Melatenfriedhof, Cologne

It was Napoleon himself who in 1800 ordered that all burials should take place outside the city walls - in accordance with the burial traditions of Ancient Rome. As a result of this, the new central cemetery, Melatenfriedhof, was opened on the site of a disused lepers' house a decade later. The name Melaten is taken from the French 'malade' or 'sick'. The cemetery contains numerous old trees which are home to all kinds of birdlife, and between the trees lie two centuries-worth of graves and tombs, including many of the city's best known inhabitants.