F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1998/2. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1998)

MŰHELY - Söptei Imre: A kőszegi temető

Imre SÖPTEI THE CEMETERY LN KŐSZEG The cemetery in Kőszeg is among the oldest in Hungary. In the early period of the town's history burials were made around St. Jacob church in the city. At the beginning of the 17th century, when building the new church a new place was made for burials in the suburbs, but it was also closed a few decades later. Local burials have been made from the 1630'

s on the present territory. At the turn of the 16-17th centuries three cemeteries were to be found in the town, but new burials could be made only in the third one. The chapel and fence having a cultic meaning were built very early. Instead of the chapel with a wooden tower a new was erected in 1748-49, with stone tower. It was first consecrated as the chapel of the Holy Cross, then the Holy Blood. The old tombstones are unfortunately in a rather bad condition. Only one is still existing from the tombstones mentioned in an 1930 inventory. A few finely carved tombstones can be found from those made in the 19th century. They are decorated with symbols of death and resurrection as the revival of the antique symbols and the survival of mediaeval beliefs. The monumental marble and granite columns from the turn-ofthe-century are to be preserved also. The wrought iron decorations, fences were made in the same workshop but still show a great artistic variation. The geometrical order of the paths in the cemetery show a modern view, but there is an archaic disorder within the plots. The burial of the families in one group is showing the old way of burial. Similarly, according to traditions Protestants and Roman Catholics were buried far from each other. As a result of the lack of place there is no possibility to follow the above traditions. The leaders of Kőszeg town ordered an investigation in 1998 concerning the tombstones worth preserving from art and local historical points. The issue of an order is planned to make possible local protection. It would be needed as the monument protection of the cemetery is still a problem, although it was ordered to be protected in 1971, but nothing has happened in practice since then. The reason is that the necessary investigation and surveys are still missing, serving as a basis for the points of protection.