The Oberbauerschaft Cemetery
Lübbecke
The Oberbauerschaft Cemetery
Attached to the municipal cemetery is a small cemetery with its own entrance. This is where the residents of Niedringhausen were buried. Like Beendorf, this district of Oberbauerschaf belonged to the Lübbecke parish.
Their entrance and section of the cemetery were located on the south side of St. Andrew’s Church. Back then, the paths to the cemetery and to the church in Lübbecke ran along what are still colloquially called the “Kirchwege” (church paths)—come rain or shine.
In 1839, the residents of Oberbauerschaft were allocated their own plot next to the new Lübbecke cemetery. As a result, many residents of Niedringhausen continued to have their graves in Lübbecke, some even to this day.
In the same year, a separate cemetery was established for Oberbauerschaft in Beendorf. In the church register, the first cemetery in Oberbauerschaft is referred to as the “Bauerschaftskirchhof.” When someone from Oberbauerschaft was buried in Lübbecke, the entry sometimes read “Lübbecke (Oberberger).” This is because, from Lübbecke’s perspective, Oberbauerschaft was referred to as the “Oberberger Bauerschaft.”
In this cemetery, we find several “old” family gravesites with headstones typical of that era. They often share a uniform design. Some plaques are located at the head of the deceased, that is, directly by the path. The graves face east. This is intended to ensure that on Judgment Day, the deceased has an unobstructed view of the Risen One and paradise.
Typical symbols on gravestones are “hearts, anchors, and crosses.” They are interpreted as follows: The heart stands for love, the anchor for hope. The cross primarily represents Jesus’ resurrection. It is also a symbol of connection: the vertical beam = connection to God, the crossbeam = connection among people. Furthermore: the crossbeam would not function without the vertical beam; the cross symbolizes strength and support.