Skogskyrkogården

World Heritage Identification Number: 558

World Heritage since: 1994

Category: Cultural Heritage

WHE Type: Agriculture Landscapes, Parks & Gardens

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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A Journey Through Time and Space: Exploring Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm's Architectural Marvel

In the heart of Stockholm, nestled amidst the vibrant cityscape and verdant forests, lies a unique testament to the harmonious blend of nature and architecture – Skogskyrkogården (Woodland Cemetery). Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, this cemetery stands as a timeless monument to the ingenuity and vision of its creators, Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This Stockholm cemetery was created between 1917 and 1920 by two young architects, Asplund and Lewerentz, on the site of former gravel pits overgrown with pine trees. The design blends vegetation and architectural elements, taking advantage of irregularities in the site to create a landscape that is finely adapted to its function. It has had a profound influence in many countries of the world.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii): The creation of Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz at Skogskyrkogården established a new form of cemetery that has exerted a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world.

Criterion (iv): The merits of Skogskyrkogården lie in its qualities as an early 20th century landscape and architectural design adapted to a cemetery.

Encyclopedia Record: Skogskyrkogården

Skogskyrkogården is a cemetery located in the Gamla Enskede district south of central Stockholm, Sweden. It was inaugurated in 1920 and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. Its design, by Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz, reflects the development of architecture from Nordic Classicism to mature functionalism.

Additional Site Details

Area: 108.08 hectares

Number of Components: 1

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 59.27556 , 18.09944

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Royal Domain of Drottningholm
13 km — Sweden

Birka and Hovgården
32 km — Sweden

Engelsberg Ironworks
141 km — Sweden

Hanseatic Town of Visby
182 km — Sweden

Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun
202 km — Sweden

Sweden and the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: January 22, 1985

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 2007-2011

Total of Mandate Years: 4

Total of Mandates: 1

WHC Electoral Group: I (Western Europe/North America)

Learn more about Sweden

Weather at the World Heritage Site

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Skogskyrkogården
Wikipedia: Skogskyrkogården

Portions of the page Skogskyrkogården are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Skogskyrkogården, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.