especially enjoy the much older cemeteries, not just for aesthetic purposes, but I find it relaxing to hang out for a while and contemplate life and remember the people who aren’t around anymore and might not have people stopping by to visit them these days. I’m not religious, but I still feel like it’s nice for people to be remembered after they’re gone.
Sitting across the street from Chicago’s famous Graceland Cemetery (at 3963 N Clark St, Chicago) is Wunder’s Cemetery. It was founded in 1859 under the name First German Lutheran Cemetery, eventually being renamed to Wunder’s Cemetery Association in 1919. The first recorded burial here was in 1864, though there are death dates going back to 1850.
Not far into the cemetery is the Raithel monument of two sisters embracing, which is a gorgeous marble statue encased in glass.
Considering how old some of the gravestones are here, many are extremely worn, and a few are broken or deteriorating, but overall the cemetery is pretty nicely kept up. Someone was actually there cutting grass and trimming the area when I was visiting.
There’s only one mausoleum on the grounds, off near the fence that separates Wunder’s from Jewish Graceland Cemetery next door.
Wunder’s is definitely worth a trip, especially if you’re already in the area.
Photos taken with a Canon T3i | Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
