- Polish cemeteries, such as the Northern or Central Cemetery in Szczecin, are huge, which makes it difficult to find the graves of loved ones.
- Fortunately, there are online search engines that help locate burial places, even in the largest necropolises.
- Get to know the most popular Polish and international databases that will make it easier for you to find any grave.
How to find a grave in a cemetery? Online search engines for places in necropolises
. Necropolises are real cities of the dead, which are difficult to navigate without proper knowledge. Polish cemeteries can be huge. The Northern Cemetery in Warsaw (area – 143 hectares) and the Central Cemetery in Szczecin (area – 173 hectares) are one of the largest necropolises in Europe. It is no wonder that many people get lost in the alleys and cannot find the graves of their loved ones. Fortunately, for several years now, we have been able to find appropriate search engines for graves on the largest graves on the Internet. Some necropolises, such as the aforementioned Warsaw Cemetery of the North, have their own websites where you can search for a location by entering the details of the deceased person.
When going to visit the graves of your loved ones, you need to know these online search engines:
- WebCmentarz – this is definitely the largest database of graves in Poland. It includes up to 15 million burial places
- eCemeteries – a database with over 1.3 million graves throughout the country
- Grobonet.com – you will find data on 7 million burial places throughout Poland
- Mogły.pl – is a nationwide database with data on 2 million deceased people
If you are going to foreign cemeteries, you can visit findagrave.com. This is by far the largest search engine for burial places around the world. It contains over 250 million indexes, including graves from Polish cemeteries.
The largest Polish cemeteries
Central Cemetery in Szczecin
- Area: approximately 172 ha.
- Number of burials: over 300,000 people.
Created in 1901, when the city (then German Stettin) decided on a large necropolis modeled on German garden cemeteries. The layout has a “park” character – with a main avenue, a chapel, numerous monuments, a pond and trees. After World War II, when Szczecin became part of Poland, the cemetery still functions and is one of the largest in Europe.
Northern Municipal Cemetery in Warsaw
- Area: approximately 143 ha.
- Number of burials: approximately 180,000 buried so far.
It was established in 1973 as a new, large necropolis for Warsaw, in the Bielany/Wólka Węglowa district. Here you will find, among others: plots commemorating victims of plane crashes, military burials.
Bródno Cemetery in Warsaw (Bródno Cemetery)
- Area: approximately 114 ha.
- Number of burials: over 1.2 million (1,200,000) buried.
Founded in 1884 in Warsaw-Targówek (then a suburb). Initially intended mainly for the poorer layers of society, over time it became a large Warsaw necropolis. Wikipedia During World War II, the area was used by the Polish resistance movement as a hideout and warehouse.
Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw (Old Powązki)
- Area: approximately 43 ha.
- Number of burials: estimated over 1,000,000 people.
Founded in 1790, designed, among others, by Dominik Merlini. This is the resting place of many famous Poles – artists, scientists, social activists. It has been expanded over the years and is symbolic of the capital.
Municipal Cemetery No. 2 Junikowo, Poznań
- Area: approximately 92–93 ha.
- Number of burials: approximately 139,000 people (or over 150,000 in other sources).
The necropolis opened in 1948 on the site of a former military training ground. There are separate accommodations here, including: Greater Poland insurgents, Home Army soldiers, social activists.
